West Ham United were incredibly active in the summer transfer window, with a plethora of new signings arriving at the London Stadium.
Julen Lopetegui made some terrific signings for West Ham in the summer, and we definitely have a better squad now than when he took over.
The West Ham head coach brought in nine new players, and got rid of much of the deadwood at the London Stadium.
And it has been claimed that the Spaniard is still in the market to bring in at least one more signing on a free transfer.
The most exciting thing for me was how ruthless and efficient the Hammers were in the summer window.
Lopetegui worked in tandem with Tim Steidten and David Sullivan to strengthen the squad left behind by David Moyes beyond all recognition.
West Ham are acting like a proper club, both on and off the pitch, but was Lopetegui’s summer business flawless?
The answer to that question is no, but it was pretty damn good on the whole…
West Ham summer signings rated
Whilst it’s still very early doors, there have still been some very impressive performances from a handful of the new arrivals, and some not so good displays.
But how have Hammers News rated all of the new signings so far?
Luis Guilherme N/A
The Brazilian hasn’t been given any competitive minutes by Lopetegui yet, but he did show some positive signs during pre-season. I predict that he will prove to be a great signing for us over the next five years.
Wes Foderingham N/A
Like Guilherme before him, Foderingham is still yet to play a competitive game for the Hammers. However, he’s our third-choice goalkeeper, so I don’t expect that to change unless we have an injury crisis between the sticks.
Max Kilman 9/10
All I can say about Kilman is wow! What a player he is, and the £40 million we paid Wolves for his signature now looks like a great deal. The 27-year-old has been incredibly solid defensively, and has offered us a completely different facet to our build-up play with the way that he strides out from defence with the ball at his feet. A sensational centre-back, Kilman will undoubtedly go down as one of our best ever summer signings.
Crysencio Sumerville 6/10
In fairness to the former Leeds man, he hasn’t quite been given a proper chance to impress yet. Summerville started against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, and despite a slow start he did show some promising signs in the second-half. He looked lively against Manchester City last weekend as well, when he came on as a late substitute. I expect big things from the 22-year-old at the London Stadium.
Niclas Fullkrug 4/10
You might think that 4/10 is a little harsh on the German. However, he quite simply hasn’t been anywhere near good enough yet, and the Achilles injury he has just picked up won’t do him any favours either. Sure, Fullkrug hasn’t received the service he needs to flourish, nor has he been given enough starts, but he has looked well off the pace during our first four games in truth. The 31-year-old needs to up his game massively when he returns from injury.
Guido Rodriguez 7/10
The 30-year-old midfielder looks like a great addition for the Hammers on a free transfer. He has done the simple things very well, and always keeps things ticking over in central midfield. Rodriguez is a tenacious tackler, and once he’s fully fit, I expect him to be a great success with West Ham.
Jean-Clair Todibo 6/10
A slow start to life at the London Stadium for the Frenchman, it must be said. Todibo has been decent when he has come off the bench, but looked extremely shaky during his one and only start against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup at the end of last month. There’s a lot more to come from the former Nice defender, and once he’s fully up to speed, I have no doubts that he’ll be exceptional for us.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka 9/10
Alongside Kilman, Wan-Bissaka has been one of the two standout players from the nine summer signings made by Lopetegui. The 26-year-old was signed for just £15 million and that has to go down as the signing of the summer in the Premier League. Wan-Bissaka’s pace, power and defensive ability makes him a huge upgrade on Vladimir Coufal. What a terrific signing he was for us.
Carlos Soler N/A
We’re still yet to see Soler in a West Ham shirt, but that will all change on Saturday. I have huge expectations of the Spaniard, and I believe he will take us to another level entirely.
Conclusion – exciting times ahead
Overall, I think that Lopetegui conducted excellent summer transfer business at the London Stadium.
There’s still more that needs to be done though, including the additions of an explosive young striker and a pacy left-back.
However, after just one transfer window, West Ham are already in much better shape following the nine new signings made by Lopetegui.
It will be interesting to watch how we develop and improve as a team over the next couple of months, as the players become more accustomed to Lopetegui’s tactics.
We all just need to be patient with Lopetegui and the new signings. When everything clicks, we will be a fearsome opponent for any team.
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