Following a poor 2024/25 campaign for the Hammers, which saw the sacking of David Moyes' replacement, Julen Lopetegui, and the mid-season appointment of former Brighton and Chelsea boss, Graham Potter, the East London side will be hoping and striving for better in Potter's first full season at the club.
With Potter now at the helm, the club will be looking to return to the fight for European football, though it may seem out of reach in a short space of time. West Ham finished 14th in the 2024/25 campaign, just above the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.
However, the Hammers also finished a large distance away from even mid-table, let alone European spots, with the gap to Brentford in 10th being 13 points.
A season of "ifs ", "buts ", and a lot of "maybes" forWest Ham last season, which they will be hoping to turn into "definites" for the upcomingPremier League campaign. However, with Potter now fully in charge, and with a seemingly positive mentality around the camp, can the Hammers finally strive for better?
2024/25 Season Recap
Following the exit of David Moyes from the club in May 2024, West Ham have been looking to rebuild and regroup in order to push for European football once again.
After the club's first full season without European football for 3 years, Hammers fans felt they could regroup and enter an era of "rebuilding" the squad, which had already been seen with the sale of Declan Rice in 2023.
Julen Lopetegui was the man who was chosen to take West Ham forward for the 2024/25 season, but a poor run of form leading to Christmas had seemingly sealed the Spaniard's fate before he had much of a chance.
Injuries were plaguing the Hammers, with the likes of Niclas Füllkrug on the sidelines for a lengthy period, and Michail Antonio having missed a large part due to his road vehicle incident in early December.
By January, West Ham sat 14th in the league, just seven points ahead of Ipswich in 18th place, and with the sacking of Lopetegui and the appointment of Potter, it looked like the board would back their new man. The club made just one signing in January, with Evan Ferguson joining from Brighton on loan.
The Irish striker made his debut under Potter at Brighton, though he struggled for minutes after joining the manager at West Ham.
Getty: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth
As well as being out of all cup competitions, Hammers fans had little optimism for the next four months of football. Wins over Arsenal and Manchester United away from home, however, showed fans bright sparks in a seemingly dark room.
Jarrod Bowen, once again at the forefront for West Ham, pushed Potter's side on to win both of these games, scoring in each as the Hammers won 1-0 against Arsenal and 2-0 against Man United, respectively.
Transfer Activity
Following a quiet January transfer window under the newly appointed Potter, the club has certainly looked to make up for it this summer. The Hammers have made five acquisitions by mid-August, with more rumoured to be on the books.
Jean-Clair Todibo's loan move from OGC Nice was made permanent followingWest Ham's survival in thePremier League, for a reported fee of £40 million.
El Hadji Malick Diouf was the first new arrival in East London, however, with the young full back joining from Slavia Prague. The Hammers have had success previously when shopping in Prague, with the likes of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal joining from the Czech giants.
Both Kyle-Walker Peters and Callum Wilson followed suit and joined the club on free transfers, following their contract expirations from Southampton and Newcastle.
The most recent acquisition for the Hammers was Mads Hermansen, whose arrival from Leicester looks to make up for the loss of long-term servant, Lukasz Fabianski.
Getty: West Ham United FC
Exits from the club include the departure of Mohammed Kudus to Spurs for a reported £55m, with Fabianski, Coufal and Michail Antonio all leaving on free transfers following the end of their contracts.
Academy Prospects
It has been a while since a West Ham player broke through in the youth academy, with Declan Rice being the most recent academy player to garner regular minutes and have a strong role in the club.
Ollie Scarles found himself breaking into the team last season, though he may see his minutes diminished by the signings of Diouf and Walker-Peters.
The one to look out for this season is likely to be Freddie Potts. Following a strong pre-season, where Potts featured in most games, Potter may look to finally let the midfielder take the step up into Premier League football.
Getty: Richard Pelham
Following successful loans at both Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth over the last two seasons, Potts has earned a reputation as a great passer of the ball, being composed both in and out of possession, and having a great determination for whoever he has played for.
Former Wycombe manager, Matt Bloomfield, described Potts as "(he) plays with real energy and athleticism in the middle of the park and will really suit the way we want to play". He was later announced as Wycombe Supporters' Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year
Strongest XI
With the five additions to the squad and the four exits, Potter will likely line up very differently to how he was able to last season. With a favoured 3-at-the-back formation being utilised in pre-season, it is likely that we will see Nayef Aguerd, Max Kilman, and Jean-Claire Todibo line up at the back, with Diouf and Wan-Bissaka either side of the defence.
With the aim seemingly being to play quick, counter-attacking football, the midfield will likely see Lucas Paqueta keep his place, though the Hammers are in the market for another midfielder to accompany. Another name that could be used is James Ward-Prowse, or even Potts.
Getty: Daniel Bartel - Premier League
It is not thought that the club will look for another striker, as per ExWHUEmployee, and so the lineup remains the same in the final third. Fullkrug and Bowen have been paired together throughout pre-season and seem to have built a connection in the way they play - Callum Wilson looks likely to be utilised from the bench or in cup matches.
Should West Ham sign a midfield target, their way of play could see a drastic improvement, with the list of names including Ngal'ayel Mukau (Lille) and Mateus Fernandes (Southampton) - both of whom have shown that they are capable both in and out of possession.
Expectations
West Ham will be looking towards the 2025/26 Premier League season with the intent to prove their doubters wrong. Whether it be fans or pundits, West Ham will be wanting to push themselves to their limits for success this season, with Potter especially wanting to prove he is capable after a long stint away from management.
With those around the Hammers seemingly weakened due to the sale of star players, West Ham will be looking to capitalise early and build a good run of form, bolstered by confidence. The problem last season stemmed from a lack of understanding of Lopetegui's tactics, so the players will be looking to adapt to Potter's fluid system and chase Europe with it.
As said every year, many fans yearn for a cup run. West Ham's closest chance in recent history was the 2006 FA Cup Final, which saw hearts break after Gerrard's screamer in the last minute sent the game to penalties.
As for the most recent domestic cup win? The Hammers last won a domestic trophy in 1980, when they beat Arsenal 1-0 at the old Wembley thanks to Sir Trevor Brooking.
Getty: Keith Hailey/Popperfoto
West Ham will be hoping for either mid-table or pushing for European football this season, with perhaps a cup run on the cards too, though these things may take time. Potter has a project, but football is a ruthless game.