Julen Lopetegui’s first Premier League The starting eleven is as follows west ham united Head coach selection is always an interesting one. Having spent £122 million ($159.8m) since replacing David Moyes, there are many decisions to be made – including how many of the eight will be named from the start Aston Villa,
The answer was just two. Centre-back Maximilian Kilmann and midfielder Guido Rodriguez Villa win 2-1, with fellow new boys Jean-Clair Todibo, chriscencio somerville And nicholas fulkrug Presented from the bench.
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the decision to begin Vladimir Kufal Above Aaron Wan-Bissaka Lopetegui opted for the Czech Republic, while Wan-Bissaka is close to being fully fit following his £15million move from the Czech Republic. Manchester UnitedThe 26-year-old has signed a seven-year deal. Technical director Tim Steedten had been looking for a right-back after he graduated from the academy. Ben Johnson left on a free transfer to join newly promoted Ipswich Town,
Wan-Bissaka is West Ham’s eighth summer signing, joining Todibo, Somerville, Luis GuilhermeFulkrug, Wes FoderinghamKilman and Rodriguez moved to the London Stadium. Although he was an unused substitute against Villa, he represents West Ham’s future and has not figured as Coufal’s understudy having struggled to hold down a place at Old Trafford in recent seasons.
This weekend’s trip to Crystal Palace will be a homecoming for Wan-Bissaka as he came through the ranks at Selhurst Park, but Lopetegui has yet to reveal who he sees as his first-choice right-back. Whoever starts in the upcoming league games Manchester City, Fulham And Chelsea will give clear indication.
Wan-Bissaka signs seven-year deal (West Ham United)
Wan-Bissaka left Palace for £50m in 2019 to join Manchester United. At his boyhood club, Wan-Bissaka was a England An under-21 international, he was named Player of the Year the season before moving to Old Trafford. His impressive form was impressive considering he didn’t play as a defender in Palace’s academy until midway through the 2016-17 season.
The full-back impressed when he marked Wilfried Zaha in a training session. Richard Shaw, crystal PalaceThe former Under-23 coach then converted winger Wan-Bissaka into a defender. But he struggled to consistently display those defensive attributes during his five-year spell at Old Trafford. Wan-Bissaka, who described joining West Ham as a “no-brainer”, will be hoping to revive his career under Lopetegui.
“I can’t wait to get on the pitch, get to know the players and go from there,” Wan-Bissaka said upon his arrival. “I see a team that is united, that will push each other to win, and a group that has each other’s back through the tough times.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be back in London, and I’m excited for what’s to come. I was born here, so I know everything about London, which plays a big part in my life, so it means a lot to me to be back and play in this city.”
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Lopetegui backed Wan-Bissaka’s call-up to the senior England squad for the first time in his pre-match press conference, speaking of his contribution to the team and admitting the defender has a point to prove.
But Coufal has no intention of giving up his place in the team. In December, West Ham activated a one-year option in his contract. The czech republic The international, who was part of their squad at Euro 2024, is in the final year of his contract and a contract extension has not been negotiated. But Coufal is relaxed about the situation and still feels he has plenty to offer. This summer, Turkish side Galatasaray enquired about his availability but received no formal offer.
The 32-year-old will re-evaluate his future in January if he struggles with playing time in the coming months. Since joining from Slavia Prague for £5 million in October 2020, the full-back has been a constant presence in the squad. bayer leverkusen When considering whether to sign him in January 2023, Moyes convinced the defender to stay despite competition from Thilo Kehrer (who is now at Monaco) and Johnson.
Coufal has been a first-choice left back since arriving (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Coufal retained his place in the team, but ended 2022-23 with a modest return of just one assist from 38 appearances. The following season, the full-back registered seven assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, his second-highest total in a single campaign. Coufal is more attacking than Wan-Bissaka. He has been in the Premier League’s top 10 defenders for chances created (126) and assists (19) since 2019-20; Wan-Bissaka’s best offensive season was five assists in 2020-21. He was a provider on three occasions in 30 appearances last season.
Although Wan-Bissaka has his limitations offensively, he is better in one-on-one defensive situations. Since 2019-20, he ranks first among defenders in the Premier League for tackles won (220); Coufal is 17th with 133.
Former player Jamie Carragher said, “Wan-Bissaka is the best one-on-one defender for full-backs in the world.” liverpool And the England defender said in March 2020. “I don’t think anyone can ever get better at one-on-one with him.”
The last few seasons have been difficult for Wan-Bissaka, but he now has the opportunity to become a regular first-team player again.
Coufal has faced and beaten competition in the form of Ryan Fredericks, Kehrer and Johnson before – and he’s ready to take on the challenge.
The battle for the right-back spot is well underway.
(Top photos: West Ham/Getty Images)