Graham Potter, David Ornstein
(Credit: Imago/Sky Sports Premier League on YouTube)
Dakir Thanveer
Sat 15 March 2025 10:03, UK
West Ham United fans are concerned about the club’s financial muscle power ahead of Graham Potter’s first summer transfer window as their head coach.
This comes as no surprise as West Ham spent over £100million under Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui last summer, with another £32m committed to making Jean-Clair Todibo’s loan move from OGC Nice permanent this year.
Steidten’s spending spree has put pressure on the Irons’ finances, as evidenced by their inability to spend money on new signings in the winter transfer window.
Potter was thus forced to settle for the loan acquisition of Evan Ferguson from Brighton as his only signing during that window.
Ferguson was Potter’s only signing in the winter. (Credit: Imago).
David Ornstein gives London Stadium assurances
This has led to questions about whether West Ham will have enough money to spend on new signings ahead of next season, although David Ornstein has now rubbished such concerns.
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The Athletic journalist insisted that the East London outfit are “always active” in the market and he expects that to be the case this time around too.
Players with expiring contracts
Lukasz Fabianski
Aaron Cresswell
Michail Antonio
Danny Ings
Vladimir Coufal
Carlos Soler (Loan)
Jean-Clair Todibo (Loan)
Evan Ferguson (Loan)
West Ham players with expiring contracts in 2025. (Transfermarkt)
He also suggested that Potter will prioritise signing a new striker, with Ferguson’s loan deal running out in May and Michail Antonio also set to leave as a free agent as things stand.
“West Ham are always active in the market, especially in summer windows, and I expect them to be again this year”, Ornstein wrote in a Q&A on the Athletic website (14 March).
“The striker position is probably still high in their thinking, given Evan Ferguson’s loan from Brighton will end in May and we don’t know what will happen with Michail Antonio (who turns 35 this month).”
Antonio may be given a contract extension after his road accident. (Credit: Imago)
West Ham to back Potter
As Ornstein said, West Ham are likely to back Potter this summer regardless of the consequences of last year’s spending spree.
David Sullivan will be aware that he needs to make funds available to allow the former Chelsea boss to strengthen his squad and prepare them to compete for the club’s targets next season.
Apart from eight players nearing the end of their contracts, the Hammers also face the prospect of losing star player Lucas Paqueta.
West Ham fear the Brazilian will lose his battle against the FA after being entangled in a spot-fixing controversy, with the worst-case scenario of a lifetime ban looking like a real possibility.
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