West Ham United have seen a host of talent over the years, with some stars less likeable off the pitch than others…
The 2023–24 West Ham United season has gotten off to a scorching start after David Moyes’ team struggled in the Premier League the previous year.
All of the criticism directed at the Scotsman during the season was dispelled as he helped the Hammers win their first European trophy since the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965.
After approving the sale of captain Declan Rice in the summer, Moyes had £105 million to spend on new players. He used this money wisely to add quality players to his side, relieving them of the stress of another relegation fight.
| West Ham United summer transfer window arrivals | ||
| Player | Club | Fee |
| James Ward-Prowse | Southampton | £30m |
| Mohammed Kudus | Ajax | £38m |
| Edson Alvarez | Ajax | £35.4m |
| Konstantinos Mavropanos | Stuttgart | £19m |
| Sean Moore | Cliftonville | Undisc |
Sitting in 7th in the table with four wins from their opening seven Premier League fixtures, the Irons are poised to have a much-improved campaign to that of last term as their new arrivals continue to flourish.
As many associated with the club know all too well, the transfer window has not always been a time to relish for West Ham, with the club hiring and offloading a host of below-par talents over the years in the Premier League era.
One player signed by Slaven Bilic was far from a poor performer for the east Londoners, but more of an ill-mannered individual that tarnished his on-pitch success, seeing him desperately sold just two years after his arrival.
How much did West Ham sign Marko Arnautovic for?
Captured from Stoke City in 2017, Bilic secured the signature of Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic in a deal worth £20m.
The dominant forward, who had already scored 22 Premier League goals while playing for the Potters and was at the time regarded as a player with “plenty of quality” by chairman David Sullivan, arrived with a solid reputation.
At the point of his arrival, Arnautovic became one of the club’s highest-paid players, earning £100k-per-week, just £15k short of the Irons’ top earner Joe Hart who was also signed that summer.
How many goals did Marko Arnautovic score?
It didn’t take long for the former Inter Milan ace to impose himself in east London, as he netted 11 goals and registered six assists in his debut Premier League campaign, registering himself as the club’s top-scorer of the 2017/18 season.
Usual service resumed the following term, as he scored 10 league goals and once again had his name marked as the top talisman in the Hammers’ ranks.
Jason Burt of the Telegraph said that “few players can match Arnautovic for skill and power” in reference to the 110-cap Austrian international’s goal-scoring prowess at West Ham.
It was appropriate praise for the striker, who, in his final season at the London Stadium, statistically ranked among players like Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane, underlining the caliber of his work in the city.
From West Ham’s most reliable scorer to a disgraced wantaway in a matter of months, it all went very wrong for Arnautovic very quickly at West Ham.
