West Ham United will want to increase their summer transfer activity in order to challenge for promotion to the Championship.

The Hammers are preparing for their first Championship campaign since 2012, after finishing 18th in the league and missing out on safety by two points.

Returning to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity is undoubtedly something the East London club will aim for, given their anticipated superior financial capabilities in comparison to the rest of the division and the potential to collect big funds through a number of player sales this summer.

Mateus Fernandes, a midfielder, has already been sold to Tottenham Hotspur, returning to the Premier League.

The Hammers have apparently received a set price of £85 million, which will be critical in attacking the summer transfer window and developing a side capable of reaching the Championship summit next year.

However, West Ham are struggling to offload certain other outcasts in order to earn further finances, with those players’ hefty salary acting as a stumbling block in pursuing clubs outside of England.

Claret & Hugh’s report provides more information on this situation, with West Ham facing a difficult time in selling the foursome despite a 50% pay cut as a result of their relegation from the Premier League.

West Ham is struggling to offload the Hammers foursome following wage increases.

Despite generating much-needed finances through the sale of Mateus Fernandes, West Ham would have hoped to offload a number of additional players who have little interest in playing Championship football and account for a significant portion of their salary bill.

However, according to Claret & Hugh, West Ham face a struggle in selling players such as James Ward-Prowse, Niclas Füllkrug, Edson Alvarez, and Maxwel Cornet this summer, as their wages are characterised as ‘unaffordable’ to clubs outside of England.

Their salaries are considered as far too high for European clubs to compete with, even if their pay at the London Stadium have been reduced as a result of relegation from the top division.

It is said to be the reason why Alvarez’s projected move to German side Koln fell through, with Football Place reporting that the entire deal is in peril due to a wage issue.

West Ham may have to negotiate additional wage cutbacks to sanction sales.

It’s far from ideal for West Ham to be in this situation, as the start of the 2026-27 Championship season is only five weeks away, and the Hammers will undoubtedly have been hoping to sanction exits for these foursome already.

Nuno Espírito Santo has not been a fan of James Ward-Prowse, who was loaned out to Burnley for the second half of last season. Meanwhile, Edson Alvarez is not interested in sticking in the second tier to help the Hammers return to the top flight.

Maxwel Cornet, on the other hand, has struggled to demonstrate his fitness on a consistent basis during his time at the club, as has Niclas Füllkrug, who has proven to be a huge flop at West Ham since his £27 million move from Borussia Dortmund to the London Stadium in the summer of 2024.

As a result, four players must leave in order to kickstart the Hammers’ rebuild, but the fact that they are struggling to sell them to clubs outside of England is a major setback, especially since Alvarez was close to moving to Germany and Füllkrug spent last season on loan with AC Milan.

In England, Premier League teams will not want to take a chance on any of these players with such big pay, therefore the Hammers must find a method to get them off the books as soon as possible.

One solution may be to negotiate additional wage cuts for the players so that clubs outside of Europe are tempted enough to make offers for them, and you would think the four players would be keen in doing so if it meant ending their West Ham careers and starting over.

While this may be a lengthy process, West Ham must ensure that there are no rotten eggs in the camp who do not want to be there and could jeopardise the squad’s promotion chances.

The Hammers require a group that is all on the same page and working towards a common goal: to return to the Premier League at the first opportunity.

Success can only be achieved if there is strong team morale, and the club must ensure that every player in their squad wants to be there and is committed to bringing success to such a large football club.