West Ham United supporters endured a pretty miserable season last time round, certainly hoping for better this year, although the zeitgeist in East London is not one of positivity.
What are West Ham United's confirmed transfers?
West Ham United's arrivals
- Callum Wilson: Newcastle United - free transfer.
- Mads Hermansen: Leicester City - £20 million.
- Jean-Clair Todibo: Nice - £32.8 million (loan made permanent).
- El Hadji Malick Diouf: Slavia Prague - £19 million.
- Kyle Walker-Peters: Southampton - free transfer.
- Daniel Cummings: Celtic - compensation.
West Ham United's departures
- Mohammed Kudus: Tottenham Hotspur - £55 million.
- Michail Antonio: free agent.
- Vladimír Coufal: Hoffenheim - free transfer.
- Kurt Zouma: free agent.
- Łukasz Fabiański: free agent.
- Aaron Cresswell: Stoke City - free transfer.
- Danny Ings: free agent.
Pleased note: all information is correct as of the date of publication.
What happened at West Ham United last season?
Last season was very much a campaign to forgot for West Ham United, but will this one be much better? In recent times, the Hammers had qualified for Europe in three successive seasons for the first time ever, finishing as high as sixth, seventh and ninth, also historically winning the Europa Conference League in 2023, capturing the club's first major silverware since 1980.
Despite all this success, they parted company with manager David Moyes last summer, while his successor Julen Lopetegui didn't last very long, sacked in January after just 20 Premier League games in charge. The Spaniard accumulated 1.15 points-per-game, and things actually got marginally worse following Graham Potter's appointment, collecting 1.11 points-per-game, winning only five of 19 fixtures at the helm.
Overall, the Irons finished 14th, losing nine Premier League home matches, their highest tally in a single season since being relegated in 2010/11. Given his miserable first half-season in charge, Potter is immediately under pressure to deliver results, which he may well struggle to do.
How will West Ham United do this season?
While we don't expect them to be involved in any relegation battle, we see little reason why this season will be much better than the last for West Ham United. The Irons' most-talented attacker Mohammed Kudus has been sold to fierce rivals Tottenham, the first player to make that move since Scott Parker in 2011, which'll certainly make that London derby on 13 September a feisty encounter.
Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf will bolster Graham Potter's full-back options, while Callum Wilson has arrived as the new centre-forward, but relying on him to be regularly fit and available is surely a fool's errand. Six experienced players have been released, most notably Michail Antonio after a decade in East London, and he will be a difficult man to replace. At the other end of the pitch, £20 million has been spent to bring in Mads Hermansen from Leicester City, which suggests he will be the first-choice goalkeeper, usurping Alphonse Areola in the pecking order.
All in all, the mood at the London Stadium is not one of positivity, so a long, tough season awaits for the Hammers faithful, potentially starting with a defeat at newly-promoted Sunderland up on Wearside on the opening day.
What is our predicted Premier League finish for West Ham United?
- Our predicted finish for West Ham United in the Premier League this season: 15th.
What are West Ham United's first 6 Premier League fixtures?
- Sunderland (A). Saturday 16 August. Kick off 15:00 (BST).
- Chelsea (H). Friday 22 August. Kick off 20:00 (BST).
- Nottingham Forest (A). Sunday 31 August. Kick off 14:00 (BST).
- Tottenham Hotspur (H). Saturday 13 September. Kick off 17:30 (BST).
- Crystal Palace (H). Saturday 20 September. Kick off 15:00 (BST).
- Everton (A). Monday 29 September. Kick off 20:00 (BST).
What are some other key dates for West Ham United supporters?
- 13 August: Carabao Cup second round draw - taking place around 22:30 (BST).
- 1 September: The transfer window closes at 19:00 (BST).