Following Villa Defeat, Lopetegui Now Prioritizing £20m Star’s Move to West Ham

Julen Lopetegui has already emphasized the need for additional reinforcements at West Ham before the transfer window closes, indicating his desire for two top-class players in each position at the London Stadium.

The Hammers’ chief has signed eight new players this summer, but it’s important to note that six have also departed.

While I don’t want to overanalyze yesterday’s defeat to Aston Villa, it was the first competitive match that Lopetegui managed at the London Stadium.

Nonetheless, there were some concerning aspects of our performance that need to be addressed.

Lopetegui needs to tackle these issues during training this week, but adding another top-class signing would also make a significant difference. This seems like a genuine possibility.

Julen Lopetegui is prioritizing the acquisition of a £20 million star for West Ham.

The Hammers lacked any cutting edge against Aston Villa, despite Lucas Paqueta’s efforts to spark creativity.

The Brazilian is a brilliant player, but when he struggles, the team finds it hard to create chances.

Lopetegui appears to have a plan to address this. According to Claret and Hugh, West Ham is set to intensify their pursuit of Carlos Soler following the Villa defeat.

The club has been heavily linked with signing Soler this summer for just £20 million.

When Paqueta struggles or is absent, Lopetegui lacks other creative players who are comfortable in the central midfield.

Soler would solve this problem instantly, providing another top-class option.

The Spain international is a sensational footballer who would significantly enhance our squad depth.

He scored two goals and provided two assists in 24 Ligue 1 games for PSG last season, though he only started 12 of those matches.

Despite playing just 1,089 minutes in the league, Soler averaged 30.8 passes per game with a completion rate of 87.5% (WhoScored).

Soler’s ball-handling skills and composed demeanor make him ideally suited to Lopetegui’s system, which emphasizes playing out from the back through the midfield.

For just £20 million, it’s hard to see how Lopetegui could go wrong by bringing Soler to West Ham before the transfer window closes.

Hopefully, the Hammers’ head coach can secure the signing of his fellow countryman before our next Premier League game on Saturday.