Since joining the Hammers, the defender has been one of the club’s best performers.
David Moyes made his mark on the history books at West Ham United when he lifted the Europa Conference League trophy on the final day of the 2022/23 season.
It was the club’s first silverware since 1980 and the first European title since 1965, meaning he won the competition for many current supporters for the first time in their lives.
Moyes has had two spells at the club and is currently in charge for the first time since December 2019, having led them to two top-seven places in the Premier League in addition to his successes in Europe.
During his time in charge of the club, the former Manchester United manager has made a number of astute purchases in the transfer market, all of which have proven to be successful additions to the squad. He has been able to identify some outstanding players, including Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen and right-back Vladimir Coufal.
How much was Coufal worth at Slavia Prague?
Upon signing for Fulham in October 2020, Transfermarkt reported that the talented full-back had been valued at €2m after two years with his former club Slavia Prague. Coufal achieved 88 appearances in all competitions in just over two seasons with the club, demonstrating his ability to shoot from the right and create chances at the top of the pitch. In total, the Czech Republic international scored seven goals and provided nine assists from right-back. He also gained valuable experience in the 2019/20 Champions League campaign, playing six matches against some of the top teams in Europe, with an average score of 6.74.
In those matches, Coufal kept his side in the game with a match-winning ratio of 54%, while also managing to make two tackles and two interceptions per game. Even though the opposition was not the best, Coufal was still able to dominate physically and win the ball back for his side regularly.
This means that Coufal was able to show off his quality both on the ball and off it during his time at Slavia, as he showed off his attacking skills in the Czech Republic and his defensive capabilities in Europe against more difficult opposition. His two years at Slavia came after he had scored six goals and had ten assists in 156 games in the Czech Republic for Slovan Ljubljana. Coufal’s performance for the club was so impressive that Moyes decided to sign him in the summer of 2020/21, and it’s been a great decision.
How many appearances has Coufal made for West Ham?
Since joining the club in 2020, he has made 113 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers.
Coufal quickly established himself as a fixture in the starting line-up and had an outstanding first season in the English top flight with his consistent performances at right back for Moyes’ team. He achieved an average Sofascore rating (7.01) across his 34 Premier League appearances, the fifth-highest at the club, after Declan Rice (7.0), Aaron (7.2), Thomas (7.3), and Jesse (7.2) Lingard.
The Czech Republic international was particularly impressive in terms of his defensive performance, with a 3.3 tackle and interception ratio and a 57% duel success rate. No other West Ham player made more tackles per match than Coufal, while only four players made more interceptions per clash. Furthermore, he was a great provider of an attacking outlet on the right flank, with 1,3 key passes and seven assists, both of which placed him second in the squad in terms of both statistics, after Cresswell.
The veteran defender, who assisted his teammates in creating nine ‘big chances’ that season, went on to start 25 Premier League matches in the 2021/22 season, followed by 24 starts in the division the following term. Coufal also contributed to the club’s success in the Europa Conference League last season, with nine starts, including in the final, and provided quality on both sides of the pitch. He made 1.7 crucial passes per game and made 2.3 tackles per game, with an average Sofascore of 6.94. This was higher than the scores of Soucek and Lucas Paqueta.
How much is Coufal worth now?
According to Transfermarkt, Coufal is valued at €9 million (EUR 7.8 million) – a 350% increase on his initial 2020 valuation of €2 million when he joined from Slavia – proving that Moyes was right to bring in the Czech, who he described as “ambitious”, and that Coufal has been a consistent performer with the Hammers for many years. Coufal has established himself as a reliable right-back in the Premier League, capable of holding his own at the back and providing a threat on the wing, and that’s reflected in the way his market value has increased over the past three years.
At the age of 31, Coufal has remained an integral member of the team, having started all five of the club’s Premier League games this season and contributed with one assist. Furthermore, the £52,000-per-week player has made 4.2 tackles per game and won the ball back for the team on a regular basis, ranking second and fifth respectively in the squad for tackles and interceptions.
This indicates that Coufal is one of the most effective right-backs at the club in terms of disrupting the opposition’s attack. It is hoped that Coufal will maintain his current form and enjoy another successful season at the right-back position for West Ham, thus increasing his market value to further demonstrate that Moyes was right to bring him in from Slavia.
