West Ham United fans are itching to see the back of the September international break and see Julen Lopetegui's project hit its stride.
Technical director Tim Steidten certainly demonstrated financial ambition, spending in excess of £120m, but after two losses from three opening Premier League fixtures, there's plenty to work on.
Albeit, those defeats came in a hard-fought game against Aston Villa and, latterly, Manchester City, who were supercharged by the ridiculous ball-striking of Erling Haaland, but chequered form in the weeks to come would probably ignite concern.
Lopetegui wields some high-quality cogs, but what he would give to a linchpin in the mould of Declan Rice, who has now been gone for little over a year…
Why West Ham sold Declan Rice
West Ham sold Rice to Arsenal in a £105m transfer that was a record for both clubs. He had since through the ranks in east London after being picked up as a wandering youth, nurtured and guided toward the limelight.
Rice completed 245 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 15 goals and supplying 13 assists, and was promoted to official club captain following Mark Noble's retirement in 2022, though he had donned the armband numerous times before.
Club chairman David Sullivan confirmed before the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign that he would be sold, and while it was a bitter pill to swallow, watching him make the cross-London switch, the England international is one of the finest midfielders in the world and deserved his move to Arsenal, especially after helping West Ham to win the Conference League in his final appearance, defeating Fiorentina in the final.
He's since gone from strength to strength with the Gunners, failing to win any silverware beyond the FA Community Shield but proving to be a cardinal piece in Mikel Arteta's ongoing conquest against his former master, Pep Guardiola, fighting tooth and nail to end Manchester City's Premier League dynasty.
But do West Ham really rue his departure? Of course, watching a homegrown superstar ply their trade elsewhere is a bitter feeling, especially given that he scored during a 6-0 drubbing at the London Stadium last year, contributing toward the end of David Moyes' tenure.
But the £105m figure recouped was used wisely, invested across the pitch to refine a talented team. Indeed, Rice might have conquered the Conference League before leaving east London, but he was unable to help West Ham to a respectable finish in the Premier League, with patchy domestic form consigning the club to 14th place.
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Last year, however, West Ham made improvements in the wake of the 25-year-old's sale, fizzling out toward the end of the term but still finishing eighth in the top flight and reaching the quarter-final of the Europa League, defeated in a competitive two-legged affair against indomitable Bayer Leverkusen.
Edson Alvarez impressed as the more-or-less direct replacement, bringing tough-tackling expertise to the engine room. James Ward-Prowse's set-piece speciality also aided the Irons, while Konstantinos Mavropanos' arrival from Stuttgart contributed toward shoring up the backline.
The real cream of the purchased crop, however, has got to be Mohammed Kudus, an electric winger who continues to inspire awe and, perhaps, has now surpassed Rice in regard to his financial value.
Muhammed Kudus's transfer value in 2024
West Ham signed Kudus from Ajax for a £38m fee in late August 2023, beating the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea to his signature.
He was rather good last year, gliding past opponents and causing all kinds of chaos through his darting runs and snap-jerk motions, second-guessing defenders and basically just wreaking havoc.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 3% for tackles made per 90, illustrating his tenacity and multi-skilled approach.
Matches (starts)
33 (27)
3 (3)
Goals
8
0
Assists
6
0
Shots (on target)*
2.0 (0.5)
2.3 (0.00)
Pass completion
84%
89%
Key passes*
0.8
0.7
Dribbles*
3.8
3.7
Ball recoveries*
6.4
3.3
Tackles + interceptions*
2.0
1.7
Total duels won*
8.5
8.0
Kudus hasn't quite found his shooting boots yet but the Ghana international's underlying statistics are more or less the same as last year. His dribbling and ferocious athleticism mark him as one of Europe's most exciting wide players, and it's no surprise that teams such as Liverpool took an interest during the off-season.
Indeed, as per well-respected Hammers source Claret & Hugh, Liverpool had been lurking around during July, with an eagerness to raid their divisional rivals and bring the winger to Anfield, but any notion of his sale was laughed off by West Ham bosses, debunking rumours that he was set to join Arne Slot's team for a £85m figure.
In actual fact, West Ham would not consider doing business with any party unless the figure paid for Rice (£105m) was eclipsed, something that just wasn't going to happen. This truly underscores how highly regarded Kudus is, with his unique skillset irreplaceable and thus best served at the London Stadium, for as long as possible.
To be fair, the £90k-per-week talent did have an £85m release clause embedded into his Hammers contract, but this expired back at the start of July, now giving Steidten and the powers that be in east London to dictate conditions, should a party declare their interest.
Described as a "generational talent" by journalist Gary Al-Smith, Kudus is one of the most breathtaking footballers to ever don a West Ham shirt. There are no two ways about it: whatever happens, the outfit has hit the jackpot with this one.
Market Movers
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