(Credit: Imago)

Ciaran Morrison

Sun 19 April 2026 8:30, UK

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West Ham United will have to continue dealing with agents as the club can not afford to build a development squad.

That is the view of former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking to Football Insider, as the Hammers are expected to stick with an agent-led recruitment model if they retain their Premier League status.

The London club are currently two points above the Premier League relegation zone, but regardless of whether they stay up, they are set for an active summer transfer window.

West Ham’s latest financial accounts reported the club had made a loss of £104million, meaning player sales are expected to happen.

In the past year, West Ham have spent over £18m on agents, and that could increase if the club are busy on the player trading front.

West Ham ‘stuck between a rock and a hard place’ this summer

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes West Ham will find it “hard” not to use agents in the summer transfer window.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks the Hammers know they need to strengthen their squad if they stay up.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “The more I thought about this sort of issue, I suppose there are several ways to look at it.

“We know there’s all the money draining away from the game and agents’ fees. Leading with the agents model would mean that you’re going to be paying higher agent fees and draining a lot of cash out of the club.

“On the other point of view is that you’ve got to look at where West Ham right now, if they escape by the skin of their teeth, which it will be this year, then it’s very hard to then go into next season trying to build a developing squad.

“You have to try and go for the finished product and that’s more where agents come into it rather than trying to buy younger. You’re almost stuck between a rock and a hard place. You’re going to have to play with the agents a lot more because you’re going to have to still compete not to repeat the way this season has gone.

“They’re going to have to get some more finished experienced type players in there. Whereas if they had a mid-table situation, they might have just bought differently and planned for the future a bit more, but they know the risk that’s happened this year.

“They can’t ever get close to repeating that. It does mean you’re to have to go that way into a different level of player.”

West Ham target Championship star

Despite uncertainty over what league the club will be in next season, West Ham have already begun preparations for the 2026-27 campaign.

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that West Ham could pursue Haji Wright if he is allowed to leave Coventry City in the summer.

The 28-year-old would be an ideal signing for West Ham in the Premier League or Championship, but they face competition from rivals Leeds United.

Wright has scored 16 Championship goals this season, and has been a key player in Coventry securing promotion to the top flight.