Exclusive: West Ham protect club over ‘really tricky’ Michail Antonio situation
West Ham are doing their best to ensure the club are protected whilst also supporting Michail Antonio as he recovers from injury.
That is according to football finance expert Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that the Hammers have look out for their own interests despite the difficulty of the situation.
Antonio crashed his car in December, breaking his leg and requiring surgery which ruled him out of action for the rest of the season.
The Jamaican international, alongside Aaron Cresswell, was the longest-serving Hammer in their squad last season having joined from Nottingham Forest in 2015.
Antonio has made 323 appearances for West Ham and despite numerous attempts to replace him, the 35-year-old has remained a vital part of the East London side.
But the striker’s injury, coupled with his contract expiring at the end of June, has left the club in an awkward position.
In a statement on the club’s Instagram, the Hammers said: “Given Michail Antonio’s unique situation, following his serious road traffic accident in December 2024, there will be no formal decision and announcement on his future until such time that it is considered right and appropriate. However, as his current contract is also due to expire on 30 June, for the purposes of the Premier League Retained List procedure at the end of the 2024/25 season, Michail will be listed as a free transfer.
“As a long-serving, highly-respected player, and a much-loved member of the West Ham family, the Club’s absolute priority at this time is to support Michail personally in his journey to resume playing at the highest level.”
West Ham to continue supporting Michail Antonio
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, finance expert Plumley explained what the next steps were for the player and the club.
The finance guru noted that whilst it is a “delicate situation”, West Ham would ultimately need to do “what works best for them” when it came to deciding on the striker’s future.
Plumley said: “Given what happened to him, it’s a really tricky situation.
“He’s been an exceptional player for that football club, but he’s 35 so of course, the age factor comes into it.
“There’s another angle to this in terms of the player, the club and the longevity of his career; they will of course, support him, and I absolutely understand that.
“They’ve been great with him and I think they will continue to do that. It seems that, genuinely, there is a desire from the club to support him.
“Contractually, they probably feel like they’ve got to do what works best for them.
“I think he’s a good asset to some clubs somewhere, if he can get back to even half of the levels he’s been at in the last few years, which have been exceptional.
“But it’s a really delicate situation because you don’t want to just cast the player aside, given what’s happened to him. But also, you’ve got that contract situation to work with, and they’ll have plans for the squad moving forward into the future as well.”
West Ham looking to overhaul squad after poor season
Without Antonio and his ability to bring others into play, the Irons suffered massively and stumbled to a 14th-placed finish.
Several players, including Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, and Vladimir Coufal have departed the club on free transfers, and Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider Newcastle are interested in signing Mohammed Kudus.
In terms of incomings, O’Rourke revealed to Football Insider that Aaron Ramsdale could join West Ham this summer.
Since taking over at the beginning of the year, Graham Potter has managed just three wins in charge of the Irons, and will need plenty of signings to boost his squad this summer.