West Ham United are desperate to secure a return to European football this season after missing out on a place under David Moyes in 2023/24 after finishing ninth in the Premier League.
It led to the Scotsman’s departure from the London Stadium, ending his second stint in charge of the club, allowing for Julen Lopetegui to take the reins of the Hammers.
The board backed the new boss spending around £120m on new talent during the summer, giving him all of the tools to be a success during his debut campaign in charge.
However, it has yet to have a huge impact on results, restricting them to 14th place in the Premier League going into the third international break.
The last starting lineup against Everton included four of the summer arrivals in East London, but they were unable to provide the difference in a meeting that ended 0-0.
They might wish they had kept hold of a couple of attacking talents who departed the Hammers during the 2023/24 season.
West Ham’s departures in 2023/24
Academy graduate Declan Rice enjoyed seven years in the club’s first team before departing to join London rivals Arsenal in a £105m deal – a record for an English player.
He wasn’t the only midfielder to depart the Hammers during that summer window, with attacking-minded midfielder Nikola Vlasic leaving after just 12 months at the club – joining Serie A outfit Torino for a fee in the region of £10m.
It was another disappointing transfer from hierarchy, losing around £20m in the space of a year on a player who ultimately wasn’t at the level required for England’s top flight.
January 2024 was another window of departures for the Hammers with £30m signing Said Benrahma ending his three-and-a-half years at the club after joining from Brentford in the summer of 2020.
The Algerian scored 24 times in his 155 appearances during his time in the capital, but it wasn’t enough to secure his future in London – swapping England for France and joining Lyon.
However, the departure of one other attacking-minded player may have been too premature given his form away from the London Stadium in the last few months.
The player who West Ham must regret offloading
Spanish talent Pablo Fornals spent four-and-a-half years as a West Ham player, playing a crucial role in their Europa Conference League triumph during the 2022/23 season under former boss Moyes.
The now 28-year-old scored the winning goal in the semi-final victory over Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, sending the Hammers to the final in Prague, ultimately allowing them to claim their maiden Conference League title.
Fornals featured over 200 times, scoring 23 times often featuring as a ten or even in a wide left position, cutting inside into his stronger right football – similarly to that of Benrahma who operated off that flank.
However, he was eventually sold in January 2024 to Spanish side Real Betis for just £6.8m – a decision that has proven to be a huge mistake given his recent form for the LaLiga outfit.
The Spaniard managed to score three times after his move towards the back end of 2023/24, but it’s his form from the current campaign that has seen him rival one of Europe’s best young talents.
Lamine Yamal has been catapulted into the limelight in recent months after his displays with Barcelona and the Spain national side, but the 17-year-old has struggled to get the better of Fornals in numerous key areas.
How Fornals compares to Yamal in LaLiga (2024/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics | Fornals | Yamal |
Games played | 13 | 12 |
Minutes played | 952 | 975 |
Goals per shot-on-target | 0.33 | 0.33 |
Pass accuracy | 77% | 77% |
Shot-creating actions per 90 | 5 | 5.7 |
Passes into the opposition’s box | 27 | 30 |
Progressive passes per 90 | 7.4 | 5.5 |
Crosses per 90 | 4.3 | 2.3 |
Stats via FBref | ||
The “unbelievable” Fornals, as dubbed by journalist Karl Matchett, may have registered far fewer combined goals and assists, but he’s matched the youngster for goals per shot on target so far this campaign.
He’s also registered 27 passes into the opposition’s penalty area, just three fewer than Yamal, a statistic that remarkably ranks him sixth in Europe’s top five leagues, showcasing his attacking qualities – something which West Ham desperately lacks with their tally of just 13 league goals scored this season.
It’s great to see a former Hammer starring, especially after his long stint at the club, but many will be questioning why he was sold given his performances and figures from the last few months.
Lopetegui has struggled since his appointment, with his compatriot potentially helping him get out of trouble had Moyes not offloaded him at the start of the year.
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