It is all change at West Ham, and the way the club has backed new head coach Julen Lopetegui in the transfer market this summer has fans excited about what lies ahead.
The Hammers have brought in eight signings at a net spend of about £90million and the team will have a fresh feel from the one that finished ninth last season under David Moyes.
West Ham have rebuilt their defence, which is hardly a surprise given their woeful record last season, when they shipped 74 goals. Only the three relegated sides conceded more.
Right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka has joined from Manchester United, while Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman will form a new partnership in the heart of defence. Ahead of them, Argentina World Cup winner Guido Rodriguez will provide protection from the base of midfield.
One area where there is an air of familiarity for West Ham is in attack, with new captain Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus all still around to face Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Hammers have splashed out £27m to sign Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund in one of the more intriguing deals of the summer window.
Fullkrug is coming off the back of a good season for Dortmund. He caught the eye at Euro 2024 and should act as the ideal focal point, but he turns 32 in February and is a gamble.
New boys Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme offer further depth to the forward line and add to hopes that West Ham may see a more attacking approach this season.
Moyes often came under fire for his team’s style of play, though results during his time in charge could not be argued with.
Lopetegui has expressed a desire to play attacking football, but the early indications suggest he will continue with the pragmatic style he used at Wolves.
“We believe in a style whereby we have the initiative to be the aggressive team with the ball, and that is what we’ll try to do,” he said at his unveiling last month.
Lopetegui has expressed a desire to play attacking football, but the early indications suggest he will continue with the pragmatic style he used at Wolves
“But we have to understand there are a lot of different parts to a match. For me, the style has to help you to win. That’s the first step.
“I like attacking football, but I also like counter-attacking football, and we can’t rule out playing in any way to win a game.”
So, it could be a case of evolution and not revolution for West Ham this season.
