If West Ham United were expected to make a move for a full-back or two this summer, confirmation of Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell’s departures only serves to solidify those plans.
West Ham will release Coufal and Cresswell when their contracts expire at the beginning of July.
Cresswell has been an ‘outstanding’ servant during eleven years at Upton Park and the London Stadium. Czech veteran Coufal has spent half a decade in claret and blue himself.
But while young Ollie Scarles looks well placed to succeed Cresswell on the left-hand side, the departures of two highly-experienced full-backs will force West Ham United into the market for at least one outside hire.
If the Hammers can find a full-back capable of performing on either flank, all the better.
West Ham agreed terms with Kyle Walker-Peters recently on a £75,000-a-week contract, though the Southampton wideman has his fair share of alternative offers. Another name to keep an eye on, meanwhile, is that of Werder Bremen defender Felix Agu.
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
West Ham are not yet in talks for Werder Bremen’s Felix Agu
A former Germany Under-21 international, Felix Agu is aware of those West Ham links.
Graham Potter, Kyle Macaulay and co will have to move quickly, however, if they are to snap up the 25-year-old before the release clause in his contract expires. Agu is currently available for somewhere in the region of £8 million, but that clause will remain in play only until the end of May.
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As things stand, Werder Bremen are yet to have any contact with West Ham, Fulham or any of Agu’s other English-based admirers.
“He’s an absolute value-added player for us. Felix is an important part of our team, and we value him greatly as a player and a person,” Peter Niemeyer, Werder Bremen’s head of professional football, tells Die DeichStube.
“We haven’t heard anything yet [from Premier League clubs]. Nothing has been brought to our attention that we need to consider.
“We are firmly planning with him for the new season.”
Felix Agu and Kyle Walker-Peters are two full-back options for West Ham’s
Like Walker-Peters, Agu is an adaptable, two-footed footballer. Despite being more comfortable on his right, the former VfL Osnabruck man has featured on the left-hand side more often than not across the 2024/25 campaign.
With three goals and one assist, this is also comfortably the most productive campaign of Agu’s Bundesliga career thus far.
“Of course, I heard the news [about West Ham’s interest],” he said a few weeks ago. “For me, it’s about us achieving the best possible result this season with Werder.
“I feel very comfortable here. I like the team. I like the club. It’s a dream for every footballer to play in Europe at some point, to be able to play under floodlights during the week. Not just in the cup, but also on the international stage.”
West Ham have featured semi-regularly in European competition over recent years, although the 2023 Conference League champions are set for at least one campaign outside of continental action.
As for Kyle Walker-Peters, the England international may be denied a Southampton farewell this weekend as interim coach Simon Rusk prioritises minutes for those keen to stay and aid next year’s Championship promotion push.
Former employers Tottenham are hoping to lure the soon-to-be free-agent back to North London. Marco Silva ruled Fulham out of the race for either Walker-Peters, though, as well as Ipswich’s one-time West Ham utility man Ben Johnson.