West Ham United fans need to come to terms with the fact that there could be some really painful summer exits on the horizon.
David Moyes has a lot of work to do with his West Ham squad in the summer transfer window, with numerous new signings required, but there definitely will be some exits as well, both expected and unexpected ones.
Whether Moyes will still be in charge of the Hammers in the summer remains to be seen, with the likes of Marco Silva allegedly being lined up to replace the Scot, and a new contract not yet signed.
Who the manager is come the summer is irrelevant though really. What matters is that a huge squad overhaul is needed, if we are to make some genuine progress in the Premier League, and of course Europe.
As a club, we have the potential to really kick on next season. It’s just a question of whether or not Moyes, or whoever is in charge at the London Stadium, is backed sufficiently in the transfer market.
However, we will have to cope with some painful exits as well…
Three painful summer exits at West Ham
Ok Hammers fans…we need to brace ourselves for what’s coming this summer!
Listen, I’m sure there will be some top-class players arriving before the start of next season, but have we all got the stomach to accept some of our beloved players leaving?
With the international break currently taking centre stage, it has given me time to think about the players we could be set to lose and trust me, even the thought of it hurts a lot!
The Brazilian has been absolutely sensational for the Hammers since joining us from Lyon in the summer of 2022.
Paqueta is on another planet sometimes with his skill and speed of thought. The fans absolutely love him, and that love increased tenfold when he responded to links with Manchester City yesterday by only saying that he respects West Ham too much as a club to even comment.
However, it has to be said that it would shock nobody if the 26-year-old ace left the London Stadium to link up with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad. It has been reported that the Hammers play-maker actually has his heart set on joining Man City.
And the day that he does eventually leave West Ham will be a very sad one indeed. I have a strong feeling that that day isn’t too far away in the future unfortunately…
The 29-year-old is finished at the very highest level, and the likelihood is that he will leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2025.
However, should an offer come in for him this summer, West Ham would be crazy to turn it down, and I reckon our club captain could be off.
Zouma has been a great player for us on the whole, but his legs have clearly gone now and he has become a constant target for the opposition.
Moyes made a real howler by installing the 29-year-old as the club’s skipper at the start of this season – he’s not a leader in any shape or form, nor is he durable or reliable enough from a fitness perspective.
That said, the former Chelsea man was an immense player for us during his first two seasons with the club. It’s just such a shame that his legs have gone, and losing him would be tough to accept considering just how gargantuan he has been for us at times.
The 19-year-old will be out of contract with the Hammers in the summer and as things stand, he is still refusing to sign a new deal.
The talented teenager definitely has something special about him. Sure, he’s still very rough around the edges but he has everything needed to go on and become a top-class player at Premier League level.
However, his path to regular game-time with the first-team is undoubtedly full of obstacles right now, with Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Danny Ings all currently ahead of him in the centre-forward pecking order.
If he doesn’t sign a new deal and leaves in search of regular first-team football, it will feel like Sonny Perkins joining Leeds all over again, but twice as bad. We all know what has happened with Sonny since, but I just don’t think Mubama would go the same way – he’s twice the player the former Hammer is.
Losing the teenager this summer, who has been with us since he was just 8, would be a bitter pill to swallow.
There will definitely be some painful exits at West Ham this summer as far as I’m concerned. We’ve lost players that we loved before though, and we came back stronger as a team – the likes of Dimitri Payet, Marko Arnautovic and Declan Rice spring to mind.
Let’s hope that if we do lose some of our key men, and talented youngsters this summer, Moyes makes up for it with some exciting new additions.
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