At the start of the season, we expect that very few – if any at all – FPL players had West Ham United’s Alphonse Areola in their teams. Now, he looks like one of the canniest signings you could possibly make.

Today, we’ll be explaining why you need to include Areola in your FPL team – if you haven’t put him in there already. If you have, then give yourself a pat on the back.

Furthermore, we’ll also be looking at a few other West Ham players who we feel are worthy of inclusion into your squad – remember, however, you can only include three players per team. As such, you will need to choose wisely.

Why should you include Alphonse Areola in your FPL team?

Areola has had a startling strong start to the 2023/24 Premier League season. Not only has he become the Hammers’ first-team ‘keeper ahead of the aging Lukasz Fabianski, he has earned his spot with a slew of great performances between the sticks.

Over the course of his five games for West Ham so far this season, he has made 26 saves – only Sheffield United’s Wes Foderingham can claim to have completed more (28).

If there is one thing we can criticise Areola for, it is that he has yet to keep a clean sheet in the league this season. With a fixture against high-scoring Liverpool up next, it’s unlikely that he will attain this any time soon.

Nevertheless, there is one more factor that is heavily weighted in the Frenchman’s favour. He is the third highest-scoring ‘keeper in FPL so far this season – yet, his FPL price stands at a paltry £4.1, making him one of the cheapest goalkeepers you can get.

Which other West Ham United players should you have in your FPL squad?

Of course, Areola isn’t the only Hammer who we would recommend for your FPL squad. James Ward-Prowse has had an excellent start to the season, scoring goals and notching up assists.

He’s a little expensive, but Jarrod Bowen would also be a wonderful addition – in the absence of Declan Rice, he has become the centrepiece of the Irons’ outfit.