Deadline day at London Stadium came with its fair share of drama as West Ham struggled to ship out some of the unwanted squad players who’d clung so hard to their places in the squad. Maxi Cornet ironically had a choice of clubs before settling on a loan for the season to Southampton.
Zouma leaves West Ham and joins Saudi pro league
James Ward Prowse opted for a new challenge in his season-long loan to Nottingham Forest, whilst Kurt Zouma‘s last year as a Hammer will be spent on loan in Saudia Arabia, after which he will become a free agent – so I can understand the fond farewell message posted after his time in Claret and Blue. The former Hammers skipper wrote: “Big thank you to all the fans for your support. I will miss you All! You’ll be forever my Family”
Nice, especially as the club stood by him through his -umm-‘difficulties’.
The Nayef Aguerd loan is a strange one. He is only loaned for a season with no obligation to buy, but he clearly knows (or thinks he does) that his time at London Stadium is up. His Instagram message doesn’t really leave room for doubt:
“Today, I am taking on a new challenge, but West Ham will always be a significant part of my career. The time I’ve spent here has been full of great memories and emotions, especially our unforgettable win in the Europa Conference League. This achievement will always be a significant passage in my career. I want to thank all the supporters for their constant support since I arrived. Your passion and loyalty have been a big inspiration and motivation for me.”
“I also want to say a big thank you to the board, including everyone who works within the club, my past and current coaches, and all the staff who work behind the scenes with dedication and passion. A special thanks to my teammates, who welcomed me with amazing warmth and kindness. You made me feel at home from day one, and I will always remember that. Thank you for everything.”
That most certainly does not sound like a player who is expecting to be returning after his season at Real Sociedad. That sounds like ‘Good bye’ and certainly that Nayef has made up his mind he’s never coming back!
Was it Aguerd Bye 👋 or did he just Nayef off?🏃♂️➡️Only time will tell, I suppose. 🤣
The vast majority of these farewell pieces get written by the PR or the Agent. Notably some players who fail to string two english words together in interviews become Jane Austen when saying farewell.
Incidentally, as a useful article how about one on who is away on International Duty and who isn’t?