West Ham United predicted lineup for Premier League 2024-25 season

The Hammers intend to take the league by storm after some serious business in the summer window.

West Ham United finished 9th in the Premier League 2023-24 season and were denied a place in Europe for the first time after qualifying for the past three seasons. Despite his incredible tenure with the Irons, wherein they won the UEFA Conference League 2022-23, David Moyes was axed and Julen Lopetegui was brought in.

The former Real Madrid and Spain national team coach has experience, winning the UEFA Europa League with Sevilla in 2019-20. Lopetegui has overseen a fruitful transfer window with some ground-shattering moves that spell to the rest of the league that they mean business.

Let us see some of those as we check West Ham United’s predicted lineup for Premier League 2024-25:

Predicted Formation (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Alphonse Areola 

Last season, Areola kept only four clean sheets for the Hammers but was impressive in his own department, making 136 saves (which accounts for 74.5% of the shots he faced) and saving two penalties. He played 31 times. The former Paris St. Germain shot-stopper could rewind the clock and nail a place for himself in the starting eleven.

Right-Back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Wan-Bissaka’s arrival in East London only for a meagre £15m seems to be a bargain, given how highly Premier League players speak of his defensive prowess. Former teammate Wilfried Zaha dreaded his “scoop tackle” and Tottenham Hotspurs ace James Maddison called him “ridiculously good at one-v-one defending. Probably the best in the world bar none”. Lovingly called “the spider” due to his sweeping sliding tackles, fans can expect him to start ahead of Vladimir Coufal. 

Centre-Back: Max Kilman

Maximillian Kilman was a highlight for an otherwise lacklustre Wolverhampton Wanderers side. The centre-back demonstrated a certain comfort on the ball as he scored two goals and made 624 recoveries. Kilman also won a majority of his aerial duels and made six off-the-line clearances, demonstrating his cutthroat agility and awareness. Now that he is with West Ham, Lopetegui will surely start him for the majority of the season. 

Centre-Back: Jean-Claire Todibo 

After being linked to multiple big clubs since his FC Barcelona days, OGC Nice centre-half Jean-Clair Todibo has joined the Hammers on a loan transfer for the season and will most likely be starting for them. Though he is comfortable carrying the ball, Todibo is more of a swashbuckling breed of defender, as he won 60.7%(as per fbref.com) of his tackles last season in the Ligue 1. He is also equally competent in the air with an almost similar figure of aerial battles won.

Left-Back: Emerson Palmieri

The Brazilian left-back is a seasoned veteran when it comes to European competitions, having won the UEFA Conference League with the Hammers and previously the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and the Super Cup with Chelsea. Last season, Emerson started in 36 matches for the Hammers and had one goal and two assists in the Premier League, ranking in the 90th percentile for tackles per 90 among other fullbacks. Lopetegui will be happy to put him in the starting eleven as he can help with both attack and defence.  

Central Defensive Midfielder: Lucas Paqueta

People might be surprised to see someone like Paqueta whose Samba flair is revered upfront, play so deep. But with the kind of attackers West Ham have signed, the Brazilian’s grace with the ball will be much more valued in the middle of the park. Paqueta ranked in the 90th percentile for progressive passes completed which earned him six assists. He also scored four goals. His vision will be a crucial element in the number six role. 

Central Defensive Midfielder: Edson Alvarez 

Paqueta can leave all the dirty work to be done in a neat way by his Mexican partner, Alvarez. The Ajax sensation was pried away to East London last year and has since made 31 appearances for the Hammers. Alvarez ranked the highest among Premier League midfielders for blocks and clearances, helping his side wrestle control in midfield.  

Right Midfielder: Jarrod Bowen

Bowen has been a consistent provider of goals for the past few seasons and fans can expect him to remain in the starting lineup. The left-footed winger is exceptional at carrying the ball on counterattacks. He scored a whopping 16 times for West Ham last season, whilst also providing six assists.  

Central Attacking Midfielder: Mohammed Kudus 

The Ghanaian joined his former teammate Alvarez at the club and had a brilliant season, scoring eight times and assisting six goals. This season, he would be starting in a more central role as his near-perfect take-on rate guarantees better penetration for his side in the central areas, especially against tougher sides like Manchester City and Arsenal.     

Left Midfielder: Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United’s 2023-24 breakout star, Summerville is another exciting signing for the Hammers this season. He most likely will be starting out on the left. The Dutch winger scored a whopping 19 goals for Leeds while also notching nine assists. Summerville is also deadly with his dribbling as he was tackled only 40% of the time last season.

Striker: Niclas Fullkrug

The UEFA Champions League 2023-24 finalist with Borussia Dortmund is probably West Ham’s most high-profile signing in this window. Fullkrug scored 15 goals and registered 10 assists across the Bundesliga and the Champions League for his former side, and helped them get important victories. The German target man will surely be his side’s preferred striker for the season.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.