West Ham fans are now largely reconciled to the break-up of last season’s relegated squad: Many now see it as a necessary part of the coming ‘revolution’ at London Stadium and perhaps no longer something to dread.
As the window nears, increased interest from different leagues around Europe and beyond means that transfer prices for West Ham’s former Premier League players should rise. All of which will be good news for the Hammers board seeking to reduce the mammoth debts run up in the last couple of years as the club fell closer and closer to the relegation trapdoor.
Conservative estimates suggest at least £100 million needs to be raised this summer so sales will not be limited to ‘simply’ a couple of top stars. A root and branch sell-off is likely, although not the ‘fire sale’ some are suggesting.
In addition to headline makers Bowen, Fernandes and Summerville, others such as Castellanos Soucek and Mavropanos are now the subject of constant media speculation over their appetites for a season in the second tier.
Wan Bissaka will surely be sold this summer but few will lament his departure after a poor 2025/6.
Aaron Wan Bissaka is a former Hammer of the Year whose performance slipped so badly last Spring that few would begrudge him a move: Following on from Everton’s reported interest, the defender is now attracting covetous glances from across Europe, according to insidefutbol.com:
“Fenerbahce have a ‘negotiation plan’ to convince West Ham United to let full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka go for a ‘more reasonable’ price. The Yellow Canaries want to make a splash in the summer transfer window as they bid to dethrone fierce rivals Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig next season.”
Quite how they expect to lure Wan Bissaka away from the Premier League is not clear – less still the ‘plan’ they’ve hatched to secure him for less than full market value. All part of the fun of pre-transfer silly season. You’d suspect Wan Bissaka will follow the lead from fellow right back Kyle Walker Peters who ditched a move to Turkey last season in favour of a free transfer to West Ham.
English Premier League wages speak volumes and Fenerbahce are most likely wasting their time holding out any realistic expectation of attracting ‘The Spider’ to the eastern Mediterranean whilst Premier League suitors remain.
The fact that I’m not worried about the squad being broken up speaks volumes about what I think my connection is to them.
Aside from maybe 4 or 5 players that I’d like to see stay, the rest can go quickly as far as I’m concerned. Essentially we want to connect with players that want to feel part of the club. That’s rare these days, even at the biggest clubs. So let’s see who the next batch of players are that put on the shirts we support. The likelihood is that if they are ones that want to stay, then they’ve already passed the connection test and if they’re younger and probably from a lower level of football, then the likelihood is that they too will have a better desire to wear the shirt with personal pride. We’ve been down this road several times before and it always results in clearing out of a squad full of sideways stepping or downward stepping pro’s that largely find themselves here because it was the best deal they were offered having been cast aside by their former employers. Get players on the way up with something to prove, not on the way down when they’ve no need to earn more.
What really happened to Wan-Bissaka? He was fine until he went to AFCON and returned back to West Ham late thanks to the decision and actions of his nation’s leader to prevent the players leaving before all the celebrations were over. That’s how I remember it anyway. And then maybe he fell out with Nuno over this. I can’t believe he has just become a worse player. Attitude change maybe but it would be nice to find out what the problem really is.
Maybe he had an underwhelming season with a party after World cup qualification, he is a quality player as well as a former Hammer of the Year. He can do the job or if he goes he is valuable and better than when he was brought in.