David Sullivan exit mooted at West Ham United with transfer spend questioned

Frank McAvennie has questioned the future of David Sullivan at West Ham United when predicting how much money will be spent on transfers this summer.

Declan Rice was sold to Arsenal for a record £105million last summer and there is speculation that the club could lose key players such as Lucas Paqueta or Mohammed Kudus this time around.

McAvennie – speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone – expressed his doubts that Sullivan will reinvest any money earned by the potential sales of those stars in light of speculation that the Hammers owner could sell the club.

“[How much money from sales will go into new defenders] depends on what Mr. Sullivan is going to do with the club,” McAvennie said. “Is he leaving? Why would you put £100million back in if you’re going to leave? This is brutally honest, but if Mr. Sullivan is thinking about packing up, he’s not going to spend. The new owners will come in and they’ll have to put that money in.

“Have we seen the money spent [from] Declan Rice? No. I mean, these boys were there when Declan was there. Sold on for £100m but we’ve never seen it come back into the club. So I don’t know if this will come back in either.

“But I don’t know, I’ve got a wee feeling that [Paqueta and Kudus] will want to stay for another year. I don’t know why, I’ve not heard anything. And Bowen’s signed a five-year deal, so unless somebody comes in with a hell of a lot of money, then he’s not going. And I think he likes it there. And I think Kudus and Paqueta might just stay for another year and give us a bit of that samba style.”

West Ham United will need to reinvest if they lose Lucas Paqueta or Mohammed Kudus

There is no getting away from the fact that West Ham will need to spend in order to improve the squad even if stars such as Paqueta and Kudus remain at the club – and that need will only be exacerbated if one or both of the pair are sold.

For Julen Lopetegui to bring the Hammers back into contention for European qualification and implement an attractive, possession-based style of football, quality new faces will be required.

London Stadium
Credit: Imago

If they do not arrive, West Ham fans may be set for a disappointing 2024/25 campaign.

In other West Ham news, Nigel Reo-Coker believes Graham Potter would take West Ham United to the next level.

For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.