If the rumors circulating are true, it seems like Pellegrini and the Hammers will be throwing around big money during the summer transfer window. Although West Ham could use a few signings up front, the majority of the transfer budget should be spent shoring up the back line.
When West Ham appointed Manuel Pellegrini to be the manager back in May 2018, along with Mario Husillos as the new director of football, one of the many expectations of Hammers fans was that the Irons were going to be more active in the transfer windows. This proved to be true last summer when Pellegrini went out and acquired Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop, and Andrii Yarmolemko, among others, for big money. This summer seems to have the same kind of feel to it.
If the recent reports about the Irons transfer plans are accurate, West Ham will want to bring in some big name players that will help push the club into a position for European football. With the signing of attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals practically a done deal, along with Pellegrini’s obsession to bring in another striker, it seems as if West Ham will be loaded up front with a plethora of attacking options. However, it is obvious that West Ham’s back-line needs some major investment for the club to be successful next season.
Last summer, Pellegrini brought in Issa Diop from Toulouse for a fee of £22.50m. It proved to be a great deal, as Diop showed great promise and started 33 Premier League games for the Hammers. Fabian Balbuena also came in from Corinthians and was a rock for the Irons. However, a knee injury derailed a very solid first season for the Paraguayan. Other than those two, West Ham’s center-halves include Angelo Ogbonna, who struggled last season and is rumored with a move back to Italy, and Winston Reid, who missed the entire season after a major knee injury. Clearly, there is an incredible lack of depth along with injury doubts that must be addressed.
The Irons seem to be content with their right-back options and to me, this is the strongest part of the defense. West Ham signed Ryan Fredericks on a free from Fulham last season, and although he only played in 15 league matches, he adapted to the league well and seems to be penciled into next year’s starting XI at right-back. The Hammers have Premier League veteran Pablo Zabaleta for one more season along with Sam Byram, who impressed many this season on loan at Nottingham Forest. The Left-Back position is where more problems arise.
Both Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku had very mixed seasons. At times, Cresswell was a rock in defense, stifling opposing attack, and Masuaku appeared to be a dangerous attacking threat down the left-hand side. However, there were simply too many times where both fullbacks looked lost in defense. Both constantly had trouble man-marking and defending set pieces. Adding another fullback to the fold to provide some competition for Cresswell and Masuaku should be one of the main goals for Pellegrini and Husillos during the window.
West Ham’s attack next season is looking the most dangerous it’s been in years. There is so much to be excited about going forward, and I think West Ham will play entertaining and attacking football that Hammers fans will love. However, the defense is fragile. Diop and Balbuena look to be a solid center-back pairing, but the options behind them are downright not good enough for a club trying to push into European football. With a bit more investment into the defense over the summer, the Irons will be well on their way to having the season all the fans know the Hammers and Pellegrini are capable of.