- West Ham United were relegated from the Premier League last Sunday
- The club are reported to require up to £150 million from player sales
- Tomás Soucek is a must-keep
West Ham United will undergo the most significant rebuilding effort of the David Sullivan era after being relegated from the Premier League on the last day of the season. It has been confirmed that Nuno Espírito Santo will stay on as head coach, but the club now head into the Championship with major questions hanging over almost every area of the squad.
Some players are too valuable to lose. Others will undoubtedly draw Premier League attention. Then there are individuals whose fate may be totally dependent on money, salary, and whether West Ham can persuade them to invest in a promotion plan.
Here is a squad audit of where West Ham stand heading into the summer.
Goalkeepers
Alphonse Areola’s future has become dubious. The Frenchman remains one of the club’s biggest earners and, at 33, may draw bids from teams on the continent searching for experience.
If West Ham keeps Mads Hermansen, he looks to be the obvious long-term No. 1. The Dane matches the age profile (25) of a goalkeeper the team can grow around in the Championship, and he has shown moments of shot-stopping quality throughout an otherwise dysfunctional season.
Łukasz Fabiański’s contract expires this summer, leading to the possibility of retirement.
Keep: Hermansen; Sell: Areola; Out of contract: Fabiański
Defenders
Centre-backs Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Konstantinos Mavropanos all have uncertain futures for their respective reasons. Despite investing substantially in the back line, West Ham conceded the third-most league goals (65) in the just-ended campaign (only the other relegated clubs, Wolverhampton Wanderers (68) and Burnley (75), conceded more). Kilman and Todibo’s value has significantly declined during their time in East London, with the latter’s sale all but guaranteed following his reported falling-out with Nuno after the 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
Mavropanos would be a desired keep; the Greek international is a burgeoning leader who has two years left on his current deal at 28. Kyle Walker-Peters is another senior player who would be an advantageous player in the Championship. Axel Disasi is unlikely to join West Ham in the Championship despite a successful loan from Chelsea.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Malick Diouf were contentious contributors in West Ham’s final Premier League games, but both full-backs undoubtedly have a market, particularly with former Hammers boss David Moyes, that can be leveraged in their sale.
Oliver Scarles and Ezra Mayers may benefit from the Championship Reset. Both are highly regarded internally and may eventually earn consistent first-team chances.
Keep: Mavropanos, Mayers, Scarles, Walker-Peters; Sell: Kilman, Todibo, Wan-Bissaka, Diouf; Loan end: Disasi
Midfielders
Mateus Fernandes has emerged as the club’s most valuable asset following an excellent breakout season after joining from Southampton last summer. The Portuguese midfielder is a prime candidate to be sacrificed to balance the books, with the club reportedly requiring up to £150 million from player sales. Fernandes, 21, will certainly command a fee of upwards of the £38 million that West Ham paid the Saints, especially given the former have rights to a portion of the sell-on, and with four years left on his deal plus his ceiling.
Fernandes would star in the second division. Player of the Season-type season, without breaking a sweat. However, given the player’s growing interest, it would be sensible for West Ham to orchestrate a bidding war to recoup a fee, which would help relieve the financial pressure they now face.
Tomáš Souček’s experience and physicality may prove valuable in the Championship, especially under Nuno. Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa may also become regular contributors.
Edson Álvarez is another player who may attract interest from abroad as West Ham aim to slash their wage budget. The Mexican midfielder has been on loan at Turkish giants Fenerbahçe, but is unlikely to remain there beyond this season following an injury-plagued season. It would be a drastic change in tone if James Ward-Prowse had a future under the head coach who had him on the fringes at Nottingham Forest.
Keep: Souček, Potts, Magassa; Sell: Fernandes, Álvarez, Ward-Prowse
Forwards
Everything begins with Jarrod Bowen.
The captain remains West Ham’s captain, most important player and the club’s face, but relegation poses a huge challenge. Bowen finished the season as the most productive Englishman in the Premier League, his fifth consecutive season with twenty-plus goal involvement.
Following relegation, Bowen stated his ‘vision was to get the club back to the Premier League.’ The forward has four years left on a seven-year contract signed in 2023, four months after the Conference League win and was supposed to signify his evergreen status as a club legend. However, at 29, the temptation to play for one of the country’s premier clubs would be hard to deny.
Bowen’s stay may likely be hinged on what price his teammates can fetch. Crysencio Summerville has been called up to the Netherlands World Cup squad for this summer’s tournament, and will likely follow the call-up with an exit with Roma, the most interested club. Adama Traoré and Pablo, who was questionably bought from the middling Portuguese side Gil Vicente for around £21 million, have been insignificant members this season. If unable to offload, the pair would be serviceable in the Championship.
Valentín Castellanos has endeared himself to the West Ham faithful since arriving from Lazio in the winter. The Argentine’s industry and ingenuity will have earned him admirers looking to feast off West Ham’s drop, and reports point to Flamengo renewing their interest after being beaten to the punch in January.
The perception of Callum Wilson empotimses the topsy-turvy nature of West Ham’s season – seven goals in 32 matches, yet, there was a point in the season that the club were willing to part before U-turning. The English striker was commendable in his cameos, but at 34, his expiring contract is a blessing in disguise. Niclas Füllkrug’s loan at AC Milan has faded into obscurity, and without a goal since January (his sole one of the season), it will be a struggle to offload the former Dortmund man, but it is simply a must.
Maxwel Cornet is another unwanted forward who will come back from Italy. The 29-year-old Ivorian has failed to impress at Genoa, and one would expect that, with a year left on his contract, if he could not be shifted off permanently, a loan could be arranged to see the player off.
Venezuelan forward Keiber Lamadrid will return to Deportivo La Guaira in July after making one senior appearance in claret and blue.
Keep: Bowen, Traoré, Castellanos; Sell: Pablo, Füllkrug, Summerville; Loan: Cornet; Out of contract: Wilson; Loan end: Lamadrid
