West Ham are already making a big slash in the transfer market this summer and there could be plenty more to come.
Julen Lopetegui has taken the reigns at the London Stadium, with the former Seville and Spain boss signing a two-year contract.
Lopetegui joins the east London side after a year out of work, having left Wolves at the end of the 2022/23 season, and brings plenty of pedigree from throughout his coaching career.
As well as leading Sevilla to Europa League glory in 2020, the 57-year-old has also managed Porto, Real Madrid and the Spanish national team at various levels from youth up to senior.
While outgoing boss David Moyes favoured a smaller squad during his five year tenure, the Spaniard will no doubt be keen to bolster his ranks as he looks to make his mark at the club.
The transfer window has only been open a couple of weeks, but the Hammers have already started making significant moves.
Max Kilman has joined from Premier League rivals Wolves in a £40million deal, while Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme, who is still just 18, has joined for £25.5m.
West Ham are also deep in negotiations for more transfers as they look to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £15m from Manchester United and Reiss Nelson from Arsenal for £25m.
Danny Ings could well leave the club this summer and that means they will be in the market for a new striker.
Jarrod Bowen is more than capable of lining-up in the central role, but Alexander Sorloth is a target.
With several new additions, talkSPORT.com has taken a look at where they may feature in a new-look starting eleven next season.
Lopetegui typically favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, and looks to win games with a possession-based style to gain control.
Attack-minded full-backs have been a constant in his previous teams, as short, sharp passes between a compact midfield three then create opportunities to switch the play out wide.
Starting in goal, Alphonse Areola is likely to remain first-choice, having established himself as the preferred option ahead of veteran stopper Lukasz Fabianski with a series of assured performances.
At full-back, Emerson Palmieri could retain his place on the left with Wan-Bissaka on the right. with both players keen to get forward and join the attack, in line with Lopetegui’s approach.
Central defence is an area where fans can expect to see movement, with centre-back Nayef Aguerd attracting interest from Atletico Madrid, who hope to secure his services in a deal worth over £20million.
The Moroccan was an ever-present in the 2022/23 campaign, but saw his playing time drop in the second half of last season after leaving to play for his nation at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
In his place, Lopetegui will likely opt for Max Kilman alongside Kurt Zouma.
Favouring a three-man midfield, which consists of a defensive midfielder, a playmaker, and a box-to-box style ‘shuttler’, the Spanish coach may already possess the required tools to make this work.
At the base of midfield, Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez established themselves as Moyes’ preferred pairing last year, with the latter providing defensive stability, and the former having the freedom to appear in either penalty box.
However, young Brazilian sensation Luis Guilherme – after a U-turn – could become that shuttler under Lopetegui.
And then we could see Mohamed Kudus occupy a creative role in the centre of the park ahead of the deeper two.
The Ghanaian starred in his debut season in E20, registering eight goals and six assists in the league, operating mainly from the wing.
Key attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta is also free to play next season despite facing betting charges.
Reiss Nelson could fill in on the right with Bowen up top if the Hammers do not manage to land a striker.
News Summary:
- West Ham’s £100m overhaul could see new look line-up under Julen Lopetegui with signings from Arsenal and Manchester United
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