West Ham United achieved great things under David Moyes' leadership, but that ship has sailed and now the focus is on ensuring Julen Lopetegui's reign begins with promise.
The forthcoming campaign will be the first in three without exploits on the continent, having finished ninth in the Premier League last season and exited the Europa League at the quarter-final stage.
But a clean slate promises much, especially given the exciting moves that are being made in the transfer market. While the Hammers have encountered a number of stumbling blocks this summer, Tim Steidten is fighting tooth and nail to knock the squad into shape.
Defensive deficiencies remain despite signing Max Kilman in a £40m deal, but last season's issues within the frontline have been sorted out and then some.
West Ham's new-look frontline
It was a pressing concern. West Ham looked toothless in attack at times last season despite boasting some high-quality players, but Lopetegui and Co have clearly moved to address that issue, signing talented teenage winger Luis Guilherme for £25.5m early on and since turning to more established targets.
In arguably the biggest statement of the summer, the Irons have signed 2023/24 Championship Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United in a deal rising to £34m, with the electric winger posting 21 goals and ten assists across all competitions.
It's an emphatic arrival, but not the solution to the No. 9 problem. That, indeed, is in the process of being solved by the capture of Niclas Fullkrug, 31, from Borussia Dortmund, a centre-forward of the old mould, with the focal frontman arriving on Monday evening.
West Ham agreed a £27m fee for the Germany international, who will add a steely dimension to Lopetegui's attack, which is now starting to look interesting indeed.
It's an attack with the pace and trickery of Mohammed Kudus, the experienced athleticism of Michail Antonio, now enhanced by two very different but very deadly skillsets.
And that's without even talking about the cream of the crop: Jarrod Bowen. The Three Lions star is actually valued some distance above his soon-to-be teammates, the veritable lifeforce at the London Stadium.
Jarrod Bowen's market value in 2024
He's been quite the superstar. Bowen joined West Ham from Championship side Hull City for about £22m in January 2020, his advent coinciding with Moyes' return to the dugout and subsequent triumph at the helm.
Fast forward to the present, and the 27-year-old has scored 60 goals and added 39 assists across 202 fixtures, bagging the winning strike as West Ham defeated Fiorentina in the Conference League final.
1.
Jarrod Bowen
44
20
2.
Mohammed Kudus
45
14
3.
Tomas Soucek
52
10
4.
Lucas Paqueta
53
8
5.
Michail Antonio
32
7
5.
James Ward-Prowse
51
7
West Ham were a day late and a dollar short last year but Bowen was breathtaking in front of goal, with his 20 strikes cementing his status as one of United's finest forwards in modern history.
As such, he's been courted by some top outfits this summer, with Newcastle United taking a particularly keen interest in snapping him up.
However, despite being Eddie Howe's number one target, West Ham would only entertain offers in the £100m ballpark – viewing the prolific winger in the same bracket as Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal in a £105m deal last summer – effectively nullifying his potential sale this summer.
West Ham supporters, undoubtedly, are not complaining. Bowen is simply that good, even hailed as "unplayable" by Brentford manager Thomas Frank after lashing a hat-trick of goals into the Bees' net in the Premier League last season.
Well in their right to demand suitors such as Newcastle to cough up £100m for their prized asset, Bowen's value is underscored, with that figure actually putting him well above that of his new attacking partners: Summerville and Fullkrug.
Combined, the dynamic duo are worth about £63m, meaning that even by throwing the £40m Kilman in the mix, Bowen would only trail by £3m.
The Londoners' poster boy has come a long way across his four seasons, and while there has been plenty of change this summer, one thing is for certain: he must remain as the talisman of the attack.
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