Former player would only keep 5 Hammers this summer
Writing for the London Standard Murphy wrote “If the majority of the West Ham squad were to leave the club in the summer, you won’t hear many fans protesting about it. The recruitment has been chaotic over the last few transfer windows, to say the least. Assuming West Ham stay up, whoever takes charge of the process during the summer has to make better decisions than those who have gone before.”
“Who should West Ham keep? Marko Arnautovic must be top of the list. He is one of the few transfers to have worked and the club have to ensure he feels wanted. They need to bring in the sort of players who will convince Arnautovic that he can fulfil his ambitions at the club.
Next, Mark Noble. He has been at the club throughout his career, making his debut in 2005, when West Ham were in the Championship. He understands exactly what it means to play for West Ham and needs to be allowed to pass that on to new signings and youngsters coming through. I have been quite impressed by Declan Rice, despite his mistakes in recent games, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Josh Cullen in midfield.
When he is fit, Manuel Lanzini is a very clever playmaker who can make most teams better.
Beyond these players, I am struggling to make a case for anyone else in the squad. I do think they have enough to stay up, and hope they get the win they need this weekend, because I think the Premier League would be a poorer place without West Ham.”