Winston Reid wants West Ham to build on solid foundations as they seek an improved Premier League finish next season.
Sam Allardyce's side kept 14 clean sheets in the league last term as they achieved a 13th-place finish, and the manager has since added to his squad.
Striker Mauro Zarate has arrived from Velez Sarsfield and versatile defensive player Cheikhou Kouyate has been recruited from Anderlecht.
Reid feels the new additions will bolster a team that struggled in front of goal in the 2013-14 campaign, scoring just 40 times in the top flight.
He told the club's official website: "We already have a good backbone of defensive qualities in our squad - I think that was proved with the 14 clean sheets we achieved last season and to add more in the attacking sense on top of that, can only be a good thing for the whole team.
"It is just as important though we keep up the standards we have set for ourselves in defence and make sure when we do go on the attack, that we don't let ourselves be open at the back, but hopefully combine both.
"Arsenal, Manchester City, Southampton and Tottenham were the only other teams that kept more clean sheets than us last season, nobody can say they are just set up defensively.
"The gaffer and the owners have been working hard to secure new additions to our squad, including in attack, and these will add to what we have here already and help us to push on next season to finish higher up in the Barclays Premier League and we look forward to that."