West Ham could be set to lose another key piece of their setup this summer alongside manager David Moyes, it has emerged.
Hammers move for Lopetegui back on
It seems certain at this point that there will be a change in the West Ham technical area this summer, with David Moyes' contract expiring at the end of the Premier League season.
One man who has been linked aplenty is ex-Wolves and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui. However, news broke over the weekend that the Spaniard preferred a move to AC Milan over the Hammers, which dented their hopes of appointing him as their new head coach.
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Though his stance has likely not changed, The Guardian report that Milan are "having second thoughts" about making him the new coach at San Siro, and as a result a switch to Serie A has been branded "very very unlikely".
That has opened the door for West Ham to swoop again, with the London side having "held productive talks" with the 57-year-old, though they are also assessing other options and no final decision has been taken on Moyes' future yet in an official capacity, though his departure appears to be inevitable.
He may not be the only high-profile departure either.
Michail Antonio set to leave West Ham
That comes as Football Insider claim that striker Michail Antonio will leave as a free agent this summer, when his contract in east London expires.
A part of the Hammers squad since 2015, Antonio headed home his 67th goal to rescue a point for his side against Liverpool, and has been a mainstay in the side in recent years.
He is also the club's all-time Premier League top goalscorer, a record he could yet stretch with a strong end to the season.
Speaking last year, Moyes hailed Antonio's importance to his side despite being in a goalscoring rut at the time: "Getting goals this season has not been easy for him. We need him. He's such an important player for us. And we need goals at the club".
However, the striker's £100,000 per week deal expires this summer, and like Moyes there has been no move to tie him down to a new deal in recent weeks. In fact, it is reported that though the striker has the option for an additional 12 months in his current deal, West Ham are willing to waive that and let him leave for nothing.
They might have a struggle trying to replace him if recent form is anything to go by though. They have signed 10 strikers since the Jamaican walked through the door, of whom only Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic can claim to have had any success.
West Ham's striker signings since Michail Antonio
Player
Year signed
PL Goals for West Ham
PL Minutes per goal
Danny Ings
2023
3
376
Gianluca Scamacca
2022
3
309
Sebastien Haller
2019
10
320
Albian Ajeti
2019
0
N/A
Lucas Perez
2018
3
155
Jordan Hugill
2017
0
N/A
Marko Arnautovic
2017
21
205.8
Chicharito
2017
16
186.5
Simone Zaza
2016
0
N/A
Jonathan Calleri
2016
1
531
West Ham are thought to be "scouring the market" for his replacement, and have identified Dominic Solanke as their dream addition, though the Bournemouth striker would cost in excess of £50m.
