Written by : @daena_bodie

Since West Ham’s move to the London Stadium, where fans were promised European football and big name players, the club have strived to give the fans what they want: The West Ham Way. It has taken some time, but the board have put their money where their mouth is, and alongside Pellegrini, they have worked to substantially improve the first team squad.

With two successful summer transfer windows that have seen a host of players come in and transfer records being broken, fans are finally beginning to see their expectations met. First, Felipe Anderson joined for an initial fee of £33.5m, with the potential to reach £42m and now, Sebastien Haller has joined the club for £45m.

However, it isn’t just about the board being willing to spend big. The additions to the squad last year were well thought out and played an important role in guiding the direction of the club. Balbuena, Diop, Anderson, and Fabianski have each improved the quality of the first team and let’s not forget Wilshere who has been injury free during preseason and impressed throughout.

The trend of spending wise, but big has continued during this summer window with the signings of Pablo Fornals and Sebastien Haller. Both players have proven quality, and both fit the mold of what the fans and Pellegrini want to see in the growth of the club.

While Fornals is an excellent addition to the squad, bringing in Haller is arguably more important. At 25 years old, Haller is a player in his prime and one determined to make his mark in the Premier League. It is no secret that the big Frenchman has an eye for goal, but more importantly, he has an eye for his teammates. Alongside Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic as part of Frankfurt’s front three, Haller was the key component in the club’s success that saw them reach the semi-finals of the Europa League and finish 7^th in the Bundesliga.

You only have to look at Haller’s stats from last season to see what he can offer the Hammers and after getting a goal and an assist against Hertha Berlin his selflessness and ability to link with those around him is already showing.

Last season in the Bundesliga alone, Haller tallied 15 goals and 9 assists, which puts him in pretty good company. Only three players in that league registered more combined goals and assists than Haller did last season, and only Jadon Sancho recorded more assists per 90 minutes than Haller last season.

Compared to Arnie’s most influential season at the club (11 goals and 6 assists), Haller comes in head and shoulders above the Austrian. With Haller joining a host of technically gifted and creative midfield players, West Ham fans should be excited at the prospect of fluid attacking football, The West Ham Way.