Julen Lopetegui’s first Premier League starting XI as West Ham United head coach was always going to be intriguing. After spending £122million ($159.8m) since replacing David Moyes there were multiple decisions to make — how many of the eight signings would be named from the start against Aston Villa?
The answer was just two. Centre-back Maximilian Kilman and midfielder Guido Rodriguez got the nod as Villa won 2-1, with fellow new boys Jean-Clair Todibo, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug introduced from the bench.
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The decision to start Vladimir Coufal over Aaron Wan-Bissaka caused a stir. Lopetegui went for the Czech, with Wan-Bissaka nearing full fitness following his £15million move from Manchester United. The 26-year-old has signed a seven-year deal. Tim Steidten, the technical director, was in the market for a right-back after academy graduate Ben Johnson left on a free transfer to join newly promoted Ipswich Town.
Wan-Bissaka is West Ham’s eighth summer signing, joining Todibo, Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Fullkrug, Wes Foderingham, Kilman and Rodriguez in moving to London Stadium. Although he was an unused sub against Villa, he represents West Ham’s future and has not joined to be understudy to Coufal having struggled to hold down a place at Old Trafford in recent seasons.
A trip to Crystal Palace this weekend will be a homecoming for Wan-Bissaka after he came through the ranks at Selhurst Park, but Lopetegui has not revealed who he sees as his first-choice right-back yet. Whoever starts in forthcoming league games against Manchester City, Fulham and Chelsea will give a clear indication.
Wan-Bissaka has signed a seven-year deal (West Ham United)
Wan-Bissaka left Palace for Manchester United for £50m in 2019. At his boyhood club, Wan-Bissaka became an England Under-21 international and, in the season before moving to Old Trafford, was named player of the year. His meteoric rise was impressive considering he had not played as a defender in Palace’s academy until the middle of the 2016-17 season.
The full-back impressed when he marked Wilfried Zaha in a training session. Richard Shaw, Crystal Palace’s former under-23 coach, then transitioned Wan-Bissaka, a winger, into a defender. But he struggled to consistently showcase those defensive attributes during his five-year spell at Old Trafford. Having described joining West Ham as a “no brainer”, Wan-Bissaka will hope to revive his career under Lopetegui.
“I can’t wait to get on the pitch, get to know the players, and push on from there,” Wan-Bissaka said on his arrival. “I see a team that is in it together, that will push each other to win, and a group that has got each others’ backs through thick and thin.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be back in London, and I’m excited for what’s coming. I was born here, so I know the ins and outs of London, which plays a big part in my life, so to be back playing in this city means a lot to me.”
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In Lopetegui’s pre-match press conference, he backed Wan-Bissaka to earn his first senior England call-up, spoke about what he will bring to the team and admits the defender has a point to prove.
But Coufal has no intention of conceding his spot in the team. In December, West Ham activated the one-year option in his contract. The Czech Republic international, who was part of their squad at Euro 2024, is in the final year of his deal and talks over a contract extension have not taken place. But Coufal is relaxed about the situation and still believes he has a lot to offer. This summer, Turkish side Galatasaray enquired about his availability but it did not lead to a formal offer.
The 32-year-old will reassess his future in January if he struggles with game time in the coming months. Since joining from Slavia Prague in October 2020 for £5million, the full-back has mostly been an ever-present in the side. When Bayer Leverkusen explored signing him in January 2023, Moyes convinced the defender to stay, amid competition from Thilo Kehrer, now at Monaco, and Johnson.
Coufal has been first choice since arriving (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Coufal retained his place in the team but ended 2022-23 with a paltry return of one assist across 38 appearances. The following season, the full-back registered seven assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, his second highest in a single campaign. Coufal is more attack-minded than Wan-Bissaka. He is in the top 10 Premier League defenders since 2019-20 for chances created (126) and assists (19); Wan-Bissaka’s best offensive season was five assists in 2020-21. He was a provider on three occasions last term in 30 appearances.
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 ranks 17th with 133.
“Wan-Bissaka is the best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world,” Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool and England defender, said in March 2020. “I don’t think anyone would be able to get the better of him one-v-one.”
It has been a tough few seasons for Wan-Bissaka, but now he has the opportunity to become a regular first-team starter again.
Coufal has faced and beaten off competition before in Ryan Fredericks, Kehrer and Johnson — and is ready to meet the challenge head on.
The battle for the right-back spot is well and truly underway.
(Top photos: West Ham/Getty Images)
