West Ham will be desperate to raise money through player sales this summer whether they stay up or not – but Edson Alvarez could cost them millions with his behaviour.
The next three games will dictate whether West Ham stay on the Premier League gravy train.
Most pundits, journalists and fans think the Hammers are now set for the drop after a woeful set of results last weekend saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s side slip back into the bottom three.
With Arsenal and Newcastle next, staying up now looks a tall order for West Ham.
What Alvarez is doing could cost West Ham millions
But West Ham’s owners have warned Tottenham it’s not over in the battle for survival.
One thing is for certain, regardless of whether the Hammers stay up, players will have to be sold this summer.
If Edson Alvarez RETURNED to West Ham this summer, how would you respond? 🇲🇽
And which player would be most worried by his comeback?
West Ham’s board has confirmed player sales will be needed.
However, Edson Alvarez’s behaviour could cost West Ham millions as his fan feud deepens.
West Ham announced £104m losses in their latest accounts, will post more huge deficits exceeding £80m in their next filings and owe a staggering £196m to other clubs in transfer instalments.
The Hammers are still paying off flops like Mexican international Alvarez, who cost the club £34.5m from Ajax.
Alvarez has been on loan at Turkish side Fenerbahce after falling out with all three of his managers at West Ham.
The combative midfielder actually got his West Ham career off to a good start in the first few months after his arrival.
Alvarez’s attitude issues could cost him and West Ham dear
Flying into tackles, composed on the ball, dictating the play and showing the kind of leadership that makes a player a cult hero in east London, Alvarez looked set to be a big hit.
But his form and performances, like that of the team, dipped drastically from the turn of 2024 onwards and he has never been the same player since.
To boo or not to boo, that is the question… 😂
David Moyes publicly criticised Alvarez’s lack of fitness and called for him to improve his discipline with yellow cards a regular occurrence.
Alvarez lost his place towards the end of Moyes’ tenure and then failed to impress Julen Lopetegui or Graham Potter, falling out with both.
The Hammers shipped Alvarez out on loan to Fenerbahce last summer as part of the club’s midfield rebuild.
Mateus Fernandes has shown he is a class apart from Alvarez with his performances this season.
Alvarez is one of seven players West Ham plan to offload regardless of what division they are in next term.
But he is not making that task very easy for the cash-strapped Hammers.
Alvarez has endured a nightmare season in Turkey encapsulated by a disastrous debut.
The West Ham-owned 28-year-old was booed by the Fenerbahce fans on his return from a three-month injury lay-off this week.
The injury has limited Alvarez to just 18 appearances and fans are angry with him as they feel he has been giving priority to the upcoming World Cup instead of his club side’s title hopes during his recovery.
Turkish reporter Ahmet Ercanlar said via FF TV that Fener supporters are accusing Alvarez of undergoing surgery in order to ensure he was fully fit for the start of the 2026 World Cup, making himself unavailable for a vital period in Fenerbahce’s title challenge.
Instead of showing humility and trying to earn the respect of the fans who pay his wages, though, Alvarez’s response to the jeers could prove damaging to him and West Ham.
Alvarez bit back at Fener fans with blatant disrespect and by gesturing to the crowd.
He can be seen running the length of the pitch to confront fans and telling them to boo louder before cupping his ear.
It is the latest in a series of attitude issues Alvarez has had both at West Ham and in Turkey.
The problem is he is only hurting himself and West Ham.
Fener already didn’t want to keep Alvarez on a permanent deal so that has put paid to any hopes that could change.
His lack of power and pace makes Alvarez a hard sell. Throw in the attitude issues and the problem is even more acute for the Hammers.
Alvarez’s West Ham deal runs for another two years so they could command a decent fee of around £10-15m had he performed well and shown a good attitude in Turkey.
But at this rate West Ham won’t have many – if any – suitors for a permanent deal and another loan looks more likely, costing the club millions they desperately need to balance the books.
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