West Ham’s home crowd will be saying goodbye to at least eight players when they welcome Nottingham Forest to the London Stadium and special plans are in place.
West Ham may have little to play for but there are still plenty of sub-plots to the Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
In truth there has been no jeopardy to West Ham’s season since the club bowed out of the FA Cup in Graham Potter’s first game back in January.
For Nottingham Forest, though, it has been an astonishing campaign with European qualification secured and hopes still alive of a Champions League spot.
While a place at Europe’s top table is the carrot dangling for Forest, West Ham’s motivation is very different.
After a dismal season, Potter finally got lift-off as the Hammers beat Man United 2-0 at Old Trafford last weekend.
West Ham announce special plans for Forest clash
It was only Potter’s fourth win in 17 games as manager.
The victory breathed some much needed positivity into the air around West Ham ahead of what is going to be a major summer rebuild.
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West Ham delivered a big transfer update in a bid to reassure fans this week.
That came after the club announced four ageing senior players are being ruthlessly released by Potter as part of his revamp around younger players.
Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Danny Ings are not having their contracts renewed and will go before West Ham’s London Stadium crowd for the last time this Sunday.
The quartet have 25 years of service and over 700 West Ham appearances between them.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
But Potter wants to take the Hammers in a different direction with a younger, more dynamic squad.
It has been a tough run of goodbyes at West Ham in recent seasons.
This time last year West Ham were saying goodbye to David Moyes after four-and-a-half memorable years.
The summer before it was Declan Rice, the season before that it was Mark Noble.
Now West Ham have announced special plans for the Nottingham Forest clash with eight farewells on the cards.
Cresswell has been at West Ham for 11 years, Fabianski for seven, Coufal for five and Ings for two-and-a-half.
But at least four more players will also be saying goodbye to the Hammers’ home faithful.
At least eight farewells on cards when West Ham face Forest
There were high hopes for Carlos Soler when he arrived on a season-long loan from PSG on deadline day last summer.
The Spaniard is well liked by West Ham fans for embracing the club and Hammers life.
However, Soler – by his own admission – has not played as much as he would have liked.
Soler actually hinted he is open to staying at West Ham this summer.
But his deal will not be made permanent and he will likely be loaned out elsewhere by PSG next season given he has two more years to run on a £240k per week contract.
Supporters were excited when West Ham finally went out and landed a coveted young striker in the shape of Evan Ferguson in January.
But the Irishman has joined the long list of Hammers striker flops.
Ferguson has failed to register a single shot on target, let alone score a goal, after making a solitary start and playing only 152 minutes across seven appearances.
He will go back to parent club Brighton as West Ham’s search for new strikers takes them elsewhere.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
With PSR a major issue for the club this summer, sales are needed to raise funds for Potter’s rebuild.
The two main players on the way out will be Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta.
West Ham are banking on Kudus bringing in big money while Paqueta will also be sold if he beats spot-fixing charges.
If he doesn’t then the FA are pushing for a lifetime ban.
Either way, the game against Forest will be goodbye to the man who set up the goal that won West Ham their only major trophy of the last 45 years on that unforgettable night in Prague two years ago.
A number of other players will undoubtedly be appearing in front of West Ham’s home fans for the final time too as Potter reshapes his squad.
A big decision is due on Michail Antonio soon and he will be in attendance for the lap of honour too.
West Ham have now released a statement asking supporters to take their seats early for the Forest clash.
Club wants West Ham fans to arrive early and stay late
The club want fans in the ground and to avoid long queues at the last moment because they would like supporters in their seats for 2pm – 15 minutes before kick-off.
That is so they can bid farewell to long-serving Cresswell while also congratulating Aaron Wan-Bissaka on winning the club’s Hammer of the Year award.
West Ham have also asked supporters to stay after the final whistle while the club’s players and staff take a lap of the pitch.
That lap promises to be an emotional one for a number of players ahead of a significant changing of the guard this summer.
“There will be a host of activities taking place throughout the afternoon to keep an eye on,” West Ham have announced.
“We ask that supporters please take their seats by 2pm, 15 minutes ahead of kick-off, in order to congratulate our 2024/25 Betway Hammer of the Year winner, and show appreciation to long-serving defender Aaron Cresswell, who will be leaving the Club after 11 years of service at the end of next month.
“After the game, we ask fans to remain in their seats, with the squad and staff set to do a lap of the pitch to show their appreciation for your amazing backing.”