It is probably too early for West Ham United to start circling like blood-smelling sharks around Burnley and Wolves at the bottom of the Premier League, preparing to pick off the odd tasty morsel in the event of relegation.
The Hammers are, of course, the third team currently situated in the drop zone despite a sudden upturn in form under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Yet, with momentum on their side and with both Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur sacking managers this week – Sean Dyche follows Nuno out the door at the City Ground after only 112 days in charge – West Ham United are quickly reeling in those big fish on the other side of the dotted line.
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Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at London Stadium on February 10, 2026 in London, United Kingdom.
According to Hammers insider Sean Whetstone, Jarrod Bowen and Jean-Clair Todibo would be the first to leave if Nuno cannot falls short of completing a ‘Great Escape’ to rival that of 2007.
Lucas Paqueta has gone already, albeit for personal rather than sporting reasons.
Glancing across at Wolves and particularly Burnley – the former doomed and the latter nine points adrift despite that stunning comeback win at Crystal Palace – one suspects there are a handful of players who will be offered the chance to remain a Premier League footballer going into 2026/27.
And if West Ham have any plans to repeat last summer’s swoop of Mateus Fernandes – he joined from rock-bottom Southampton alongside Kyle Walker-Peters – then we at Hammers News would like to make a case for Marcus Edwards.
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Burnley’s Marcus Edwards is a player West Ham should consider
Ahead of last weekend’s 2-0 win at Turf Moor, Mateus Fernandes talked up the talents of Marcus Edwards. A former teammate of his at Sporting Lisbon.
Not only that, but reportedly a long-standing Hammers target.
Edwards was linked with West Ham initially back in 2021, shortly after leaving rivals Tottenham Hotspur and moving to Portugal with Vitoria Guimaraes. According to Record, West Ham held talks with Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2024 as well.
Marcus Edwards during Crystal Palace v Burnley - Premier League
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Edwards would join Burnley instead to the tune of £9.5 million a few months down the line. Thus, bringing class, craft and chaos to Scott Parker’s promotion bid. West Ham would end up paying £25 million for another of their leading attacking targets; a certain Crysencio Summerville.
With the Dutchman now in the form of his life – Summerville emulated Jesse Lingard by scoring in five successive matches at Turf Moor – you would be forgiven for wondering why we are talking up the idea of bringing in an alleged 2024 alternative.
Well, let us direct your attention to that remarkable, blink-and-you’d-miss it comeback at Crystal Palace.
Turf Moor boss Scott Parker hails ‘maverick’ Edwards
Edwards was the best of a largely bad bunch when West Ham cruised past Burnley a week ago. And though he was not one of the three players to score in a thrilling seven-minute turnaround in South London on Wednesday, the Enfield-born schemer was at the heart of most of Burnley’s best moves.
Jaidon Anthony started on the left; the role Summerville has made his own at West Ham. Edwards, then, could often be spotted popping up through the middle. Given the freedom to drift wide and drop deep, but loitering between the lines in something of a ‘number ten’ role.
He darted into space inside the penalty area before setting up Hannibal Mejbri’s strike to kick off the comeback. Intelligence demonstrated both in his movement, his appreciation of space, and the awareness to provide the perfect lay-off.
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The Lionel Messi comparisons famously made by Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs may have caused more harm than good but, at the age of 27, Edwards is well on his way to finally establishing himself as a playmaker worthy of the Premier League.
“At times, Marcus was a maverick [in his younger days]. You had to manage him in certain ways,” Parker said shortly after Edwards opened his top-flight account with an equaliser away to Liverpool.
“I’ve seen someone who has matured massively since I brought him here. He was a fantastic player at 12 years of age, at 18, and you’re seeing his quality now.”
Nuno warned West Ham that finding a like-for-like Lucas Paqueta replacement was pretty much impossible following the Brazilian’s return to Flamengo in January. Edwards is certainly not that. What he could be, though, is the kind of highly-intelligent, ultra-mobile creative fulcrum who helps to link a hard-working frontline to an industrious midfield.
“We’ve worked tactically on trying to free Marcus up and him playing closer in certain areas and being connected,” Parker added.
“Marcus has an ability that can get you up the pitch. We’ve seen his quality as well in one-vs-one areas. You [have to] exploit him and get him the ball in certain areas.”
As Mateus Fernandes makes his £40 million price-tag look like a bargain, his outstanding impact is proof of the value that can be found even at the Premier League’s poorest clubs.
A lesson the Hammers should remember should they escape the fate which seems destined to befall Parker’s Burnley.
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