The experienced striker is on the lookout for a new home after leaving West Ham earlier this summer.
Former West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has confirmed a summer visit to Thorp Arch - albeit not to hold talks over a possible move to Leeds United.
Antonio is currently a free agent following the expiration of his West Ham contract in June. The 35-year-old hasn’t played since a horrific car crash in December 2024 which shattered his femur and almost cost him his life.
Speculation over the striker’s future has been rife and in recent weeks involved Leeds, with a surprise appearance at their Thorp Arch training base spotted by fans. Daniel Farke’s side are known to be in the market for a No.9 and have already dipped into the free agent market with Lukas Nmecha.
Speaking with FourFourTwo last weekend, Antonio confirmed he was indeed at Thorp Arch earlier this summer - but not for transfer talks. The former West Ham man was instead in Yorkshire regarding a new sports supplements company he has founded, with similar visits paid to Ipswich Town, Oxford United and others.
Antonio spent 10 years at West Ham, making 323 appearances across all competitions and scoring 83 goals. The striker was part of a historic Hammers squad to claim Europa Conference League glory under David Moyes in 2023.
The physical forward was still playing regularly up until that car crash late last year, with the path to recovery long and incredibly challenging. But with the 2025/26 Premier League season kicking off this week, he still harbours plans to keep leading the line somewhere else.
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"I'm still going to play,” He told FourFourTwo. “I'm speaking to a few clubs right now, I'm just kind of waiting for the right offer to come and move forward from there. I definitely know I'm good. I know I'm fit, just waiting for the right opportunity. I've had a couple of offers - I'm kind of just holding out to see if anything better comes.”
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Joseph saw a season-long loan move to RCD Mallorca confirmed last week, having refused to join his Leeds teammates in Germany last month in an effort to force a move away. Bamford was also not in Germany, with Farke informing the 31-year-old he is not in the club’s plans for the upcoming campaign.
“In comparison to our Championship side, we have not improved in the offence,” Farke said following Saturday’s 1-1 draw against AC Milan. “We are not prepared yet for a long Premier League season. We are capable of playing at a good level but in order to be ready and to win games at this level… you need players who can score goals and give assists.”
Leeds retain interest in Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, for whom they have already seen a £32m bid rejected earlier this summer. Hope remains that an attacking arrival at Craven Cottage might open the door for the Brazilian, albeit time is running out with less than three weeks of the window remaining.
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