How to fix West Ham: Transfer targets, Potter’s behind-the-scenes changes and squad overhaul

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At least West Ham United ended with a win.

Graham Potter’s side concluded their season with a 3-1 victory against relegated Ipswich Town, with the away enclosure applauding the players off the pitch at the final whistle. Goals from James Ward-Prowse, captain Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus sealed the victory, but it was only the team’s fifth in the Premier League this calendar year.

“As a team, we have to be better for sure,” said Potter in his post-match press conference. “I don’t like relying on individuals to dig you out of trouble. I think we as a team need to defend and attack better. We’ve made steps in some areas but, attacking wise, we can do better. Our job now is to improve the squad to make sure the culture and environment that represents this amazing club is there properly and then we can achieve some good things, I think.”

It is another reminder that Potter, whose two-and-a-half-year deal does not have a break clause, wants to ensure West Ham are competitive next season.

This has been an uninspiring campaign, with two permanent managers (Julen Lopetegui and Potter), the departure of former technical director Tim Steidten and a 14th place finish, their lowest since the 2022-23 season. Here The Athletic looks at what Potter and his staff are looking to instigate over the summer as they plan to ensure progress next season.

The transfer shortlist

There is an array of talent West Ham have monitored ahead of the summer transfer window, and there is one particular player they have high hopes for.

Potter wants to strengthen his midfield. Tomas Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, Lucas Paqueta, Andy Irving and Guido Rodriguez are among his current options. Carlos Soler has been another alternative, but his loan from Paris Saint-Germain will not be converted into a permanent deal.

Despite Soucek’s goalscoring attributes, Ward-Prowse’s range of passing and Paqueta’s wizardry on the ball, Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge is one of their top transfer targets. West Ham are one of many Premier League teams that want to sign the 24-year-old defensive midfielder this summer.

Onyedika’s deal expires in the summer of 2027, and this contract does not feature an option to extend. The Nigeria international has been a key player for the Belgian side this season, registering two goals and two assists across 51 appearances. It is not the first time West Ham have identified a talent at Club Brugge. In the summer of 2022, attacking midfielder Hans Vanaken rejected a switch to the London Stadium to remain in Bruges.

Potter will hope for better luck this summer.

Onyedika is a top transfer target (Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

The recruitment team

Kyle Macaulay’s appointment as head of recruitment was the start of Potter building the club in his own image. The pair have been inseparable since their time together at Ostersund. Macaulay started his non-playing career there as a performance analyst, before following Potter to Swansea City, Brighton & Hove Albion and then Chelsea. Like Potter, he moved to West Ham in January.

Potter plans to bolster the size of his recruitment team further. The club recently posted a job advert for a recruitment support analyst. The role entails supporting the first team recruitment department with video analysis, data insights, and artificial intelligence and machine learning integration in scouting operations.

The manager expects it to be an exciting window, but West Ham need to sell before they can buy. The club does not have many sellable assets: Bowen is not for sale, while Paqueta’s future remains in limbo as he awaits the trial into his alleged betting breaches to conclude.

This leaves Kudus.

The Ghana international has regressed over the last 12 months, scoring just two goals this calendar year (the other came at Brighton in April). Kudus has a buyout clause that is only active for the first 10 days of July and is valued at £80million ($108m) for European clubs, £85m for Premier League sides and £120m for Saudi teams. West Ham have not received any formal offers for the attacker.

Ownership issues?

Before last weekend’s 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest, an online petition created on May 14, called for the removal of majority shareholder David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady. It has garnered over 3,000 signatures at the time of writing. Despite some supporters voicing their displeasure over Sullivan’s handling of West Ham, the 76-year-old remains committed and has no intention of selling his 38.8 per cent stake.

When David Gold passed away in January 2023, his daughter Vanessa Gold became the club’s joint-chair. The Golds own 25.1 per cent, the third-largest shareholders at West Ham behind Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s 27 per cent. Vanessa Gold has been trying to sell some of the family’s shares for over a year. Rothschilds & Co is running the sales process but has yet to find a potential investor.

Potter has stated repeatedly that he has a healthy relationship with the board. They sided with his judgement to bring in Macaulay, which played a part in Steidten’s departure.

Potter has said he has a good relationship with West Ham’s owners (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Lowering the average age

Potter remains confident he will have the resources to improve the squad.

Another target is reducing the average age of the squad. According to Transfermarkt, West Ham have the second highest average age (29.7) in the Premier League behind Everton (30.1).

“It’s not necessarily an age thing, although I think it makes sense for us to lower it, because then you’re talking more about value and resale and a different profile of player,” Potter said before the 3-2 defeat at Brighton. “I’m not ageist, but I also understand the bigger global picture of football, and I’ve come in from the last two clubs (Brighton and Chelsea) where they would look to younger players because there are upsides to younger players.”

West Ham have shown interest in signing Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee. As many as 20 clubs have enquired about the 22-year-old’s availability. McAtee has featured sporadically this season. As mentioned in February, Anderlecht attacking midfielder Mario Stroeykens is also on West Ham’s radar. The 20-year-old has registered five goals and five assists across 38 appearances this season.

The club have had a longstanding interest in Lille forward Jonathan David, whose contract expires at the end of the season. West Ham held positive talks with David’s representatives earlier this year, but the forward is not willing to give up European football to join. West Ham have turned their attention to Onyedika because their chances of signing Lille midfielder Angel Gomes remain slim. His contract is also set to expire at the end of June.

The squad overhaul

Potter also has the unenviable task of dealing with a squad overhaul.

Before the defeat by Nottingham Forest, West Ham announced that Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Danny Ings will be leaving when their contracts expire at the end of June. The quartet were part of the side that won the Europa Conference League under David Moyes in 2023.

Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio are nearing the end of their deals. Zouma, who was captain last season, joined Al Orobah on a season-long loan in August. Sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships, believe the 30-year-old centre-back will remain in the Saudi Pro League. West Ham have the option to extend Zouma’s contract by a further year, but are unlikely to trigger the clause.

In June, defender Nayef Aguerd joined the CanteraSport agency, who also represent Zouma. The Morocco international has spent this season on loan at Spanish side Real Sociedad. Potter was reluctant to admit whether Aguerd features in his long-term plans ahead of the Brighton defeat. In an interview with Marca in December, Aguerd admitted he is unsure what the future holds.

“I came here to find my best form again, first of all because I wasn’t playing for West Ham and I want to enjoy every moment here,” Aguerd said. “I still have two years left on my contract with West Ham. I don’t know if I’ll have to go back, I don’t know if I’ll stay here, I don’t know if I’ll go somewhere else. It’s not in my hands.”

West Ham have held discussions with Antonio but are unlikely to offer the 35-year-old a new deal. The club have reservations over whether the forward can recapture his previous form. Antonio has been sidelined since December having sustained a broken leg in a car crash. The Jamaica international received a warm reception when he returned to the London Stadium before the 1-0 defeat by Newcastle United on March 10. Antonio, who is West Ham’s all-time Premier League goalscorer, is confident he will play again.

“I’m 100 per cent (certain) I’ll be back on the pitch,” he told BBC Morning Live in an interview that aired in March. “This is why I’m in six days a week. I never give up, I always push myself, and this is just another setback. This isn’t going to stop me.”

Antonio’s future is unclear (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

It is not just Antonio who has an uncertain future. So do Maxwel Cornet, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Rodriguez and Alvarez, among others. Irving will re-evaluate his future in summer after his lack of game time. Potter handed the midfielder his first Premier League start in a 2-1 defeat by Chelsea. Irving was serenaded by West Ham fans throughout the game, but he only featured once (as a late substitute against Leicester City) in the next 14 league games.

The 25-year-old had interest from European clubs in January but wanted to see out the season.

Crysencio Summerville endured an injury-ravaged debut season. Following his £25m ($32m) arrival from Leeds United in August, the 23-year-old made an encouraging start but has been sidelined since January with a hamstring injury. He was supposed to be out for a few weeks but suffered a setback with his rehabilitation. Summerville initially opted against having surgery due to fear of complications, but followed through with the procedure in April. Although the winger is frustrated with the stop-start nature of his season, he has no intention of seeking an exit this summer. He is targeting a return for pre-season.

West Ham’s players celebrate their win at Ipswich (Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

Following Ollie Scarles’ transition into the first-tram, Potter plans to give opportunities to George Earthy and Freddie Potts in friendlies this summer. The duo had successful loan spells at Championship sides Bristol City and Portsmouth respectively. Earthy was named young player of the year at Ashton Gate, while Potts signed a contract extension in March, tying him to the club until 2029.

Fellow academy prospect Callum Marshall outlined his long-term ambitions in an interview with The Athletic. The 20-year-old scored ten league goals and provided four assists in 46 appearances during his loan spell at League One side Huddersfield Town. The club intends to loan him out again next season — but this time to a Championship club. Highly rated midfielder Lewis Orford will be loaned out to gain first-team experience, so too will young defender Kaelan Casey.

It will be a pivotal summer for West Ham, but work is under way to ensure the disappointment of 2024-25 does not linger.

(Top photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

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