West Ham United have plenty still to unveil, and with preseason ramping up next week, expect Nuno Espírito Santo to turn up the volume on his squad plans for the season.
With a fixture list of 46+ games a big squad will be required, meaning a number of academy players will play a meaningful part in the new season. Martin has already discussed Callum Marshall in a previous article yet West Ham fans have already caught a glimpse of another former academy man, Ezra Mayers, who is emerging as one of the most intriguing young talents in West Ham’s setup.
Ezra Mayers: Todibo and Kilman may leave – Youngster more than capable of stepping up
Mayers played ten games last season both in the Premier League and FA Cup, and aged just 19, the expectation is that he will form part of Nuno Espírito Santo’s first‑team squad for the 2026/27 Championship campaign.
Nuno has shown trust in some of the young academy players. In fact, they might just save Co-chair Daniel Kretinsky from having to invest millions in a new back line to replace Todibo and Disasi.
Mayers’ ability to operate both centrally and at full-back make him a valuable squad option.
The West Ham coaching staff view him as a player capable of handling the physicality of the Championship while still offering technical quality. Head of the Academy, Kenny Brown jnr has previously commented about the players love for training and positive attitude, adding that he believes Mayers is well prepared for first team football.
For supporters, Mayers represents something crucial, a homegrown spark at a time when the club needs fresh identity and hunger.
Another youngster with first team experience: Kaelan Casey
Another player vying for a first team spot, and two years his senior, is Kaelan Casey who returned from loan at Leyton Orient. Casey played 16 times for the O’s and also had a brief spell at Swansea.
Arguably, West Ham’s relegation has accelerated the pathway for academy players, and Mayers and possibly Casey are set be standout beneficiaries. With several further senior departures expected such as Todibo and Kilman, along with a gruelling campaign ahead, Nuno is likely to integrate both players into match day squads.
If they impress during pre‑season, they could become two of the breakout stories for West Ham in the new season, and solve a key problem area for Nuno Espírito Santo at the same time.
I agree the west ham fanbase have done their part by backing kretinsky! Now we need to see some intent from him with some quality signings to make us believe that we can return and stay in the premier league for 2027.
At this rate of player departures, it feels like we’re only going to have youngsters and this is no way to run a football club 😳