It's been a gripping campaign once again under David Moyes' guidance at West Ham United, albeit a year characterised by ups and downs, bleakness and brilliance.
Last year's stuttering season was papered over by the triumphant conquest in the Europa Conference League, which admittedly sculpted a level of success few would have envisaged when Moyes returned to the relegation-threatened club in 2019.
And despite the £105m sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal, West Ham have waded deep into the Europa League, facing Xabi Alonso's indomitable Bayer Leverkusen in the last eight, also battling a host of rivals for a qualifying league spot in next season's European competition.
Long has Moyes' tactical set-up received criticism for a perceived pragmatic approach, though success speaks for itself and the Scottish gaffer has worked wonders in lifting the Irons to heights unseen in many years.
Defensive solidity and cohesion have been an intrinsic part of Moyes' style throughout his time in east London but West Ham have lost some of that grit this season, with their 54 top-flight conceded the highest tally of any side in the top 12.
Where has it gone wrong? One of the biggest issues that Moyes has had to wrestle with is the sharp fall of Nayef Aguerd, who came third in United's Player of the Season award for 2022/23, behind Rice and Said Benrahma.
Nayef Aguerd's season in numbers
West Ham signed Aguerd from French club Rennes in a £30m package back in 2022 after the Moroccan had made his name with some stellar showings, stemming from a "world-class youth academy", as was said by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Injuries marred his 2022/23 campaign – Aguerd was sidelined at the start of the campaign with an ankle issue sustained in pre-season – but he impressed with his robust style nonetheless, averaging 4.3 clearances per game in the Premier League and winning 64% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
However, he's failed to build on that first-term promise since the summer and was criticised for his error-strewn efforts, with The Athletic's Roshane Thomas noting that "defensive errors are holding him back."
Clearly, this is something that Moyes has noted, with summer signing Konstantinos Mavropanos taking the 28-year-old's place of late, Aguerd starting just one of the past five top-flight matches, with his sole start coming in the calamitous defensive display against Burnley.
While his Premier League performances this season have been punctuated with mistakes and defensive lapses, Aguerd remains a quality defender and this is revealed through his seasonal metrics, completing 80% of his passes, averaging five ball recoveries and 3.9 clearances per game and winning 65% of his ground duels.
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One would assume that strengthening the backline would be a priority position for the Hammers heading into the summer transfer window, and given that Football Insider reported back in February that Aguerd is the most likely member of the rearguard to be shipped on, despite having three years remaining on his current deal.
While captain Kurt Zouma is more likely to retain a place in the West Ham squad, there's no denying that the Frenchman has not enjoyed his finest campaign at the club, with the bosses possibly wise to consider cashing in on the 29-year-old.
Kurt Zouma's season in numbers
Zouma was appointed West Ham captain at the start of the season after leading his teammates to a noteworthy start to the season but he has deteriorated as the term has dragged on, failing to produce the kind of energetic, commanding performances that are certainly within his skill set.
Matches played
25
25
Goals
2
2
Clean sheets
7
3
Pass completion
84%
82%
Tackles per game
0.4
0.6
Interceptions per game
1.2
0.8
Clearances per game
4.7
4.9
Duels won per game
2.9 (68%)
2.8 (54%)
Errors
1
0
Penalties committed
0
1
In fairness, when Zouma is fit and firing he is undisputably West Ham's best centre-back, described as a “colossus” by his manager in the past, but his efforts have left supporters wanting more, not least because of his promotion to the captaincy earlier in the campaign.
While the one-time Everton loanee ranks among the top 13% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 8% for clearances per 90, as per FBref, he also ranks among the bottom 18% for pass completion, the bottom 4% for passes attempted and the bottom 5% for progressive passes per 90.
Sure, Moyes' tactical set-up doesn't call for slick-passing defensive performances, but Zouma is certainly not indispensable given West Ham's current defensive level.
Kurt Zouma's market value in 2024
Zouma's declining displays have caused a depreciation, understandably, but it's alarming to see that his market price has actually halved since he joined the club from Chelsea in a £30m transfer back in 2021.
Indeed, according to CIES Football Observatory's player valuation model, Zouma is currently worth just £13m, which marks a 57% decrease in less than three campaigns of service at the London Stadium.
It also marks him at a lower valuation than Aguerd, who has lost his place and has been beset with a decline of his own, still valued at £17m.
Lucas Paqueta
£150k-per-week
Kalvin Phillips (Loanee)
£150k-per-week
Kurt Zouma
£125k-per-week
Danny Ings
£125k-per-week
Alphonse Areola
£120k-per-week
Jarrod Bowen
£120k-per-week
Given, moreover, that Zouma is one of the highest-paid players at the club, perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing to cash in on the player and invest in a freshly-structured defence, with the lucrative outfits over in Saudi Arabia earmarking the titan for transfer earlier in the season.
The one-time Chelsea man was also far from at his best during the 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, receiving a lowly 4/10 match rating from London World as the Hammers meekly wilted late on.
That showing saw Zouma make just a solitary tackle while also losing the ball on seven occasions, with his woes laid bare by the fact that he recorded a pass accuracy rate of just 76% – grim reading for a central defender.
Time will tell, but it is a bit of a concern that the skipper is not quite living up to the heights that he is capable of reaching. Approaching his 30th year, West Ham might be inclined to recoup funds and revamp their backline.
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