At the start of the season, no one would have put their money on West Ham fighting for a Champions League spot. Yet, here we are with two games left to play and they sit 7th on the table, 4 points behind Liverpool in 5th. The Hammers, who finished 16th last season, have done some smart business in the transfer market to turnaround their reality. They are notoriously famous for being too ambitious in the transfer market, for chasing glamorous players instead of the right ones. However, there has been a change of approach in signing players in the last couple of years at West Ham. David Sullivan, the club owner, has reduced his own influence on player recruitment and let manager David Moyes be the decisive man on that matter. Moyes has bought players desperate to prove themselves as well as found some hidden gems without breaking the bank in doing so. The impact of their recent signings is visible all over the pitch from defence to attack and has resulted in instant success.
The key signings
Tomáš Souček – Initially brought on loan in January 2020, and then signed permanently last summer from Slavia Prague for £15 million, Soucek is a prime candidate for signing of the season. Naturally a defensive midfielder, he has been deployed by Moyes more in a box-to-box role, making late runs in the box. He has given West Ham a real goal threat from midfield and is the co-highest goal scorer for West Ham this season along with Jesse Lingard and Michail Antonio, scoring 9 goals while also being a defensive pillar in midfield. The Czech hardly ever stops running when on the pitch, constantly providing his team defensive cover and getting involved in attacks. On average, he covers 12.2km per game, which is highest in the league alongside Brighton’s Pascal Gross. Soucek’s aerial prowess is another asset that stands out. Against a very physical Burnley side a couple of weeks ago, he set the record for most aerial duels won by a player in a match this season with 17. With Soucek no missing a single league games for the Hammers in 20/21, this might be the best £15 million West Ham has ever spent as the 26 year old is only going to grow in value with the numbers he is producing.
Vladimír Coufal – Another great Soucek contribution for West Ham was telling Moyes about Coufal. This hidden gem was also signed from Salvia Prague for just £5.5 million in the summer and has been sensational down the right flank. The Czech has made the Hammers’ backline more solid and possesses amazing crossing ability, grabbing 6 assists in his first EPL season. His physical strength, high work rate and good tackling ability makes him a barricade for the opposition wingers. The right back is often deployed by Moyes as a wingback when playing with a three man backline, and contributes to attacks not just just through crosses but also linking up the play well and being efficient on the ball. The 28 year old has garnered praise from his manager for his attitude. Moyes claims that the two Czech internationals have brought a winning mentality to the squad, which is required when trying to keep up with the big dogs. Bought after Fredericks picked up an injury early in the season, Coufal has now made the position his own, starting 32 league games this season. West Ham fans could be assured that their right flank is in good hands under Coufal, who keeps the opposition attackers at bay while providing attacking impetus going forward.
Jesse Lingard – Signed on loan in January until the end of the season, Lingard came to West Ham on a mission to prove his doubters wrong. The England International has scored 9 and created 3 in just 14 appearances. He has already paid back the dividends plus extra for his £1.5 million loan fee having scored crucial goals in West Ham’s race for European football. With West Ham keen to sign on him on a permanent transfer, the only downfall regarding Lingard’s recent performances, is that it will likely add a few millions more to United’s asking price. Mostly used as a no.10, Lingard operates with great dynamism and flexibility, interchanging positions with the wingers. Even if his goal scoring slowed down, he would still have a lot to offer with great link-up play and an eye for a defence splitting pass. The 28 year old has already become a popular figure in the West Ham dressing room because of his charismatic personality and has a great relationship with Moyes. Making his move permanent would be on top of West Ham’s list, although his price tag and interest from bigger clubs will be an issue in that pursuit.
Craig Dawson – His impact goes often under the radar compared to other arrivals but he has been as influential as the other loan signing up front. Initially brought as a cover to Diop, Ogbonna and Balbuena, Dawson was given a chance after injuries in the back line and he grabbed it with both hands. Brought on loan in October, the experienced centre back has become integral to West Ham’s amazing season. As a part of his clause, West Ham will be making Dawson’s transfer from Watford permanent for just £2 million as he has made more than 15 league appearances this season. He has brought great leadership and organization to the Hammers defence for a very economical price. With a high tackle success rate of 78%, Dawson also has an eye for the occasional centre back goal having scored 4 this season in all competitions. In Dawson, Moyes has found someone to rely on and base his defence around for future seasons.
One signing that hasn’t quite lived up to expectations is Said Behnrama but there is still a sense of hope that he could come to fruition in the next season. The Algerian, signed from Brentford for £26 million has shown glimpses of his creative abilities and has managed to get 5 assists in 28 appearances but still has a lot to do to live up to his transfer fee. He did manage to open his goalscoring account for the Hammers at the weekend against Brighton with a beautiful curling shot from outside of the area which will have pleased Moyes and the player himself. There is no doubt about his talent and could be given a grace period as it’s only his first season in the English top flight.
The kind of signings West Ham would want to distance themselves from is of Sebastian Haller. Signing a big name player for a huge fee and then being forced to sell them for a loss after a period of underwhelming performances. Haller arrived with a lot of promise after being part of the Eintracht Frankfurt trio strike force of Haller, Rebic and Jovic. Whilst Rebic left for AC Milan and Jovic joined Real Madrid, Haller headed for London but under false pretences. Whoever scouted Haller clearly did a poor job and looked only at his goalscoring and assist numbers and his height (6ft 3in) instead of how he fitted into that Frankfurt frontline and how he scored most of his goals. He was labelled as a target man which he isn’t (he prefers to dribble more and drop deep to pick up the ball) and from then on never really fit with how West Ham wanted to play. Hardly his fault but an expensive lesson all the same for the Hammers.
Trust in Moyes’ judgement should be carried on into this summer as they will look to build up on this season’s success. It would be impressive if they again pick up some right pieces from lower or lesser known leagues. West Ham’s main priority going into summer is signing a new striker. The Hammers are being linked to Tammy Abraham, who has struggled to get into Tuchel’s Chelsea team. Abraham’s style of play would suit Moyes’ system and he has also proved that he can shine in the Premier League. The other option is Ivan Toney who has been lighting up the Championship for Brentford. They could also improve between the posts with Fanianski now 36 and not as nibble as before. They have been linked to Sam Johnstone, who recently received an England call-up and would be looking to find a club in the Premier League as West Brom already relegated. West Ham will want to keep hold of Declan Rice as well but if a too hard to resist offer arrives from a big side, they could use that money to find a replacement and upgrade other positions. However it would be burdensome to find someone who can dictate passes and protect the backline the way Rice does.
If West Ham can continue doing their transfer business in the same vein to the last couple of windows they could surely become a familiar face at the top half of the table. A top 6 finish this season would not only attract quality players but also deepen West Ham’s pocket. It would be some achievement if Moyes can pull it off, given those who doubted that he still had what it took as a manager. Success for West Ham under Moyes looks possible especially if they keep making the right decisions on the pitch as well as in the transfer market.
Post by Achyut Dixit, Contributor to BOTN. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
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