West Ham could emerge from Declan Rice's departure as a "stronger" unit with James Ward-Prowse taking the midfielder's place, according to Harry Redknapp.
Rice joined Arsenal for a club-record £100million in July, having capped his final season with the Irons by lifting the Europa Conference League trophy in June.
Despite the windfall generated by Rice's sale, West Ham endured a frustrating pre-season amid reports boss David Moyes did not see eye-to-eye with new technical director Tim Steidten.
However, the signings of former Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse and Mexico international Edson Alvarez have lifted the mood at the London Stadium.
Ward-Prowse enjoyed a dream debut as West Ham beat Chelsea 3-1 on Sunday, becoming the first player to record multiple assists on his first Premier League outing for the club.
With Ward-Prowse bringing his set-piece prowess to the London Stadium, Redknapp – who played for West Ham between 1965 and 1972 and managed the club between 1994 and 2001 – is positive about the Hammers' prospects.
Asked about West Ham's recruitment, Redknapp told Stats Perform: "I love Ward-Prowse. He's a good player and looks a good character and a good lad.
"So yeah, they could be a stronger team this year, with the money they've raised. They've lost one outstanding player but they've [potentially] got [some] very good players in with that money.
"I think it's good business for West Ham. I think West Ham will be fine."
Asked about Moyes facing criticism from supporters despite lifting the first major trophy of his managerial career last term, Redknapp added: "That's football, isn't it? That's the way the game goes. It's a results business now, you don't get long.
"You know, back in the day, West Ham had four managers in something like 75 years. Ron Greenwood, John Lyall, Ted Fenton before that. That was how the game was.
"Now, you get 20-odd minutes! You lose a few games, you lose four, five, six games, you're in trouble. You've got people calling for your head.
"David is a good manager. He's been around long enough, he knows his situation, he knows he needs results. There's no reason they can't have a good season."
Another of Redknapp's former clubs did make a coaching change ahead of the new season, with Bournemouth replacing now-Wolves boss Gary O'Neil with Andoni Iraola.
Asked about his first impressions of the former Rayo Vallecano coach, Redknapp said: "I don't know much about him at the moment, but they tell me he's very good.
"It's a good club, with new owners, and they're ambitious. It's good that new people have come in, they look like they're good for the club. I think they're going to be good for everybody.
"It's their choice to change manager, it's their decision. They own the club, they can do what they want and they feel the new guy's the man to take the club forward. Let's hope he can.
"Things are looking good down there, I think the team looks okay. They've made one or two signings and they've got a couple more injured still to come in.
"I think they might make one or two more signings. I don't see them being a relegation outfit this year, I think they'll be fine. They'll improve on what they did last year possibly."
Elsewhere, Redknapp is pleased to see former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe succeeding with Newcastle United, having earned his opportunity by leading the Cherries to the top flight for the first time in 2015.
"He's a top manager," Redknapp said of Howe. "We've got some fantastic young managers in this country who don't get the opportunity to manage a top team.
"There are loads in the Championship and below who could do a great job in the Premier League if they were ever given the opportunity.
"Eddie deserved the opportunity. What he did at Bournemouth was amazing, and now he's doing magnificent, wonderful things at Newcastle.
"He's got the backing, he's got good players, they've bought some fantastic players in, the recruitment's been great. But Eddie's a top manager, he could manage anywhere."
Salah's contract 'up to him and the club', says Slot
Arne Slot has asserted Mohamed Salah’s future is “up to him and the club”.
The Liverpool star has yet to make a decision on whether to renew his contract, and as it stands, will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season.
Salah remains a key player for the Reds, and leads the club for Premier League goals (seven) and assists (five) this term.
He scored the winner in the 72nd minute to complete Liverpool’s comeback against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, as they moved to the top of the table.
And despite the question marks over Salah's future, Slot is not concerned.
"[His future] is not what I think about. The only thing I think about is he is so important for us. Scores important goals, works hard for the team," the Liverpool boss told TNT Sports.
"I’m hoping he can enjoy that feeling many, many, many more times. Especially if I’m here but also if I’m not here. I’m hoping he can do this many more times.
"He’s been incredible for Liverpool over the past eight years. He’s been incredible for us this season and I hope he can continue doing this for the rest of the season and maybe longer to come, but that’s up to him and the club to find the idea about the future."
Salah could be in for a historic night on Tuesday when Liverpool face Bayer Leverkusen, having scored in each of his last five Champions League appearances at Anfield.
The last player to score in six consecutive home games in the competition for an English club was Ruud van Nistelrooy for Manchester United in April 2003.
Salah sparked renewed talk over his future after posting on Instagram on Sunday, saying that the feeling of scoring at Anfield would remain unforgettable “no matter what happens.”
But Slot was keen to quash any deeper meaning in the post.
"I haven’t spoken to him about that. You interpreted it in a way that maybe other people don’t," he told the press.
"I don’t look at Instagram posts of my players, I only talk to them which you can’t, which is the advantage I have.
"Mo is in a very good place at the moment. As long as he has been at Liverpool, he has been in a very good place, but this season again as well. I am hoping he will make a post after tomorrow and on Saturday again. What he said with that, that is not important.
"For me what is important is how he plays and what he tells me when we have conversations. That is what matters and not how you guys interpret one of his posts."
Silva grateful Fulham's dominance was rewarded with late win
Marco Silva believes Fulham claimed a "deserved win" against Brentford, though admits they should have secured the three points much earlier in their 2-1 victory.
It looked like Vitaly Janelt's 24th-minute strike against the run of play was going to wrap up all three points for Brentford, but Harry Wilson proved the Cottagers' hero off the bench, scoring twice in stoppage time to snatch the three points.
Fulham had dominated from the first whistle and had 26 shots, 12 of which were on target, though they struggled to find a way past their opponents' staunch defence until the 92nd minute.
Wilson became just the sixth player to score an equalising and match-winning goal from the 90th minute onwards in the Premier League, while his second goal was Fulham's latest-ever Premier League winner at 96:46.
Silva was delighted with how his team pushed until the final seconds to ensure they came away with a win.
"It was definitely a deserved win. We started on the front foot and dominated all the game. In the first 20 minutes, we had two clear chances to score," Silva told BBC Sport.
"After they scored, we didn't lose the confidence and the trust in ourselves, we kept pushing them back, and we created enough to not be losing at half-time.
"I told the players this is football, it can happen, but we have to keep pushing, working hard and playing our way.
"It was late, it should've been much before, but that's football."
Brentford, meanwhile, have now dropped a league-high 14 points from winning positions in the Premier League as they suffered a fifth consecutive away defeat in the competition.
In fact, they are the first side in the competition's history to score the first goal in four consecutive away games and lose all four.
They had defended resolutely until their late lapse in concentration, and even had a chance to win it, only for Bernd Leno's impressive save to keep out Fabio Carvalho in the 95th minute.
Thomas Frank, though, admitted he was not yet ready to take the positives from the performance after the disappointment of their late defeat.
"It was tough. It is emotionally very tough right now," Frank told Sky Sports.
"When you are leading in the 92nd minute, and you lose, it is tough. I don't think we hit our highest level. I think on the day Fulham were better.
"There was a lot of good defending and effort, and I thought that would have given us the win. We could have won it with the chance for Fabio Carvalho and then we lost.
"When we look at the game back, and we are more cool-headed, we will probably be very happy with the defensive standard. I thought there were unbelievable blocks, and recovery runs and all that we did well. On the ball, we didn't do enough."
Fulham 2-1 Brentford: Wilson's late brace seals comeback win
Harry Wilson scored twice in stoppage time as Fulham came back to beat Brentford 2-1 in an enthralling West London derby.
Wilson was the hero from Fulham's bench on Monday, as Marco Silva's team – who were on the wrong end of a late comeback against Everton last time out in the Premier League – salvaged a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Fulham will feel it was a win they earned from a match they dominated from the off, with the Bees having taken the lead against the run of play through Vitaly Janelt's stunning 24th-minute strike.
But the Fulham pressure finally told when Wilson rose high to flick in his first in the 92nd minute, and – after Bernd Leno made a superb stop to thwart Brentford at the other end – the former Liverpool midfielder nodded in again to send Craven Cottage into raptures.
Fulham's win takes them up into ninth, while Brentford drop to 12th after suffering a fifth league loss of the season.
Data Debrief: Super-sub Wilson to the rescue
Fulham will feel they deserved to come away from that match with three points, having had 26 shots, 12 of which were on target, in an incredibly dominant display.
They also had 46 touches in the opposition box compared to Brentford's nine, but they could not make those count, at least until Wilson's late intervention as he finally broke through Brentford's stubborn defence.
The Welshman scored with both of his shots on target, having three attempts overall, with his goals coming from a combined 0.19 expected goals.
The Bees looked sure to get a first away win, and first clean sheet, of the Premier League season until their late lapse in concentration, and they have now dropped 14 points from winning positions in the competition this season, more than any other team.
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