West Ham’s change of approach to summer transfer window as chaos last year ended poorly for the club

National World - LocalTV

There’s a noticeably different feel around West Ham this summer. By August last year, excitement was sky-high following a £125million spending spree on Luis Guilherme, Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. But after a poor start, Julen Lopetegui was gone by January and West Ham limped to a 14th-place finish under Graham Potter.

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00:00There's a noticeably different feel around West Ham this summer. By August last year

00:07excitement was sky high following a £125m spending spree on Lewis Gilherme, Max Kilman,

00:13Chrysensio Somerville, Nicholas Fulcrook and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. But after a poor start

00:20Julian Lopetegui was gone by January and West Ham limped to 14th place under Graham Potter.

00:27This year though, Potter is resetting the tone. The early weeks of pre-season have focused

00:31less on intensity and more on building a culture rooted in respect, trust and second chances.

00:38Rather than double sessions, Potter has held regular conversations with staff and players

00:42to establish shared values and standards. The squad travelled to Germany's Black Forest

00:48for a key training camp which Jarrod Bowen described as a chance for everyone to come together.

00:55Barring Edson Alvarez away with Mexico at the Gold Cup, the full squad returned early,

01:01giving Potter a rare chance to embed his approach from the off.

01:06West Ham see the German trip as vital, with afternoon and evening meetings strengthening

01:11team bonds. The Premier League Summer Series in America later this month is seen more as

01:16a commercial obligation than football preparation.

01:21In the transfer market, West Ham completed a deal for Slavia Prague left-back El Hadji Malik

01:26Juuf but don't expect another supermarket sweep. Potter wants smart, deliberate recruitment and

01:33is placing faith in those already in the squad. Fulcrook is building back fitness after an injury

01:38hit debut while Somerville is recovering from a hamstring injury and unlikely to travel to the US.

01:44Potter is also keen to integrate young talent George Erthy and Freddie Potts rather than

01:50loaning them out again. This summer, West Ham are doing things differently, favouring sustainability

01:57over short-term splurges and culture building over chaos. This period marks a cultural shift

02:04at West Ham, one driven by long-term thinking, internal development and a desire to build a united,

02:10resilient squat under Potter's guidance.

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