West Ham are closing in on the signing of attacking midfielder Carlos Soler, who spent the last two seasons with PSG after previously scoring 11 goals in back-to-back seasons with Valencia in LaLiga.
New West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui saw Soler’s quality up close in Spanish football, and it seems like he is sold on the former Spanish national team player as a piece of the puzzle in London.
Soler could be replacing 2023 signing James Ward-Prowse as a main attacking midfielder – of which Lopetegui has been deploying two recently for the Hammers. With new, talented faces in defense, midfield, and attack – including those with LaLiga ties like ex-Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez – there is a great deal of optimism surrounding West Ham in 2024/25.
Assuming all goes well and Soler is indeed confirmed as a new West Ham player, let’s take a closer look at how the Hammers could potentially line up this season with the 27-year-old.
Defense
GK Alphonse Areola – One of the better goalkeepers in the Premier League, Alphonse Areola has Champions League experience with both PSG and Real Madrid. He isn’t going anywhere.
LB Emerson Palmieri – Honestly, Emerson Palmieri has always been an overhated and underappreciated left back, as he’s consistently been one of the better players at the position at getting forward with serious technical quality, which he has even shown in the past for Chelsea and the Italian national team.
CB Max Kilman – Max Kilman has honestly been the Hammers’ best player to start the 2024/25 season, looking like he is worth every penny already. The 27-year-old should be considered one of the best central defenders in England right now.
CB Jean-Clair Todibo – Jean-Clair Todibo should, in theory, be even better than Kilman, and the loan signing will eventually displace another talented center back from the lineup in Konstantinos Mavropanos.
RB Aaron Wan-Bissaka – Manchester United really whiffed on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who looks like 10 times the player at West Ham. He fits what Lopetegui wants defensively almost to a “T”.
Midfield
DM Guido Rodriguez – A strong anchoring point with familiarity with Lopetegui as a direct rival of Sevilla in LaLiga, Guido Rodriguez makes the defense better and is an adept passer who knows the importance of just playing it safe.
AM Lucas Paqueta – Having a player like Guido allows West Ham to unleash Lucas Paqueta as a full-on fireball. The talented Brazilian is scrappier than most No. 10’s, but he’s just as creative as any top 10 in the Premier League.
AM Carlos Soler – Carlos Soler can create chances and is an all-around, versatile player who can start pretty much anywhere in the midfield or attack, but the best way to get the most out of Soler is to play him centrally in the attacking midfield. He can get in behind the striker and score 10+ goals in a season, or he can help keep things circulating in midfield as an auxiliary CM. Soler is more than qualified to start for West Ham; he was good enough to get a look from PSG.
Attack
LW Mohammed Kudus – Really, Mohammed Kudus should be starting in the attacking midfield or at striker instead of the left wing, and that could change with someone like Soler or Paqueta shifting elsewhere – or even a full formation shift to accommodate the Ghanian, who is legitimately the Hammers’ most talented player.
RW Jarrod Bowen – Jarrod Bowen scored 16 goals with 6 assists last season and was honestly one of the best attacking players in the entire Premier League despite playing for a pretty disappointing West Ham side. He’s fantastic. That right wing spot is his and his alone.
ST Niclas Fullkrug – Michail Antonio is a known commodity to West Ham and has been getting the starts, but Niclas Fullkrug is a significantly better footballer. The new signing from Dortmund will soon displace Antonio, as he is fresh off a Champions League Final campaign with 20 goal contributions in the Bundesliga.
