West Ham Secure Soler Loan After Squad Shake-up
West Ham have secured the loan signing of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler, following a busy summer of player movement at the London club. The arrival of the Spanish international was made possible after the departures of Nayef Aguerd and James Ward-Prowse.
New manager Julen Lopetegui had identified a need for creativity in midfield, and Soler was a key target. However, the deal was contingent on outgoings, which were swiftly realised with Ward-Prowse joining Nottingham Forest and Aguerd moving to Real Sociedad on loan. Kurt Zouma, who captained the side last season, is also set to depart on loan, joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Orobah.
The deal for Soler does not include an option or obligation to make the move permanent. The former Valencia player had fallen out of favour at PSG, making him available for a temporary transfer. Despite holding talks with Chelsea over a loan move for Carney Chukwuemeka, Lopetegui remained determined to secure Soler's signature.
West Ham's summer has seen significant changes across the squad, driven by the need to raise funds following substantial investment. Aguerd, who joined for a fee of £28 million two years ago, found himself surplus to requirements following the arrival of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo in defence. He rejected offers from Wolves, Wolfsburg and Al Ittihad before agreeing to join Real Sociedad, who are covering his £90,000-a-week wages.
Lopetegui has prioritised strengthening the defence, which struggled to keep clean sheets last season. He secured the signing of right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United.
The departures extend to the attack as well, with Niklas Füllkrug, Luis Guilherme and Crysencio Summerville all arriving at the club. Ward-Prowse, who joined from Southampton last year, was pushed out of midfield following the arrival of Guido RodrÃguez. Forest secured a straight loan deal for the midfielder, while Ward-Prowse's former club Southampton took Maxwel Cornet on loan.
The transfer window remains open, and West Ham will continue to assess their squad and potential opportunities as they prepare for the upcoming season.
