Angelo Ogbonna speaks out after West Ham United exit confirmed
Angelo Ogbonna has dropped a hint about his future after his West Ham United exit was confirmed at the London Stadium.
The club confirmed [5 June] that the 36-year-old is set to leave after nine seasons in London once his contract expires, having made 249 appearances since arriving from Juventus.
He made just seven Premier League appearances throughout the 2023/24 campaign, with his best performance of the campaign coming in a 2-0 win over Arsenal in December.
Speaking to Sky Sports, quoted by Gianluca Di Marzio on Monday (17 June), Ogbonna said: “I want to continue, of course. I’m still up to it. Then it’s up to me to prove it. I still have gas in my legs. My agents are working towards this.
“Going back to Italy? I leave all doors open. I put myself out there. Then what’s to come… I’m going to make a thoughtful choice, as all my choices have been in my career, and I’m going to choose what to do.”
Angelo Ogbonna speaks out after West Ham United news
The Italian leaves the London Stadium as a much-loved figure, having gained cult legend status over the last nine years after his move from Serie A.
Ogbonna’s exit leaves Julen Lopetegui with quite the predicament, with Kurt Zouma, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Nayef Aguerd at his disposal.
All three defenders have been heavily linked with an exit this summer, with Aguerd seeming the most likely to leave following amid reports, as per The Sun, linking him with a move to Atletico Madrid.
Lopetegui is likely to bring in a new defender this summer, especially after David Moyes’ defence was regularly criticised during the 2023/24 campaign as the Hammers finished ninth in the Premier League and were knocked out of both the FA Cup and Europa League.
The London Stadium must prepare for a summer of change, and Ogbonna’s exit is just the start. It will be interesting to see where he ends up next, however.
In other West Ham news, the club have made a decision on Juventus star Matias Soule after transfer news from Italy.
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