‘West Ham make Vladimir Coufal contract decision’ after source’s reveal
West Ham are prepared to let Vladimir Coufal leave the club upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, according to the club’s chief scout.
Mick Brown, who worked as a senior scout at the London Stadium until leaving alongside David Moyes and remains very well-connected there, exclusively told Football Insider that Graham Potter will make the final decision over his future.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 2 December that the club planned to offer the right-back a new contract as Julen Lopetegui saw him as a key player.
However, they have since had a change in manager following Lopetegui’s dismissal, casting doubt over the 32-year-old’s future.
The emergence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka as one of the Hammers’ top performers this season has pushed Coufal down the pecking order, and there is a feeling he could now look to move on.
He has started just eight Premier League games so far this season – although a new role as part of a back three has seen him return to the XI in recent weeks.
West Ham to make Vladimir Coufal contract decision
Brown told Football Insider in December that West Ham were open to offers for Coufal in January, as he had attracted interest from a number of European clubs.
Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience in player recruitment at the top level after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted he is no longer seen as part of the long-term plans under Potter.
“He’s done well since coming to West Ham,” he told Football Insider.
“But they’ve brought Wan-Bissaka in this season and he’s done exceptionally well so far.
“So that’s knocked him down the pecking order a bit.
“We’ve seen Wan-Bissaka move to left-back at times if Emerson is left out, and then they need to call on Coufal at right-back.
“But at his age, he’s not going to get any better, so I can’t see him becoming a regular first-team player again at this point.
“It will be Potter’s job to decide what role he sees him in, and whether he’s part of his long-term plans, but I would suggest at the moment he probably isn’t.
“So from what I hear I think they’d be prepared to let him go if he isn’t seen as a key player any more.
“They’re going to assess the squad in the summer and solve the problems they need to solve, so if he leaves, they’ll be looking for a new option there.”
In other news, West Ham man personally persuaded Evan Ferguson to agree deal.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.