How are Manuel Lanzini and Arthur Masuaku getting on since leaving West Ham? | OneFootball

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West Ham marked their place in history at the end of the 2022/23 season as they were crowned as UEFA Europa Conference League champions following a 2-1 final win against Fiorentina. David Moyes' side not only secured a European trophy that day, but they also grew their profile in the game.

This is shown by the new players signed over the summer transfer window with the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez being brought in from Dutch giants, Ajax. These signings - along with others - were funded in large part by the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.

The England midfielder departed the Hammers after spending a decade in East London - having captained the club in his final season - before looking for a new challenge in the Champions League. While Rice was the highest profile departure, several other players were moved on with much less fanfare despite having played big roles for the club in years gone by.

Two of these players include Manuel Lanzini and Arthur Masuaku, who had fallen out of favour under Moyes with the latter not being seen for the Irons in over a year. We decided to take a look at where both these players have gone to continue their careers, and how they are getting on.

Manuel Lanzini - River Plate

Lanzini was a big hit with the West Ham fan base when he initially joined from Al Jazira in 2015 on a loan deal, before then making the move permanent the following summer. The Argentine has struggled with injury issues in recent years which has limited his game time in the Premier League, and subsequently seen him move on.

With his contract expiring in the summer, it was decided that all parties would benefit from Lanzini leaving in search of a new challenge, and he moved to River Plate as a result. The former youth product of the Argentinian club had returned after being away for almost a decade while playing in Brazil, Abu Dhabi and England in that time, taking the number 10 shirt upon his signature. It was quite a coup for River Plate to sign a talented player that had recently contributed to European success while only just hitting the 30-year-old mark.

Since his return to his home country, Lanzini has featured in seven games for his new club, although the attacking midfielder is yet to either score or assist for his side. Of the five games he has started, River Plate are unbeaten with four wins and one draw, while they lost both games in which Lanzini was brought on late as a substitute. It may be coincidence, or perhaps points in the direction of the Argentine midfielder being a big influence on his side.

Lanzini's West Ham career

Lanzini was such a big hit during his loan spell in London, that the club decided to exercise their option to make the move permanent in March, two months before the season had even ended. His first goal for the Irons was in a shocking 3-0 win at Anfield against Liverpool, a game in which the midfielder announced himself to his new fans with his dazzling display against a top team.

Across all competitions, Lanzini went on to play 226 times for West Ham while finding the net on 32 occasions and providing 28 assists for his teammates. Supporters will remember his time in the Premier League most fondly for his stunning goal during the lockdown campaign against Tottenham to salvage a last minute 3-3 draw, after seeing his side go 3-0 down in the game. His partnership with Dimitri Payet as the creative forces in the team from 2015 to 2017 provided not only Hammers fans, but neutral supporters some high-class entertainment. Overall, Lanzini was a good signing for the club, but injuries derailed his time in England towards the end.

Arthur Masuaku - Besiktas

Masuaku only sealed his permanent exit from West Ham in the summer of 2023 to Besiktas, however, the left-back had spent the 2022/23 season on loan with the Turkish club already. This means he will have been an afterthought to many fans of the club during a hectic summer transfer window that saw so many incomings as well as outgoings. He played 32 times for his loan club last season as they finished third in the Süper Lig table.

Galatasaray were the eventual champions, with Fenerbache finishing as runners-up, meaning Besiktas had to settle for a Europa Conference League qualifying spot in 2023/24. Masuaku played in four of the six qualifying games that led his side to gain entry to the competition his now former club had won the previous year.

The 29-year-old has also featured in all but one of his side's league games thus far, missing a game due to injury. In the six games he has played a part in, Besiktas have won three and lost two, although the defender has only been able to help his team earn two clean sheets in this time as they find themselves fourth in the table - eight points adrift of Fenerbache at the top of the league.

Masuaku has settled into his role with the team very well, which is to be expected due to his past season with the club, and his nominal transfer fee made the signing a no-brainer for the Turkish outfit.

Masuaku's Irons career

Despite representing DR Congo at international level, the full-back was born in France, and this is where his career started. Coming through the youth ranks of a few different clubs, Masuaku found himself being promoted to be a part of the first-team squad with Valenciennes where he spent one professional season before signing for Olympiacos in Greece.

After two seasons in Greece, West Ham made their move for the talented left-back in a deal worth just over £5 million. He would go on to play 128 games in all competitions for the Hammers across six seasons, as he shared the responsibility with Aaron Cresswell at left-back for the most part. Never being seen as the out-and-out first choice, Masuaku was always a useful player at the Olympic Stadium, but the time may have been right for him to move on to a new challenge.