“We never really wanted” – David Moyes blasts West Ham’s summer transfer business

David Moyes has voiced his criticism of West Ham United’s summer transfer business following his departure from the club. 

Moyes returned for a second spell in charge of the Hammers in December 2019 and oversaw a massive improvement at the club, delivering sixth, seventh, 14th and ninth-place finishes during his four full seasons in charge.

The Scotsman will be most fondly remembered for leading West Ham to the UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2023; the club’s first major trophy since the 1980 FA Cup.

But Moyes left the London Stadium at the end of last season to be replaced by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui.

Since then, the Hammers have been extremely busy in the transfer market, signing no fewer than eight senior players this summer; including Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

David Moyes blasts West Ham’s transfer business

West Ham’s new-look team didn’t make the greatest start to the 2024/25 Premier League season, losing 2-1 at home to Aston Villa.

However, there were positive signs that Lopetegui is the man to lead the club forward, with the Hammers controlling 52% of possession and generating 2.46 xG to Villa’s 2.03.

Nevertheless, Moyes has criticised the number of players brought in by Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten, predicting the size of West Ham’s squad could cause problems down the line.

“When you think back over time, as football managers we never really wanted to bring in eight players,” Moyes responded when asked what he thought about West Ham’s transfer business on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.

“You didn’t want your squad changing so much.

“I think that’s completely changed like lots of things in football have. Bigger squads means more players not playing, so it means more players unhappy, who want to play or move on…

“And at the end of the season, I think that’s why there’s now bigger turnovers than there has ever been.”