West Ham certain to sign ‘big players’ after ‘blow’ – pundit
West Ham can still sign “big players” this summer despite dropping into the Europa Conference League.
That’s according to former Leeds United stopper Paddy Kenny, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the club’s “blow” of missing out on the Europa League.
West Ham will be playing in the Europa Conference League next season after losing to Brighton on the final day of the season (22 May).
A win in that game would have given the club a second successive season of Europa League football thanks to Man United’s loss to Crystal Palace.
Despite this blow, Kenny insists West Ham can still attract top players this summer.
“Listen, it’s a blow to not get in the Europa League,” Kenny told Football Insider correspondent Ben Wild.
“But this is a second successive season of European football and if you offered that to them at the start of last season they would snap your hand off.
“At the start of 2020-21 they were on to be relegated, now look at them.
“They got to the semi-final of the Europa League this season, so that tells me they could go even further in the Europa Conference League.
“It’s European football and that helps to attract the big players they want to sign. I’m sure that is still an option.
“I don’t think it is the end of the world that they didn’t get into the Europa League.”
West Ham were beaten by Frankfurt in the semi finals of the 2021-22 Europa League.
The German side went on to win the competiton, beating Rangers in the final.
In other news, West Ham are ready to sell Tomas Soucek after a bust-up with David Moyes, according to our sources.