Under the direction of David Moyes, West Ham United had a turbulent summer in terms of transfers, but they now seem to have a team that is capable of doing its duties.
The Hammers won the Europa Conference League last season, bringing glory to east London. However, they fell short of expectations in the Premier League, finishing 14th, with the team’s better performance in the last months of the season saving them from the prospect of relegation.
But winning that trophy changed the course of the 2023–24 season, as West Ham is now eagerly anticipating the Europa League group stage as they continue their stratospheric climb under the guidance of their Scottish manager.
Despite the anticipated £105 million sale of midfield general Declan Rice to Arsenal in July and the tardy start to bolstering the team during the transfer season, stability looks to have been returned and the Irons are now in a position of true strength.
Who did West Ham sign this summer?
Although the loss of Rice was heartbreaking for everyone connected to West Ham, it was inevitable given the growing speculation about his impending departure over the previous year.
- After the England international left, Moyes and company had the ideal chance to bolster the team in preparation for a third consecutive European campaign. So far, the mission appears to have been successful, as the new additions have fit in well and West Ham currently has ten points out of a possible 12 in the Premier League.
| West Ham summer signings | Transfer fee |
|---|---|
| Mohammed Kudus | £37m |
| Edson Alvarez | £32m |
| James Ward-Prowse | £30m |
| Konstantinos Mavropanos | £17m |
| Andy Irving | £1.5m |
All statistics came from Transfermarkt.
Despite rumors of a potential center-forward arrival, the Hammers chose to stick with their present lineup and instead strengthened their midfield and defense, distributing Rice’s transfer price over a number of intriguing additions.
Hugo Ekitike, Folarin Balogun, Dominic Solanke, and Kelechi Iheanacho, all of whom play for Paris Saint-Germain, were among the forwards who were considered for transfers in August. While Moyes longs for a new first-rate striker, the London Stadium is brimming with choices.
Who is Divin Mubama?
After breaking into the West Ham first team last season and being praised as one of the club’s “top talents” by writer Will Lebeau, Mubama now appears to be destined for a regular spot in the first squad after excelling in the east London club’s youth systems.
The 18-year-old phenom has proven to be as skilled as they come at the young level, scoring 40 goals and dishing out five assists in 57 games with the U18 team before scoring 14 goals and handing out two assists in 28 games with the U21s.
The 6-foot forward made a name for himself with two standout performances on the continental stage last season. He picked up an assist in his European debut against FCSB in a 3-0 group stage victory before coming off the bench to score his first goal at the senior level in a 4-0 last-round victory over AEK Larnaca.
