West Ham’s new-look side didn’t get off to the best of starts in the Premier League this weekend as they were dispatched decisively by Manchester United, enduring a 4-0 defeat that leaves them rooted to the bottom of the table.

There’s certainly a lot more to come from the Hammers side though and they’ll have easier tests than a clash with Jose Mourinho’s heavy-spenders, whilst they also wait on the return of key-players like Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio.

That attacking pairing may well provide the key to unlocking Javier Hernandez in attack, as the new Mexican recruit was very isolated during his return to Old Trafford, but there was a very noticeable hole in the West Ham side.

On a day where Nemanja Matic dominated at Old Trafford and Paul Pogba also showed why Manchester United parted with such an audacious sum to sign the Frenchman last summer, the focus may well be on how well that pairing faired. However, they were certainly aided by a lack of competition.

The Hammers started the match with Mark Noble, Pedro Obiang and Edmilison Fernandes in a midfield trio, all of whom are very good players but perhaps lack the calibre of being the star in the middle of the park that West Ham need.

That’s why continued links for Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho are so important for the weeks ahead as a capture of the Portuguese international would significantly bolster West Ham’s side and may prove to be the final piece of the puzzle for Slaven Bilic’s side this summer.

A defensive-minded midfielder, Carvalho can provide the blanket to the Hammers defence that’s necessary and can allow the more attacking players to have an impact in the final third, rather than worry about trying to deal with Matic and Pogba- a task that’s practically impossible as it is.

Last season, stats show that Carvalho had more interceptions, more aerial duels won, more clearances and more blocks than the West Ham trio that started yesterday, showing that the Portuguese ace can certainly be the plug that Bilic’s side need in the middle of the park.

West Ham’s summer so far has been successful but there’s still work to be done before the window slams shut at the end of the month and Carvalho would certainly provide a huge boost.