‘Callum Wilson to West Ham timeline set with Graham Potter stance clear’
Callum Wilson’s potential move to West Ham is still on the cards despite manager Graham Potter remaining unsure about the striker.
Ex-Brighton boss Potter is preparing for his first full season in charge in east London.
The Englishman joined midway through the 2024-25 campaign after Julen Lopetegui got the chop following poor results which left the Hammers near the bottom of the table.
The former Chelsea manager’s arrival did little to improve the Irons but with a full summer under his belt, he’ll be hoping to instil his philosophy even more at the club.
Tottenham signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham for a reported £55million (Sky Sports), providing some much needed funds to reinvest in the ageing squad.
One of the key positions to reinvigorate is up front with Niclas Fullkrug the only recognised front man available.
Free agent Wilson remains an option to make the move to east London after leaving Newcastle following his contract expiring.
Signing of Callum Wilson ‘controversial’
According to a report by the Daily Mail (30 July), the “controversial signing of free agent Callum Wilson remains on the table”.
Alluding to the Hammers trend of bringing in “another injury-prone striker in his 30s”, senior sources believed his arrival was a “foregone conclusion” despite the player still not being announced.
It is thought “all parties are waiting until later in the window” to finalise the deal.
The report added that the ex-Bournemouth forward is “not a Potter target”, but it is understood the manager wouldn’t oppose the Irons hierarchy over the England international if he would arrive on a “low basic salary based mainly around appearances and goals”.
Potter right to be concerned over Wilson
Football Insider verdict
On the one hand, a move to the Hammers for the 33-year-old could see him thrive under Potter’s management.
The Englishman has demonstrated in years-gone-by his goal scoring ability, his best season coming in 2022-23 when he netted 18 times in 31 matches in the Premier League.
Yet, injuries have been the undoing of the striker, a running theme for the Irons recent forward signings.
Danny Ings featured just 15 times in the league last season whilst ex-Borussia Dortmund frontman Fullkrug could only play just under a half of the campaign.
Prior to his car accident, Michail Antonio had been in and out of the team with niggles whilst Evan Ferguson failed to make an impact on loan from Brighton.
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 130 | 49 | 11 |
The aforementioned strikers are also goal shy, a deficiency which needs to be rectified if the east London side want to finish above 14th place.
Potter will likely be frustrated with the club’s ongoing preference to bring in ageing, injury-prone players instead of talented youth.
The Englishman is known to develop youngsters at an exponential rate, seen by the introduction of Oliver Scarles last year.
Therefore, proceeding to sign Wilson seems a step in the wrong direction, which will anger the manager and fans.