West Ham Premier League Odds: Hammers to make slight progress

West Ham United head into the new season with fresh ideas, having parted ways with David Moyes at the end of the last campaign. The Scotsman may have been unfairly hounded out towards the end, but in time I’m sure the fans will realise just how much of a great job he did in east London. The club is now in the hands of Julen Lopetegui, who gets his second crack at the Premier League after a short spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The recruitment over the summer has been most impressive and it has fans believing that they could return to fighting for the European places. Below are the West Ham Premier League odds for the 2024/25 season, as well as my prediction for where I think they will finish.

Last Season: 9th

Top Scorer: Jarrod Bowen (16)

Transfers In: Max Kilman – Wolverhampton Wanderers (£40m), Crysencio Summerville – Leeds United (£25m), Niclas Fullkrug – Borussia Dortmund (£27m), Luis Guilherme – Palmeiras (£25.5m), Aaron Wan-Bissaka – Manchester United (£15m), Guido Rodriguez – Real Betis (free), Wes Foderingham – Sheffield United (free), Jean-Clair Todibo – OCG Nice (loan with buy option)

Transfers Out: Flynn Downes – Southampton (£18m), Said Benrahma – Lyon (£11.9m), Thilo Kehrer – Monaco (£9.5m), Nathan Trott – Copenhagen (£1.5m), Ben Johnson – Ipswich Town (free), Joseph Anang – St Patrick’s Athletic (free), Divin Mubama (released), Angelo Ogbonna (released)

First Game: Aston Villa (H)

Prediction: 8th

Premier League Odds

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It feels like a new era at West Ham, on the pitch at least, and no one can say that Moyes hasn’t left solid foundations, considering where he picked the club up from, for his successor. Lopetegui certainly returns to England’s top-flight with a much more stable club off the field than what he had to endure at Wolves, and he will be hoping that this is the time he can really show what he can do.

Pulling Wolves to safety two years ago was a remarkable feat given they were bottom of the table when he arrived. He led them to a 13th-place finish, so there is rightly some excitement from the West Ham fans about the possibilities he can unlock with backing.

He has Europa League-winning experience with Sevilla (but let’s be honest who hasn’t?) that will be valuable for the new term. He is already putting his own stamp on the team with an impressive recruitment drive this summer. He has reunited with Max Kilman, whom he worked with at Wolves, a left-footed centre-back who is good with the ball at his feet.

A signing that he knows well already that should make his adjustment to his new surroundings in the capital much simpler. Kilman may have been the most expensive outlay to date but he has not been the most eye-catching capture for the Hammers.

That accolade has to go to Crysencio Summerville, who was crowned the Championship Player of the Season for Leeds United last term, having scored 20 goals and provided nine assists in the league. The Dutchman has a high ceiling and it shows a real signal of intent from the West Ham board to have secured his services.

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Then there is striker Niclas Fullkrug, who impressed for Germany at Euro 2024, as well as being a consistent performer for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. The Hammers haven’y had the best track record with strike signings in recent years, but it feels as though Fullkrug could break the mould.

He’s an old school number nine who fits the profile for what is needed to make a nuisance in the Premier League. I don’t think their business has concluded either, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pull off another impressive signing or two.

These recruits will add nicely to the squad Lopetegui has inherited, with the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus, James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez.

West Ham will be heading into the new campaign hoping that they can push for the top six once again, but the competition will be fierce. There are several clubs who have the same idea, discounting the elite who are expected to be in and around those places every year.

Aston Villa did last year what Newcastle United did the year before, in what West Ham themselves did a few seasons ago. Could we be in for another surprise team to come into the mix in 2024/25? Crystal Palace under Oliver Glasner could be a force to be reckoned with after their strong end to the last campaign as they look for more in life than just a constant mid-table finish.

It might just become that much tougher for West Ham to get back into those positions. They certainly have the players to do it, the only problem is, quite a few clubs do too. It will be a tense battle for the European places this term I suspect, and while the Hammers’ recruitment has impressed me, as well as their appointment of Lopetegui, I do think they may just miss out this year, but should be better-equipped for another push the following season.

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