The Six Players Holding Up West Ham’s Summer

West Ham’s pre-season has begun with a glaring problem: six senior players are yet to kick a ball.

Right now, West Ham have six players on the wage bill who aren’t fit, aren’t integrated, and aren’t close to starting. That’s a major issue heading into a 46-game Championship season, plus cup fixtures, and potentially the play-offs. Squad depth matters, but only if the players are actually available.

Six Senior Players Still Missing

Edson Álvarez, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Soungoutou Magassa and Jean-Clair Todibo have not featured in a single pre-season fixture, while Niclas Füllkrug has only managed a behind-closed-doors run-out against Colchester United.

Todibo, Füllkrug and possibly Wan-Bissaka are all expected to depart, but crucially only on the club’s terms. Their situations appear relatively straightforward if clubs can afford them. The rest? Not so much. Mixed messages and unclear intentions mean Nuno Espírito Santo is left waiting for clarity, and time is not on his side.

Álvarez, Wan-Bissaka and Diouf were all granted extended leave following their World Cup involvement. Fair enough. But that period is now over. Their focus must shift back to club football, fitness, and contributing to a squad that desperately needs stability.

Álvarez has caught the attention of a few European clubs, including Real Sociedad, yet according to Marca, an €8m offer for 50% of his economic rights is a non-starter, while Ajax need to sell before they can buy and will struggle to match the Mexican international’s wages.

Transfer Uncertainty Continues

It’s becoming increasingly clear that this uncertainty may have slowed down West Ham’s transfer business. Nuno can’t build a squad when he doesn’t know who’s staying, who’s going, or who’s even ready to train. Fans, myself included, are understandably frustrated by the lack of movement, but the bottleneck is obvious.

That’s not to say that the club aren’t looking at players. One of our sources, who exclusively confirmed that Ben Chorley had joined the recruitment team on a temporary basis, confirmed that Nils Koppen had looked at a proposal regarding a player but rejected the chance to sign him.

If all six players were to remain, West Ham’s summer spending could be minimal, outside of one or two additions. Yet, as stated, it would seem at least three of the six will be departing, if the right deal can be struck.

Füllkrug could, rather ironically, end up as a make-weight in a deal, a twist that might actually suit both the player and the club rather well.

Nuno needs players who are committed, fit, and ready for the grind of Championship football. Right now, he doesn’t have that.