A report from The Athletic this week has suggested that a West Ham exit for one “wonderful talent” appears inevitable as we approach January.
West Ham players who could leave in 2024
The Hammers squad contains a fair few members who are approaching the ends of their deals. Pablo Fornals, Angelo Ogbonna, Lukasz Fabianski, Ben Johnson, Conor Coventry and Ben Johnson are all leaving for free in 2024 as things stand, as their contracts currently expire next June.
Fornals could leave West Ham as soon as January, according to a recent report by Claret & Hugh, while Cresswell appears unlikely to remain after falling behind in the pecking order to Emerson Palmieri.
Beyond players who are nearing the expiry of their contracts, there have been suggestions that Nayef Aguerd may depart West Ham amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Manager David Moyes is said to have sent his personal scouts to run the rule over Stuttgart defender Dan Axel-Zagadou as a potential replacement.
Meanwhile, Brazil international and Irons star Lucas Paqueta still has admiring glances from Premier League champions Man City. The midfielder was a target for City in the summer, and reports from Paqueta’s homeland state that they remain interested in signing West Ham’s star (Rafael Reis).
There is also the curious case of winger Said Benrahma, who hasn’t quite mustered his best form in claret and blue this season. Moyes has started the Algerian on just four occasions in the league so far, and his latest performance against Liverpool in the EFL Cup left a lot to be desired.
Reports from the last few weeks claim West Ham are open to selling Benrahma next month as the club look to free up space and funds for Moyes’ January transfer kitty.
Benrahma exit “inevitable” at West Ham
Now, The Athletic has a small update on the 28-year-old and his future in east London.
West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas wrote that Benrahma’s exit from West Ham looks “inevitable” next month, coming after a sub-par display in their 5-1 defeat at Anfield.
Moyes doesn’t appear to favour the former Brentford star too much, as evident by the player’s lack of consistent opportunities in the top flight.
Signed permanently for around £25 million in January 2021, Benrahma has gone on to make 152 appearances for West Ham in all competitions.
The winger has scored 24 goals and assisted 19 others in that time, but it appears he may well be approaching his final days at the London Stadium.
While Benrahma has become more of a peripheral figure of late, he can still contribute effectively when playing at his very best. Pundit and former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has previously called him a “wonderful talent”.
“At the time I thought it was stupid because there was a young player everyone was raving about in the exact same position, and they sold him and brought in Benrahma and I’m thinking really,” McAvennie told West Ham Zone in October.
“But he proved me wrong, he’s a great talent, a wonderful, wonderful talent. So it just shows you David Moyes knows what he’s doing.”
