West Ham Exclusive: Ten senior stars could leave this summer
West Ham are planning a squad overhaul in the summer with ten senior stars potentially leaving the club, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that they will be forced to sell players before improving the squad in an attempt to balance the books and avoid financial issues.
Among those earmarked for potential sales are Guido Rodriguez, Niclas Fullkrug, Emerson Palmieri, Maxwel Cornet and Michail Antonio, who are all seen as surplus to requirements.
Meanwhile, Danny Ings, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Lukasz Fabianski are likely to depart upon the expiry of their contracts, while Carlos Soler will return to PSG.
Football Insider revealed on 6 April that Soler is unlikely to stay at West Ham after failing to impress, despite having a £17million option to buy in his deal.
These departures will free up the wage budget and allow Graham Potter to bring in replacements who are more suited to his style of play.
West Ham exodus on cards as points deduction threat looms
West Ham are no strangers to big-spending summer transfer windows, having spent over £100million backing Julen Lopetegui following his arrival last season.
That spending, alongside a poor season in which they will not qualify for Europe, has put a dent in this summer’s transfer kitty which could impact Potter.
As a result, multiple first-team players have been earmarked to leave the club in a bid to raise funds and avoid a potential profit and sustainability breach.
This has been seen at Chelsea, Aston Villa and Newcastle in recent years, while Everton and Nottingham Forest were handed points deductions for their breaches.
However, the Hammers are determined to back Potter with a squad more suited to his style of play and are exploring opportunities to allow them to do so.
Liverpool eye big-money Jarrod Bowen swoop
As a potential West Ham exodus is being eyed ahead of the summer window, there has also been speculation about the future of Jarrod Bowen.
Football Insider revealed on 5 April that Liverpool have set their sights on Bowen as a potential alternative to Alexander Isak, who is their top target.
The West Ham star has been a long-term target at Anfield after Football Insider revealed in January 2022 that Liverpool were “hot” on signing Bowen.
However, former West Ham scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Bowen is not interested in leaving West Ham, while they have no intention of letting him go.