West Ham United are still mid-table in the Premier League in 2022 on Football Manager.
Angelo Ogbonna, Reece Oxford and Manuel Lanzini are all still at West Ham in 2022
The year is 2022. David Sullivan left in 2017. David Gold left in 2018. They were replaced by a consortium led by one ‘Ryan Berry’. Slaven Bilic is currently overseeing Derby County’s push to make the Championship play-off places, whilst Paulo Bento has taken the reigns at the London Stadium (yes, they’re still there and it’s still called that).
The change of ownership saw the Hammers finally bring in a £25 million striker, something they have been promised for so long became a reality in the summer of 2019. Those consistent links with Daniel Sturridge came to fruition, with the England international leaving Merseyside for London for just £7.5 million, although it’s fair to say the move wasn’t a match made in heaven and the now 32-year-old is currently up for sale.
Giovani Dos Santos was brought in from LA Galaxy and sold to China for a profit, Mark Noble is still club captain and Jack Wilshere is currently on-loan from Real Madrid (you read that right). Oh, and Dimitri Payet is now an unemployed Director of Football. No trophies have been won and no top 7 finishes achieved, but still, it could be worse, at least the Hammers have retained their Premier League status. Here is West Ham’s starting XI in 2022 according to Football Manager:
Dimitri Payet is an out-of-work Director of Football in 2022
Bartlomeij Dragowski
West Ham are currently being linked with Joe Hart, but the England international ended up staying at Manchester City on Football Manager and West Ham looked a little left field. Bartlomeij Dragowski was the solution they came up with. The young Polish shot stopper plays for Fiorentina in real life, and is widely tipped for big things.
Cyrus Christie
With Sam Byram having been sold to Burnley and Pablo Zabaleta now working as a youth coach at Crystal Palace, West Ham needed a new right-back. Cyrus Christie arrived for just over £9 million from Derby County, but the attacking full-back hasn’t really set the world alight at the London Stadium.
Antonio Rudiger
Aged 24 and already capped 13 times in a highly competitive German defence, you get the impression West Ham fans would be overjoyed if Antonio Rudiger made a move to East London. The Hammers paid £11 million to bring the dependable centre-back in following the retirement of James Collins and Jose Fonte.
Angelo Ogbonna
Italy international Angelo Ogbonna is still with the Hammers
Where is Reece Oxford? You may ask, so it is probably worth addressing at this point that the highly-regarded teenager has suffered a couple of long-term injuries hampering his development following a season long loan at Lille. One man from the current side still going strong in 2022 is Angelo Ogbonna. Aged 33, Ogbonna shows no signs of slowing down and has been a key man this season, whilst Winston Reid finds himself banished to the under-23’s.
Jordan Amavi
Jordan Amavi is a player with a lot of potential, but the offensive full-back has still failed to realise it in 2022. Amavi is at Aston Villa in real life, and following a move to Watford on FM, he joined West Ham for £6 million. He has been poor though, and the Hammers will most likely be looking to strengthen there in the summer.
Gedson Fernandes
Gedson Fernandes is just 18 years old in real life, and made his professional debut for Benfica in February of this year. The talented young midfielder who is still in his early 20’s in 2022 and is on-loan at West Ham from the Portuguese giants is doing well enough to keep club captain Mark Noble and Real Madrid loanee Jack Wilshere out of the Hammers starting XI.
Pedro Obiang
Pedro Obiang is possibly West Ham’s most important player in 2022
The second current West Ham player to still be in the side by 2022, Pedro Obiang began to show last season that he can be a crucial player for the club, and he’s gone from strength to strength on FM. A really dominant central midfield player with excellent physical attributes, Obiang is a beacon of consistency, and virtually undroppable in this side.
Grigoris Kastanos
Currently a teenager but 23 by 2022, Grigoris Kastanos is a highly-rated attacking midfielder who joined Juventus at the age of 16. Following a couple of loan moves, West Ham signed him from Juve for just £5.25 million, and have converted him into a tricky left winger. He is still raw but has the makings of a good player.
Manuel Lanzini
The third and final current Hammer in the 2022 West Ham starting XI is a man West Ham fans will hope is still around in 5 years time; Manuel Lanzini. The little Argentine is a clever footballer, and is being utilised as an out-and-out attacking midfielder by 2022. That’s the good news, the bad news is that his game has not really kicked in, and whilst he still shows flashes of brilliance, even at 28 he hasn’t been able to add real consistency to his performances.
Jesse Lingard
England international Jesse Lingard has joined West Ham
West Ham’s 2022 squad may not be capable of qualifying for European football, but they will know how to dab, as Jesse Lingard will be in the dressing room. The Manchester United youth product joined the Hammers in 2018 for £17.5 million and has proved a worthwhile signing, now valued at £26 million despite being 29. West Ham fans might not be too happy about him keeping Michail Antonio out the side though.
Antonio Sanabria
The £25 million centre-forward Hammers fans have been waiting for finally arrived in 2019 in the form of Antonio Sanabria. The Paraguayan forward who came through the Barcelona academy is currently at Real Betis in real life, having previously spent a couple of years at Roma. Sanabria has just about justified his price tag, scoring 15 goals in the 2020-21 campaign, and is now valued at £31 million, with Manchester City reportedly interested.
Antonio Sanabria during his time at Barcelona
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