West Ham could let go of ten senior players this summer in what’s expected to be a major squad reshuffle for Graham Potter, according to the Football Insider.
It is understood that the Hammers will look to offload players at the end of the season to both help Potter build a squad that suits his style and to put the club in a more secure financial position to allow room for player acquisitions.
The players West Ham could be looking to cash in on are Guido Rodriguez, Niclas Fullkrug, Maxwel Cornet and Emerson, while the players who are likely to leave once their contracts expire at the end of the season are Michail Antonio, Danny Ings, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Lukasz Fabianski.
Carlos Soler is also expected to return to PSG at the end of his loan, despite the £17 million option-to-buy clause included in his contract.
Freeing up the wage budget would ultimately give Potter a better chance of bringing in the players he wants in the summer while avoiding potential profit and sustainability breaches.
Could another squad reshuffle be a risk?
West Ham fans will be wary of a significant squad reshuffle after the not-so-successful one that took place last summer, which saw the Hammers spend over £120 million on signings, and the departures of key players such as Said Benrahma, Thilo Kehrer, Nayef Aguerd and James Ward-Prowse.
Two players who are among the list of players that could leave in the summer, which might raise eyebrows, are Fullkrug and Emerson.
Fullkrug has looked sharp and influential in the substitute appearances he’s made since returning from injury, and the German was rewarded for his efforts with a goal against Bournemouth in the Hammers’ 2-2 draw with the Cherries last weekend.
After seeing positive signs from the 32-year-old in recent weeks, it may give Potter some food for thought on whether he might be worth keeping another season.
Emerson has also been a consistent performer at left-back for West Ham over the last few years, and while he’s seeing less regular game time with the introduction of Ollie Scarles, there is no denying the value of the Italian in the squad.
Ultimately, significant transfer business feels inevitable this summer with Potter currently managing a squad that isn’t his, and West Ham fans can only hope that the 49-year-old has the right ideas and backing from the board to make the transfer window more successful than last year.
