West Ham’s pre-season preparations have so far gone excellently, with only the injury to Angelo Ogbonna a cause for concern for David Moyes.
The Hammers’ most recent friendly saw them brush aside Moyes’ former team Celtic 6-2 with West Ham’s attack, in particular, looking in fine form.
A first-half brace from Michail Antonio and a Mark Noble penalty were added to in the second half by Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen and Armstrong Oko-Flex as the Hammers ran riot against a poor Celtic team.
Ahead of the new campaign, West Ham have two more friendly matches, first a trip to Brentford and then a home clash with Italian outfit Atalanta.
The two matches are set to be a step up in quality from what the Hammers have previously faced this pre-season, with Brentford preparing for their first Premier League campaign and Atalanta gearing up for their third successive season in the Champions League.
Despite West Ham’s fine form in front of goal throughout pre-season, football.london understands that signing a striker is still the priority for Moyes before the transfer window closes on August 31.
| Date | Event | Time |
| Saturday, July 31 | Brentford v West Ham United | 15:00 BST |
| Saturday, August 7 | West Ham United v Atalanta | 15:00BST |
| Sunday, August 15 | Newcastle United v West Ham United | 14:00 BST |
| Monday, August 23 | West Ham United v Leicester City | 20:00 BST |
| Friday, August 27 |
2021–22 UEFA Europa League Group Stage Draw |
12:00 BST |
| Saturday, August 28 | West Ham United v Crystal Palace | 15:00 BST |
| Tuesday, August 31 |
Transfer window closes |
23:00 BST |
With over a month left of the transfer window, the Hammers are set to step up their activity in the market, having so far only brought in three promising teenagers who will start in the U23 team.
Armstrong Oko Flex, Pierre Ekwah and Thierry Nevers have all made good starts to life in claret and blue but with all just 19 years old, they may not be ready to make an immediate impact in the first team.
Further options in defence, midfield and attack will be considered before the end of August with West Ham set for a busy campaign after last season’s success in qualifying for the Europa League.
The Hammers European tour will begin on Thursday, September 16, and the reality of the difficulty of combining European and domestic football will truly set in shortly after.
Less than 72 hours after their Europa League opener, Moyes’ team return to Premier League action with a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday, September 19, in what will be a real test for the fitness and depth of the squad.