How West Ham spent Declan Rice's £105m fee?

West Ham signed four new players after selling their captain ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Arsenal completed a £105m move for West Ham’s Declan Rice in July, breaking their all-time transfer record.

The move left a significant gap in the Hammers’ midfield line as they prepared for the new Premier League season without their captain. But it also provided a rare opportunity for David Moyes to reshape his lineup with Rice’s massive transfer fee.

Let’s take a look at West Ham’s new signings for the 2023-24 season.

Rebuilding the midfield

As expected, West Ham were mostly focused on covering for Rice’s departure during the transfer window. As a versatile midfielder, Rice played a crucial role in the Hammers’ both defensive and attacking plans.

The signing of James Ward-Prowse was, therefore, a brilliant move by West Ham. The free-kick specialist left Southampton after their relegation to the Championship, finding a place at the heart of the Hammers’ midfield line.

After signing Ward-Prowse for £30m, West Ham went on to add two Ajax midfielders to their ranks.

Edson Alvarez is a highly physical defensive midfielder, while Mohammed Kudus becomes the new creative force behind the team’s attacking setup. The Dutch giants received £35.4m and £38m for Alvarez and Kudus, respectively.

A new defender

Most observers expected Moyes to sign a new forward after the departure of Gianluca Scamacca. The Hammers have been linked with a loan move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike. However, they preferred to invest more in adding a new centre-back to their squad.

Konstantinos Mavropanos wasn’t particularly an in-demand defender when he joined West Ham for £18m. However, the 25-year-old’s stats from last season reveal he was one of the Bundesliga’s best centre-backs in terms of aerial clearances, tackle accuracy, and interceptions.

West Ham have started the new season with four new signings, spending around £121m in the transfer market. Let’s see if Moyes’ men will secure a better finish in the Premier League compared to the last campaign, where they ended the season in the 14th spot.