West Ham transfer news: Hammers ‘open’ to losing long-serving midfielder amid Everton interest

West Ham United are reportedly open to letting long-serving midfielder Tomas Soucek leave the club at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old initially joined the Hammers on loan from Slavia Prague in January 2020 before making his move to the London Stadium permanent the following summer.

Soucek has since made a total of 276 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 46 goals and providing 13 assists as an important first-team player.

The 2022-23 Conference League winner was not a regular for West Ham at the start of this season, but he has forced his way back into Nuno Espirito Santo’s side since the turn of the year, starting in each of the club’s last 11 Premier League games.

Soucek has chipped in with two goals in this period and has helped West Ham boost their top-flight survival hopes, with just one point now separating the Hammers in 18th from Tottenham Hotspur in 17th spot.

West Ham willing to cash in on Soucek this summer

Despite this, Football Insider claims that West Ham are willing to sanction the Czech Republic international’s departure, even if they remain in the Premier League.

Soucek will soon be entering the final 12 months of his contract at the London Stadium and the Hammers are said to be well aware that this summer’s transfer window is likely to be one of their final opportunities to cash in on the midfielder.

Sources have suggested that Soucek is no longer seen as the ideal fit in Nuno’s midfield going forward, and the current campaign is likely to be his last for the Clarets and Blues.

West Ham’s transfer strategy will be dictated by whether they avoid the drop, and if successful, they are expected to strengthen in several key areas to ensure they can stay clear of the bottom three.

Moyes keen to reunite with Soucek at Everton

Uncertainty over Soucek’s long-term future at West Ham comes at a time when Everton manager David Moyes is allegedly pushing to reunite with the midfielder this summer.

Moyes signed Soucek when he was Hammers boss and four-time Czech Footballer of the Year played some of his best football under the Scotsman before his departure in 2024.

No West Ham player made more appearances under Moyes than Soucek (207) and sources claim that the current Everton boss would seriously consider bringing him to the blue side of Merseyside if the opportunity arose.

However, Everton’s ambitious owners, the Friedkin Group, may favour other targets if they secure European football for next season, with reinforcements in defence and attack believed to be higher up on their priority list.