Arsenal dismantled woeful Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday night to remind West Ham United just how good Declan Rice really is.
Of course, Hammers fans need little reminder of a player who engineered such illustrious success under David Moyes, winning the club's Player of the Season award for the past two years and clinching the Europa Conference League last June before making the cross-London switch for a staggering £105m.
All-encompassing and every-ounce-brilliant Rice is the prized jewel to have emerged from Moyes' tenure, but his departure felt inevitable and it was paramount that money recouped from his sale was redirected toward signings capable of making an impact, ensuring that West Ham keep a foothold on their position as a regular competitor for continental competition.
That, by and large, has happened, and while replacing the England international directly would be somewhat futile the likes of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse have impressed in the centre of the park and Konstantinos Mavropanos has added mettle to the backline, while Mohammed Kudus has been exceptional in pumping fresh life to a frontline still in need of something more.
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Of course, while West Ham are likely to target a top-class centre-forward during the off-season, Jarrod Bowen hasn't been doing a half-bad job as the team's principal goalscorer, and for all the fresh faces, the 27-year-old remains the standout of the Hammers squad.
Jarrod Bowen's season in numbers
Described as "unplayable" by Thomas Frank after recently dismantling his Brentford side with a hat-trick in the Premier League, Bowen has been a brilliant talisman for a West Ham side lacking a focal frontman this season.
Veteran Michail Antonio and Danny Ings have both been poor, the former struggling with injuries and Ings yet to find the back of the net in 2023/24.
Bowen, naturally a right-sided winger, has operated in flux and played as the striker and in his favoured position, scoring 17 goals and adding six assists across 33 fixtures for his troubles.
A menace in the Premier League, Bowen has posted 14 goals from 26 matches, complementing his prolific return with 3.5 ball recoveries and 4.3 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.
1.
Erling Haaland
18
2.
Ollie Watkins
16
3.
Mohamed Salah
15
4.
Jarrod Bowen
14
4.
Dominic Solanke
14
His defensive application has formed the foundation of his success under Moyes' wing, ranking among the top 13% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 8% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
So, clearly one of the most important and influential members not just in West Ham's squad but also competing in the English top-flight, and while United secured his services from Championship side Hull City for just £22m on deadline day in January 2020 (one month into Moyes' reign), CIES Football Observatory's valuation model marks his current worth at £51m – that's quite the rise.
It would be quite something if there was a West Ham star actually worth more than the 27-year-old right now…
The highest-rated West Ham player
Nope, it's not Lucas Paqueta, who comes in at an admirable £43m, though the Brazilian playmaker was at the centre of an £80m offer from Manchester City, which West Ham actually looked likely to accept before the Premier League champions rescinded their offer following an FA investigation into possible betting breaches, still ongoing.
The man of the moment is Ghana international Kudus, who was signed from Ajax for £38m back in August after Moyes' outfit beat off a vested interest from both Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea to secure his signature.
Kudus had attracted attention after some exemplary performances for the Dutch Eredivisie giants, scoring a rattling goal against Liverpool in the Champions League and leading journalist Gary Al-Smith to laud him as a "generational talent."
Last season, the fleet-footed winger had scored 18 goals and supplied seven assists for Ajax despite only starting 29 matches in all competitions, and his electricity and directness appeared to be factory-built qualities for a successful career in the Premier League.
And while CIES Football Observatory has listed some West Ham stars at some pretty staggering heights, Kudus is currently believed to be worth £68m in what already marks a 79% increase from the initial fee paid for his arrival.
Why Mohammed Kudus is so highly rated
West Ham have received criticism for a pragmatic style of play under Moyes' leadership and this certainly might appear to damage the fluency of offensive outlets, but Kudus has demonstrated his ability and then some so far, having racked up nine goals and four assists and leading The Athletic's Roshane Thomas to dub him "one of the best signings in the summer transfer window."
Ranking among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 3% for tackles won per 90, he's got a rounded and dynamic skill set that will inevitably see those at the forefront of European competition circle for his signature sooner rather than later.
He's also one of the most active and enterprising wingers in the Premier League; Bowen might be the goalscorer, but Kudus' influence and commitment across the pitch is something to behold, averaging 3.1 dribbles, 6.3 ball recoveries and 7.8 successful duels per fixture – those are some colossal numbers.
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Rice might have departed for pastures new last summer but Moyes and West Ham's transfer team have secured a sensational signing in Kudus, signing a coveted star proven on the continental and international stage for a reasonable fee.
Whether he remains at the club for years to come is another question entirely, but if he were to depart he would cost a pretty penny in what underlines this greatly-improving strategy down at the London Stadium.