West Ham will have their sights set on qualifying for a European competition this season after spending heavily over the summer.
But making eight new signings gel isn’t the easiest task and losing experienced squad players will only make things more difficult for Lopetegui.
Selling up to nine players before deadline day certainly signals that the board are wanting a complete re-build after parting ways with David Moyes, but it is also a huge risk.
West Ham United have endured a tricky start to the new Premier League campaign under boss Julen Lopetegui, often failing to hit the heights many anticipated them to in pre-season
The Hammers saw a massive overhaul of the playing squad, with nine first-team additions during the off-season, spending upwards of £120m on new talent to take the side to the next level.
However, in the first nine league outings of 2024/25, the Spaniard’s men have only won three times, currently sitting in 13th place and just a couple of places above the relegation zone.
Players such as Guido Rodriguez, Max Kilman and Niclas Füllkrug all arrived at the London Stadium, with hopes of returning the club towards European contention.
The latter has only featured for 63 minutes in the league, suffering an injury and failing to make an impact after his £27m move from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund
One player has shown glimpses of his talent, with his most recent outing for the Irons his best during his short stint in East London.
Crysencio Summerville’s stats for West Ham
Despite huge interest from various sides all over Europe, West Ham won the race for the signature of winger Crysencio Summerville from Championship side Leeds United.
The 22-year-old cost the Hammers £25m before add-ons, with real expectations of providing that added quality in attacking areas, but he’s often struggled in recent months.
He’s often found himself behind Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus in the pecking order, featuring for just 215 minutes in the Premier League.
However, after Kudus’ dismissal against rivals Tottenham Hotspur a couple of weeks ago, he could’ve been handed a rare start against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
Lopetegui opted with Carlos Soler in a wide role instead, but Summerville was given the opportunity to impress off the substitutes’ bench – taking his chance with both hands
The Dutchman scored the opener, helping the Irons secure a victory over the Red Devils, subsequently resulting in Erik ten Hag losing his job over the last couple of days.
However, he still earns less than one player who cost the club an arm and a leg during his unsuccessful stint at the London Stadium.
The man who earned more than Summerville at West Ham
Striker Sebastian Haller arrived at West Ham with high expectations after his £45m transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2019 under Manuel Pellegrini – a deal that still remains as a club record.
However, the Ivorian’s time in East London never lived up to the hype, scoring just 14 times in his two full seasons as a Hammer, before departing the club.
The 30-year-old would join Ajax in a £20m deal, a move which saw them lose £25m in a two-year period, further showing how much of a poor deal it was in hindsight.
Haller’s transfer fee was bad enough, but the forward pocketed himself £75k-per-week during his time at the London Stadium, one of the highest figures during the 2019/20 campaign.
His subsequent weekly income saw him earn over two times more than current first-team ace Summerville, who only earns £30k-per-week despite his big-money transfer this summer.
