Former West Ham United striker Michail Antonio is set to join Qatari outfit Al-Sailiya with Nathan Jones confirming that a potential move to Charlton Athletic has broken down.
After over a year out of the professional club game, West Ham United’s highest Premier League goalscorer is heading to the Middle East.
Kurt Zouma is set to join Al-Wasl after that disastrous four-match stint at CFR Cluj. Michail Antonio follows his former skipper in leaving European football. He is expected to sign a short-term deal with Al-Sailiya in the coming days.
What would you say if you heard West Ham could RE-SIGN Kurt Zouma? 🇫🇷
Kurt Zouma plays during the round 10 of Romania Superliga match between CFR 1907 Cluj and UTA Arad at Dr Constantin Radulescu stadium in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, on September 21, 2025.
West Ham United favourite Michail Antonio snubs Charlton Athletic for Qatar
Troubled Leicester City ruled out signing Antonio last month, due to concerns over his fitness. The Jamaica international had spent a few weeks earlier in the campaign training at Brentford, but Bees boss Keith Andrews said a transfer was never really under consideration.
Now, as Portsmouth manager John Mousinho explains why a resurgent Pompey did not add Antonio to their roster, Nathan Jones insists that Charlton did want to bring the 35-year-old to the Valley.
Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen celebrate during West Ham United v KAA Gent: Quarterfinal Second Leg - UEFA Europa Conference League
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
“He went out [to Qatar] and, to be fair, the weather is better out there than here,” Jones tells South London Sport. “So who can blame him?”
“Michail Antonio won’t be coming here. We were in conversations, and we would have loved to have had him. He’s a fantastic player and a great character. But the financial pull of that part of the world is significant. We wish him well, but that ship has now sailed for us.”
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Antonio, who’s former employers West Ham will take on Liverpool tomorrow at 3pm, has not played a league match since that horror car crash in December 2024.
“Without being harsh on anyone like that, I think physically having been in a really serious car accident, we didn’t think it was the right profile to necessarily bring in,” the aforementioned Mousinho also told reporters.
Only two Liverpool stars have a HIGHER FotMob rating than Matty! 🤯
Surely you wouldn't swap him for Gravenberch?
West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Sunderland at London Stadium on January 24, 2026 in London, England.
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