Since joining from Stuttgart for £19million in August 2023, Mavropanos’s decision-making has remained a weakness. Against Palace he was deputising for the injured Jean-Clair Todibo, but he has not shown himself capable of being a first-choice defender at this level.

Expectations were high for West Ham coming into the current season. They parted ways with Conference League-winning manager David Moyes in the summer and his replacement, Julen Lopetegui, spent big, bringing the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez, Max Kilman and more through the door.