With only two games remaining in 2026 for West Ham United – Fulham today and Brighton on December 30th – it is tempting to wonder how many players will be making farewell appearances in the days and weeks ahead.
Or, failing that, how many players will be enjoying their last sustained run in the starting XI.
Max Kilman may feel he has a point to prove to Fulham – the Cottagers released him when he was just 14, after all – but West Ham United’s much-maligned £40 million centre-back has plenty of doubters predicting his downfall in the East of the capital now too.
What is your immediate RESPONSE to West Ham’s starting XI?
What changes would you have made?
West Ham are continuing talks regarding Charlie Cresswell at Toulouse. Kilman is keeping Konstantinos Mavropanos out of Nuno Espirito Santo’s XI for the time being, but he may not survive beyond the January window.
Ollie Scarles is in a potentially make-or-break period too as FC Utrecht ‘Assist King’ Souffian El Karouani moves closer to the London Stadium.
And deal for Fulham’s own Adama Traore is expected to happen at some point next month. Extra motivation, then, for Crysencio Summerville to end a goal drought which extends all the way back to October 2024.
Sporting Lisbon could rescue Luis Guilherme, meanwhile, from his claret and blue purgatory. Guilherme has played only 122 minutes of Premier League football all season. He will not be adding to that tally against Marco Silva’s Cottagers.
Luis Guilherme and Igor Julio left out of West Ham United v Fulham
Guilherme is not even on the bench, despite the inclusions of youngsters George Earthy, Mohamadou Kante, Airidas Golambeckis and Ezra Mayers.
Speaking of Mayers, his involvement ahead of Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Igor Julio suggests that Guilherme might not be the only seldom-seen Brazilian with a foot out the door.
While Sporting have expressed an interest in bringing the £25 million former Palmeiras starlet to the Portuguese capital, reports from Turkey claim that Besiktas have held discussions for Luis Guilherme. His camp have allegedly offered him to Trabzonspor as well.
Niclas Fullkrug has already swapped London for Milan. The second departure of 2026, it seems, is unlikely to be too far behind.
Whether it is Guilherme or Igor, only time will tell.
When Ollie Scarles limped off with just over an hour gone in last week’s 3-0 win over Manchester City, it felt telling that Nuno opted for a teenager with only a handful of first-team minutes under his belt.
Ezra Mayers certainly made a good impression during the final half hour at the Etihad. Smooth in possession and competent defensively in a less-than familiar left-back role.
If Igor was holding out hope that Nuno had selected Mayers because he was more a suitable replacement for Scarles in a wider role, what happened seven days later would all-but confirm that the 18-year-old has now moved ahead of him in the pecking order.
Like Guilherme, Igor was not selected on the bench against Fulham.
Having played even fewer minutes than his fellow Brazilian – just 103 in West Ham colours – it would not come as a surprise to anyone if Igor returned to his parent club a few months ahead of schedule in early-2026.
How highly do YOU rate Mohamadou Kante? 🤔
What will West Ham's best midfield look like in 2026?
Nuno Espirito Santo hints at a big 2026 for Ezra Mayers and Mohamadou Kante
Speaking to the Ironcast podcast, broadcast on Boxing Day, Nuno confirmed that Ezra Mayers and midfield gem Mohamadou Kante will get opportunities to prove themselves as capable first-team operators in the very near future.
Mayers, in particular, should benefit from the AFCON-enforced absences of El Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
“It is very, very important [to give youngsters a chance]. The energy that the boys bring to the training sessions and the commitment…,” Nuno said. “They have that ‘no worries’ attitude. No fear.
“But the main reason [for bringing in the likes of Kante and Mayers] was to try and elevate the levels inside the training session.
“By that ‘energy,’ I mean trying to anticipate what we are suffering from now. We don’t have Aaron [Wan-Bissaka], and we don’t have Malik [Diouf], so we need bodies in the defence as backup options.
“We have Callum Marshall and we have George [Earthy, too]. There will not be spaces for everybody. But I truly believe that, within the culture of the club, the boys from the academy are important.
“It is not just because they are there. It’s because we, as a coaching staff, believe we have something to work on. We want to make them better, just like every other player in the squad.”
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
