West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek has spoken out on transfer interest from his former manager David Moyes at Everton
David Moyes speaks to Tomas Soucek after the Premier League Summer Series match between Everton and West Ham United at Soldier Field, Chicago, on July 30, 2025
David Moyes speaks to Tomas Soucek after the Premier League Summer Series match between Everton and West Ham United at Soldier Field, Chicago, on July 30, 2025
(Image: Michael Reaves - Getty Images for Premier League)
West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek has admitted there was interest in him from Everton at the end of the transfer window. But he claims he rejected the chance to be reunited with David Moyes.
The Blues boss, who steered the club to nine top eight finishes during his first spell in charge at Goodison Park, including a highest-ever Premier League position of fourth in 2004/05, was in charge of the Hammers when Souceck first swapped Slavia Prague for east London in January 2020.
Initially arriving on loan, the 6ft 4in ace completed an £18million permanent move in July of the same year and has made a total of 235 appearances to date for the Irons, netting 39 times, including three against Everton at Goodison Park.
The Czech international, with 82 caps and 15 goals for his country, was also in the West Ham United side that beat Fiorentina 2-1 at Fortuna Arena, Prague – his former home ground – in the UEFA Europa Conference League final in 2023 as Moyes ended the club’s 43-year wait for a major trophy.
But he insists he shunned the opportunity to be team up with the Scot again at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Soucek was regularly linked with a potential move to Everton after Moyes’ return to Merseyside in January and despite his name returning to the headlines in the latter stages of the summer transfer window, the Blues would ultimately go for the more youthful option of Merlin Rohl, 23, who joined from Freiburg on a season-long loan on deadline day with an obligation to buy.
A report by Idnes in Soucek’s homeland claims that the Blues offered up to £17m for the 30-year-old but Sports Witness relay his quotes to the publication as stating: “It’s no secret that there was interest in me. It was also in the media.
“I have a stable position, I now feel strength, support, recognition from the team.
“It was felt at the club, but in the end, both I and West Ham said no.”
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Soucek came on as a substitute for the final 19 minutes of West Ham United’s 3-0 defeat at newly promoted Sunderland on the opening day of the season but has then started their three subsequent matches, a 5-1 thrashing at home to Chelsea, a 3-2 Carabao Cup exit at Wolverhampton Wanderers – in which he scored – and the 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest last time out.
He then captained Czechia to a 2-0 win in Montenegro in a World Cup qualifier on Friday.