West Ham United still need to answer ‘big question’ after transfer window
Dan Kilpatrick still thinks that “the jury is out” for West Ham United despite their transfer business in the summer.
The Hammers made several additions to their squad over the course of the transfer window and could field a nearly brand-new side if they wished to do so.
Evening Standard chief correspondent Kilpatrick compared the Hammers’ 2024/25 window to David Moyes’ back in the 2022/23 season where they won the Europa Conference League but underperformed domestically.
Speaking via the Sky Sports Transfer Talk Podcast [2 September, 13:30], Kilpatrick shared his thoughts on the “ambitious” moves that Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten have made.
“I quite like the look of what West Ham have done but I think the jury is still out,” he said.
“They’re obviously making ambitious moves in the market and I think that they’re an interesting club to keep an eye on, particularly in London.
“I think probably a big question for them is how quickly those eight new signings settle into the squad, they did a similar thing a couple of years ago for Moyes and it took them a while to get up to speed.
“That will be one to keep an eye on and it’s a challenge for Lopetegui but they’ve caught my eye.”
West Ham United need to ensure that they gel quickly
As Kilpatrick mentioned, some of the players who have arrived at the London Stadium are ambitious transfers, to say the least.
For instance, Jean Clair-Todibo was linked with many top European clubs such as Manchester United and Juventus throughout the summer transfer window [GiveMeSport, 5 August].
However, it was the London Stadium where he chose to take his career, which shows how strong of a project Lopetegui is building.
Their start to the season has been somewhat underwhelming considering the calibre of players that they’ve managed to bring in.
The Hammers currently find themselves 13th in the Premier League table, level on points with Manchester United.
Their opening fixtures have, however, been tough with the Irons having to face both Manchester City and Aston Villa in their first three games.
Despite their poor start, fans and pundits alike are excited to see what West Ham can do this season.
talkSPORT host Jeff Stelling also shares this thought process and believes that the Hammers will have a positive campaign [talkSPORT, 3 September].
It’s still early days of course and anything could change before the end of the season, but, for now at least, it feels as if Lopetegui’s men are in a good place.
In other West Ham news, a supercomputer has predicted the Hammers’ end-of-season position in the Premier League table.
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