Adrian Clarke looks at what West Ham United need to do in the summer transfer window to improve their squad.
West Ham United
West Ham conceded 74 goals last season, the most ever by a side who finished in the top half of the Premier League table. In fact, only the three relegated sides shipped more goals.
Julen Lopetegui’s first task will be to reinforce the squad with better, younger defensive players this summer. Sporting Director Tim Steidten will likely target one new central defender, and possibly a full-back too, with Vladimir Coufal and Emerson potentially vulnerable to an upgrade.
It is an ageing backline, and you could say the same for many other positions too. Lopetegui inherits a West Ham side that averaged the second-oldest starting XI in 2023/24, at 28 years and 299 days.
Freshening up the squad with younger players is sure to be a major priority.
| Club | Oldest starting XI's 23/24 |
|---|---|
| Fulham | 28y 319d |
| West Ham | 28y 299d |
| Everton | 27y 244d |
| Newcastle | 27y 237d |
| Aston Villa | 27 149d |
West Ham will also be on the hunt for a centre-forward. Even though 34-year-old Michail Antonio put in some fine performances during the second half of the season, there was too much reliance on wide forwards Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus to provide the goals.
Antonio and Danny Ings, also over 30, managed only seven goals between them in 2023/24, at a rate of one every 300 minutes.
If the new head coach finds a sharp young striker that can produce 15+ goals this season, their front three is likely to be a serious handful. An energetic new No 9 would also help West Ham become more of a pressing side, which is a tactic Lopetegui may want to implement.
The first signing of the Lopetegui era is exciting Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme, but at only 18 years old, expect West Ham to make more signings.
Key positions to target: Full-back, centre-back, centre-forward
Ins and outs so far
| Player | Transfer Type | Club | Full Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thilo Kehrer |  Transfer Out |
Monaco | Details |
| Angelo Ogbonna | Released |
- | Details |
| Luis Guilherme |  Transfer In |
Palmeiras | Details |
(Last updated: 13 June)
