West Ham will not sanction the sale of any more top players who are in Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans but the club is still looking to ship out their unwanted quartet.
- Hammers News exclusive
It means West Ham could end up keeping three players who looked almost certain to be moved on this summer.
After West Ham agreed to sell Crysencio Summerville to Al Hilal for up to £68m including add-ons, there will be no further sales of key players, a senior club source has told Hammers News.
The sale of Summerville means Daniel Kretinsky has commanded a whopping £155m from two departures following the £85m deal which saw Mateus Fernandes join Spurs.
West Ham will not sell any more key players after Summerville
It means West Ham have wiped out the deficit in revenue from being outside the Premier League.
Now a top Hammers source has revealed the club will not sell any other top players with the only exception being if extraordinary offers arrive for the likes of El Hadji Malick Diouf and, crucially, Nuno Espirito Santo gives it the green light.
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Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Mads Hermansen and Taty Castellanos are committed to staying at West Ham for next season.
But West Ham will still look to move on Nuno’s unwanted quartet of flop centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, injury-prone striker flop Niclas Fullkrug and midfielder Edson Alvarez.
Nuno did not feel James Ward-Prowse was good enough to play regularly in central midfield in the Premier League, hence snubbing him when he was brought to Forest above his head and then loaning him out to Burnley when the Portuguese took over West Ham.
But the Hammers source has revealed Nuno could now keep Ward-Prowse as he is more capable at Championship level.
The free-kick specialist has featured in pre-season, starting and scoring against Stevenage on Wednesday night.
West Ham feel it is unlikely clubs will make offers to buy Ward-Prowse with loan offers anticipated.
Hammers want unwanted quartet out but other outcasts may now stay
So Nuno may elect to keep him as part of the squad.
The same is true for Max Kilman, number two goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and even Maxwel Cornet, who could be retained as squad players given a lack of interest in permanent moves.
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Again, West Ham would be open to selling those players if suitable offers were made but that is not expected at this stage.
Much will also depend on how much progress Nuno and Nils Koppen make in improving the team with new arrivals between now and the transfer window closing.
Todibo and Alvarez will most likely be loaned out due to a lack of interest in permanent moves given both are on sizeable wages.
Fullkrug could be sold for a paltry fee or have his contract mutually terminated but West Ham will insist on at least £20m should any clubs want Wan-Bissaka, with Arsenal reportedly interested.
Should a mega offer arrive for Diouf, Nuno will have the final say as West Ham’s hierarchy have pulled down the shutters on the sale of any more key players.
According to Hammers News sources there is a feeling inside the club that a season in the rough and tumble of the Championship would be good for Diouf’s development given he is still only 21.
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