West Ham wrapped up the loan signing of the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler after managing to offload Nayef Aguerd to Real Sociedad and James Ward-Prowse to Nottingham Forest.
Julen Lopetegui was keen to add creativity in midfield but his hopes of bringing in Soler were dependent on outgoings. West Ham were able to sign the Spaniard after loaning out Ward-Prowse and Aguerd for the season. Kurt Zouma is set to join the Saudi Pro League side Al-Orobah on loan.
The deal for Soler does not include an option or obligation to make it permanent. The Spain international was available after falling out of favour at PSG. Lopetegui remained determined to sign the former Valencia player despite West Ham holding talks over a loan for Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka.
West Ham have had a busy summer and were keen to raise funds after spending heavily. Aguerd lost his place in central defence after the arrivals of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo. The Morocco centre-back, who joined West Ham for £28m two years ago, turned down Wolves, Wolfsburg and Al Ittihad before agreeing to join Real Sociedad, who are understood to be covering his £90,000-a-week wages.
Lopetegui needed to strengthen a defence that struggled to keep clean sheets last season and he was pleased to sign the right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United. Zouma, who wore the captain’s armband last year, is not in the new head coach’s plans.
West Ham have also made changes in attack, with Niklas Füllkrug, Luis Guilherme and Crysencio Summerville arriving. Ward-Prowse, who joined from Southampton last year, was squeezed out in midfield after the arrival of Guido Rodríguez. Forest agreed a straight loan for Ward-Prowse, whose former club Southampton took Maxwel Cornet on loan.