West Ham transfer news: Five players who could be sold this summer after £104m loss, "further player trading" statement

West Ham United will be required to sell players this summer, even if they avoid relegation from the Premier League, after revealing a staggering £104.2m loss for the previous financial year.

The latest figures released by the Hammers detail their finances for the year ending May 31, 2025, showing a major downturn compared to profits of £57.2m in 2023-24.

West Ham say that “significantly lower profit on player sales and higher amortisation, our lower Premier League position, and not competing in Europe” caused turnover to fall £42.1m to £227.6m.

The club’s accounts project a cash shortfall this summer, even without factoring in the "severe but plausible scenario" of suffering relegation to the Championship.

Following Saturday’s 5-2 defeat at Liverpool, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side currently sit 18th in the Premier League table and two points adrift of safety, with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest having a game in hand.

A statement from West Ham says that "further player trading" is needed this summer and shareholders must provide more funding to prevent the club from breaching financial rules.

The report read: "Under both the base case and severe but plausible case forecasts, mitigating actions are required in order to have sufficient liquidity for the Group to meet its liabilities over the going concern period."

"The primary mitigating action within the control of the Group is cash receipts from further player trading," the report adds.

"Should this not be preferred or sufficient, additional funding from the shareholders would be required.

"In the event the severe but plausible scenario occurs, the Group is also forecasting a liquidity shortfall in summer 2026 to a greater severity.

"Accordingly, more significant mitigating actions would be required such as further player disposals to generate transfer fee income and wage savings, or additional funding from the shareholders, or a combination thereof."

The Hammers reluctantly sold Lucas Paqueta to Flamengo for a reported £35m in January, with the Brazilian keen to return to his homeland after being cleared of FA betting charges that “caused him significant mental strain”.

Luis Guilherme was also sold after failing to reach the heights expected at the club - joining Sporting Lisbon for a fee that could rise to £17.5m - and more players are set for the London Stadium exit door later this year.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at five West Ham players who could be sold in the summer transfer window to help balance their books.

JAMES WARD-PROWSE

James Ward-Prowse was immediately deemed surplus to requirements by Nuno Espirito Santo following his appointment as West Ham boss in September last year, and he was omitted from the matchday squads before securing a loan move to Burnley in January.

The 31-year-old midfielder has since made three Premier League appearances for the Clarets, starting his first game for the club in a 4-3 home defeat to Brentford on Saturday.

Ward-Prowse is focused on Burnley’s survival bid and representing a club where he feels “wanted and respected” ahead of what he anticipates will be “an interesting summer” for him.

The former Southampton captain will enter the final year of his contract at the London Stadium this summer and is valued by transfermarkt at just £5.25m.

EDSON ALVAREZ

Edson Alvarez played 28 times for West Ham in the Premier League last season, but he was not one of the first names on the teamsheet for former boss Graham Potter and subsequently joined Fenerbahce on a season-long loan deal last summer.

It is understood that Fenerbahce are paying the 28-year-old’s £115,000-per-week wages in full and they have the option to sign the Mexican midfielder for €22m (£19.3m) in the summer, according to reports in Turkey.

Alvarez, who has played 17 times for the Turkish giants, is under contract at West Ham until June 2028, but he is unlikely to be reintegrated into Nuno’s first-team plans next season, especially if the club are relegated to the Championship.

NICLAS FULLKRUG

Striker Niclas Fullkrug is another West Ham player currently out on loan after failing to reach the heights expected at the London Stadium, largely due to injury.

Seventeen months after joining the Hammers from Borussia Dortmund for £27m and penning a four-year contract, Fullkrug moved to AC Milan in January on an initial loan deal until the end of the season.

Milan have a option to buy the 33-year-old this summer for a fee in the region of £13m, but after netting only one goal in 10 Serie A appearances, the Italian giants will think twice before activating that clause. Nevertheless, West Ham are likely to sell Fullkrug, to Milan or another club.

MAX KILMAN

Max Kilman was a first-team regular at the heart of West Ham’s defence up until Nuno’s arrival in the Hammers hotseat, and the 28-year-old is now viewed as a peripheral figure at the London Stadium.

The £40m signing from Wolves in 2024 has failed to start any of West Ham’s last eight Premier League games, featuring for just 24 minutes across three substitute outings in that time, and he is seemingly a fourth-choice centre-back option behind Konstantinos Mavropanos, Jean-Clair Todibo and January addition Axel Disasi.

Although Kilman has more than five years remaining on his contract at West Ham, a summer exit could be on the cards if he is not guaranteed regular game time under Nuno next season.

ALPHONSE AREOLA

Alphonse Areola has played over 120 times for West Ham across all competitions and has started 20 Premier League games so far this season, producing some standout performances between the sticks in recent months.

However, the 33-year-old was suddenly dropped by Nuno for an away clash against Burnley at the beginning of February and has since been overlooked for the following three league matches, with £20m summer signing Mads Hermansen preferred in goal.

Hermansen’s ability with the ball at his feet as well as his communication skills are believed to be key factors behind Nuno’s decision to drop Areola.

That decision has not gone down well with the Frenchman’s wife, though, as she appeared to aim a subtle dig at the West Ham boss with a social media comment following her husband’s Premier League Save of the Month award for January.

“How ironic football can be”, she posted. “Just to make sure, in case you don’t Mr Areola that you are the first ever French GK in Premier League that won this trophy not one but twice.”

If Areola is unable to force his way back into West Ham’s first XI on a regular basis, then he and the club may come to an agreement to part ways in the summer.