West Ham could comfortably raise £60m in fire sale without losing a single key player

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West Ham could comfortably raise £60m in a fire sale without losing a single key player in a bid to raise funds for signings.

The January transfer window will soon be upon us and West Ham are looking to be active.

That much has been confirmed to Hammers News after we spoke to the top source inside West Ham twice about transfers in as many weeks.

We recently brought you an exclusive winter window preview from our key contact in the club.

The top source at the club revealed that West Ham are tracking targets for January.

But it was stated that some of the players in West Ham’s sights are due to go to AFCON.

And the Hammers contact also said a key issue was as much about clearing squad space as it was raising funds to satisfy FFP.

West Ham could comfortably raise £60m in fire sale

Then this morning we brought you a further update from the source. And the contact made it clear West Ham simply must sell players to make space as the Hammers have reached their FFP wages-to-turnover limit.

But it’s never easy offloading bit-part players.

And while there is renewed confidence in West Ham’s recruitment team headed up by technical director Tim Steidten, it remains to be seen whether that operation can improve West Ham’s record when it comes to selling players.

Given that will clearly now be key to West Ham’s own hopes of bringing players in next month, we have looked at who could be shipped out to make space and raise funds.

And West Ham could comfortably raise £60m in a fire sale without losing a single key player.

It is often said January is a bad time to buy. But that’s because it is a good time to sell with desperate clubs willing to pay inflated prices.

Hammers would not be losing a single key player

West Ham need to sign at least one striker, a left-back to help Emerson and – ideally – a right-back too as a bare minimum.

Seven fringe players who clearly have no real future at West Ham – certainly not under David Moyes – could raise that sum even with modest fees attached.

Let’s put Frankfurt-linked Thilo Kehrer’s value at £10m and Maxwel Cornet’s the same.

Reported Lyon target Said Benrahma should find plenty of takers at £8-10m and Pablo Fornals – linked with Sevilla and Real Betis – the same.

Danny Ings could attract struggling Premier League clubs or promotion-chasing Championship sides at between £5-7m although his sizeable wages might be an issue.

And Ben Johnson (Everton and Burnley) and Aaron Cresswell (Wolves) could fetch around £5m between them. That brings us up to £50m already.

Then West Ham could also look to be realistic about the future of three other players who could bring in even more cash.

January can be a good time to sell

Michail Antonio has admitted he nearly left West Ham last January and in the summer with the likes of Everton, Wolves, Palace – and even Chelsea at one stage – linked.

The ageing forward is due back from injury in the coming weeks. And given the desperation of some clubs and the dearth of forwards that would be attainable to them, the Hammers might be able to fetch around £7-10m for the Jamaican.

A big selling point from West Ham’s point of view is that Antonio was recently revealed to be the best player in the top flight in one key area.

Flynn Downes is on loan at Southampton for the season but is earning rave reviews. Should he not have a future with the Hammers – as appears to be the case – then perhaps West Ham could get an early permanent deal in place with the Saints. Again recouping anything between £6-10m would be decent business.

Another player who West Ham fans have been calling to be dropped is soon-to-be 28-year-old defender Nayef Aguerd.

Lyon have been linked with a move for Aguerd. So should Moyes decide to give up on the error-prone Moroccan that could boost the kitty by another £15m taking the total close to £75m.

If only it were that easy.

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