West Ham began the 2023/24 season brightly under David Moyes and look poised to push for European football, but their season unraveled in the second half.
Although West Ham were hurt by key absences in the attack, the larger problem was a lethargic playing style under Moyes and a series of poor results that compounded on each other, leaving the Hammers spiraling.
In the end, West Ham finished a measly ninth in the Premier League, ultimately failing to pull ahead of disappointing giants Chelsea, Newcastle, or even Manchester United.
It will be back to the drawing board for West Ham this summer, but they will be led by a new manager, having hired former Wolves, Sevilla, and Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui to lead the way.
One of Lopetegui’s key transfer targets appears to be his former striker at Sevilla, Youssef En-Nesyri.
If West Ham are able to sign the Moroccan international to boost their attack, then here is a look at how the West Ham lineup could look in the 2024/25 season with En-Nesyri replacing a potentially suspended Lucas Paqueta in the XI.
GK Alphonse Areola
A former Real Madrid man himself, Alphonse Areola has rehabbed his reputation as one of European football’s better keepers while starting for West Ham, supplanting another quality Premier League keeper in Lukasz Fabianski.
The 30-year-old Frenchman’s spot in goal should be secure for the 2024/25 season, as he is coming off a campaign in which he saved nearly 75 percent of the shots he faced.
LB Emerson Palmieri
From Chelsea’s most criticized starter to Juventus transfer target to West Ham hero, Emerson Palmieri’s journey in how he is perceived by football fans has been quite interesting to watch, but there is currently no question that he is an asset to the Hammers.
Emerson was legitimately one of the best left backs in the Premier League last season, and while you can argue that the competition hasn’t exactly been stiff for that honor since Emerson joined West Ham, the Italian fullback deserves his plaudits.
The 29-year-old led the team with 2.9 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, as his defensive quality and consistency have become better with age. Emerson is a leader for this West Ham defense, which should be a huge strength under Lopetegui.
CB Nayef Aguerd
Center back Nayef Aguerd could have worked with Julen Lopetegui at Sevilla, as the LaLiga side were interested in signing the Moroccan defender before he ultimately chose a big-money move to the Premier League.
Aguerd is, on paper, one of the most talented defenders in the English top flight, and if anyone in the XI stands to benefit the most from Lopetegui’s appointment, then it is him.
CB Kurt Zouma
Like Emerson, Kurt Zouma is a nailed-on starting West Ham defender who is the subject of transfer speculation this summer, but, for now, he should be penciled in as one of the two starting center backs for Lopetegui in 2024/25.
Zouma is an intelligent defender who rarely has to put in a tackle, and he has been a consistent starter at the Premier League level for years now.
RB Vladimir Coufal
One of the best defensive right backs in European football, Vladimir Coufal has a place in the West Ham starting lineup for as long as he wants it, because the Czech international is one of the key leaders in the team.
Coufal registered three combined tackles and interceptions last season to maintain his status as one of the top defensive players on the Hammers.
DM Edson Alvarez
New summer 2023 signing Edson Alvarez has benefited West Ham significantly, and you can count the Hammers as being incredibly grateful for Edin Terzic stepping in and getting Dortmund to sign Felix Nmecha instead of the Ajax star.
Alvarez is one of the better defensive midfielders in the Premier League, proving to be a positive path forward for the Hammers after their major Declan Rice sale to Arsenal that summer.
The Mexican international averaged four combined tackles and interceptions per game to prove his worth as one of the best pure defensive midfielders in Europe right now, and he was more than good enough with the ball at his feet in the build-up phase.
DM Tomas Soucek
Another steely defensive presence in the West Ham midfield, Tomas Soucek isn’t as good with the ball with his feet, but, like Vladimir Coufal, he makes up for it with his sheer defensive determination and leadership.
AM James Ward-Prowse
An excellent summer 2023 signing, Premier League veteran James Ward-Prowse was one of the best players in the entire Premier League during the first half of the campaign before things started to fall apart for West Ham.
Ward-Prowse scored seven goals and seven assists, serving as the primary playmaker for the Hammers while more than holding his end of the bargain defensively with over two combined tackles and interceptions per game.
The 29-year-old will continue to be a key cog in the starting lineup for Lopetegui, who will lean on Ward-Prowse’s set piece ability. If the Hammers are to sign Youssef En-Nesyri, then the former Southampton man will end up being his best friend.
LW Mohammed Kudus
West Ham’s best long-term signing from a fruitful 2023 window, Mohammed Kudus primarily played through the middle in the West Ham attack but is more than capable of starting out wide, too.
Kudus could slot in as the left winger, cutting inside in an advanced and central inverted role, producing explosiveness and goal threat across from another great goal-scoring winger in Jarrod Bowen on the right.
One of the best dribblers in the Premier League, Kudus frequently took over games by himself and finished his first season in a top league with 8 goals, 6 assists, 3.8 dribbles completed, and 2.3 fouls drawn per game. It’s scary to think what he can do next.
ST Youssef En-Nesyri
Youssef En-Nesyri plays for a Sevilla side that has been one of the most disappointing in Europe over the past two seasons, making West Ham seem like a club with no issues by comparison.
Despite Sevilla’s issues, En-Nesyri still had a good 2023/24 season as the only real attacking bright spot for his team, scoring 16 goals. It was the second time in his career that the 27-year-old scored more than 15 goals in a LaLiga season, which is not an easy feat.
En-Nesyri is the out-and-out No. 9 that West Ham is looking for, because Lopetegui wants someone who can be an anchoring point and fire home goals in the box that the likes of Ward-Prowse, Bowen, and Kudus create.
RW Jarrod Bowen
Jarrod Bowen is one of the best players in the Premier League at any position. The 2023 Conference League hero was even better this past season with 16 goals and 6 assists.
A good all-around threat who stepped up as a striker when needed, Bowen is one of the top right-sided attackers in the Premier League and could benefit from having more space if West Ham sign a fox in the box like En-Nesyri.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.