West Ham are open to ditching four high profile first-team stars in 2025, while a playmaker wanted at Liverpool and a Premier League striker tipped to one day be worth £100m could both arrive.
West Ham have not enjoyed the type of start they and their fanbase expected following a promising summer. The Hammers moved on from David Moyes when appointing Julen Lopetegui as his successor. The club also spent heavily in the window, splashing out around £130m on new recruits.
West Ham currently sit 14th in the Premier League table having lost more matches than they’ve won (five defeats, four victories).
And according to a fresh update from The Athletic, the club are prepared to bypass the upcoming January window in favour of putting their full focus on the summer and launching a fresh assault at the 2025/26 season.
To aid that cause, The Athletic state a new striker is wanted amid a frustrating failure to sign a worthy successor to Michail Antonio.
Niclas Fullkrug was the club’s latest attempt to phase Antonio out, though the veteran German has featured just four times – without scoring – and is sidelined with an Achilles injury. No timeframe has been put on the 31-year-old’s return.
West Ham ‘remain in the market’ for a new striker and TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Fraser Gillan, has been informed Brighton’s Evan Ferguson is on their radar.
Brighton are open to loaning Ferguson out in January, while The Telegraph claimed a permanent transfer in the summer will cost around £60m.
We understand West Ham are ‘serious contenders’ for Ferguson’s signature and the Irishman has previously been backed to become a £100m player.
Elsewhere, The Athletic revealed Hammers chief Tim Steidten has been casting his eye on Lyon playmaker, Rayan Cherki. The maverick midfielder is also in Liverpool’s sights.
The report added: ‘Tim Steidten, the technical director, has been scouting prospects in Ligue 1.
‘Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki is among the targets viewed favourably. Cherki has been on West Ham’s radar since December 2023. The 21-year-old’s contract expires in the summer of 2026.’
Four West Ham players up for sale
To help free up room and funds for major arrivals, The Athletic named four players the club are more than willing to offload.
The quartet in question are Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, James Ward-Prowse and Maxwel Cornet who are all currently out on loan.
Zouma’s contract back at West Ham actually expires next summer, meaning he’ll definitely be among the leavers. Zouma is expected to sign with Saudi Arabian side Al-Orobah – where he’s currently loaned – on a permanent deal once the loan concludes.
Aguerd is at Real Sociedad, Ward-Prowse at Nottingham Forest and Cornet at Southampton. The trio’s existing deals with West Ham don’t expire until 2027.
Aguerd and Ward-Prowse’s deals do not contain options to buy. As such, they’ll both return to West Ham after their loan spells.
Cornet’s deal at Southampton is believed to contain an option to buy, though the fact he’s played just 71 minutes for the Saints in the Premier League so far suggests it won’t be activated.