There will be just six West Ham United players who will start regularly under Julen Lopetegui next season.
Julen Lopetegui is all set to take over from David Moyes at West Ham when the Scot’s contract officially expires on July 1st.
Numerous Hammers players are expected to leave the London Stadium this summer, with as many as 12 being linked with exits.
That’s fine by me. Too many of the current squad are stealing a living as far as I’m concerned.
But what players will remain a key part of Lopetegui’s setup next season?
I genuinely think there will be only six…
Only six West Ham players will start under Julen Lopetegui next season
The Hammers still have some very talented players, and Lopetegui has a solid building block to begin his Hammers tenure with.
Here are the six who I think will play a key role for the 57-year-old Spaniard next term…
The 27-year-old Hammer of the Year has been sensational for us this season, with 20 goals and 10 assists to his name in 44 games in all competitions (Transfermarkt). Bowen has reached an entirely new level this season and will surely be included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros. I dread to think where we would be without him, and I predict that he will get even better next season.
What a debut campaign it has been for Kudus in England. 14 goals and six assists is quite the return from the Ghanaian, given the fact that he had no Premier League experience before he joined the Hammers. He has been absolutely electric, and I cannot wait to see his pace and power in Lopetegui’s system next season. Keeping hold of him beyond the end of next season will be the real challenge for Lopetegui.
The Mexican has been a huge hit at the London Stadium during his debut campaign with the Hammers. The tough-tackling 26-year-old instantly endeared himself to the Hammers fans with his all-action displays, and he is the glue that holds this team together with his ability to receive the ball in tight spaces inside his own third. Alvarez will undoubtedly be at the base of the West Ham midfield when Lopetegui arrives at the club.
The Italy international has been in fine form for West Ham this season. He will soon be 30 though, so Lopetegui will undoubtedly be looking for a young left-back who can provide strong competition and cover for him. Emerson is an elite left-back on his day though, and it will be interesting to see whether the new Hammers boss uses him as a wing-back. Either way, I expect him to play a key role for us next season.
The Frenchman is our number one goalkeeper, there is no doubt about that. The 31-year-old has made 129 saves in the Premier League this season – the fourth most in the top flight (Premier League website). He has played five less games than one of the goalkeepers above him on that list and seven less than the other two. Areola is a fine shot-stopper and although he doesn’t command his penalty area with the authority that he should, he’s still guaranteed to be between the sticks for us next term.
The 26-year-old endured a shaky start at the London Stadium after his £17 million move from Stuttgart last summer. He made far too many mistakes during the first-half of the season, notably away at Brentford and during our home draw with Crystal Palace. However, he has slowly grown into life at West Ham, and has been our most consistent central defensive performer during the second-half of the campaign. I fully expect him to go from strength to strength next season.
I have no doubts that players like Tomas Soucek, Kurt Zouma, Vladimir Coufal and Michail Antonio who were first-team regulars under Moyes, will either be sold of used as merely squad players under Lopetegui next season.
Lucas Paqueta will probably leave the London Stadium this summer, but if he doesn’t he will obviously be added to that list of six players above.
There will definitely be six West Ham players who will start consistently under Lopetegui next season though.
And many of Moyes’s old favourites face a really uncertain future under the Spaniard.
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