West Ham will face Maxwel Cornet transfer problem this summer
Maxwel Cornet has become a forgotten player on West Ham’s books.
Signed in the summer of 2022 in a £17.5million deal from Burnley, Cornet‘s West Ham career hasn’t gone to plan.
The Ivory Coast international had enjoyed a solid 2021-22 season for Burnley in the Premier League, scoring nine goals and providing an assist in 26 top flight games in a relegated Clarets side that year.
However, since making the move to the London Stadium, the winger hasn’t been able to get anywhere close to even those levels of production, and hasn’t kicked a competitive ball in anger for the Hammers since the 2023-24 season.
Maxwel Cornet isn’t doing enough to earn Genoa transfer
2024-25 saw Cornet spend the first half of that season with Southampton, but after making only four Premier League appearances for the Saints with zero goal contributions, he joined Italian side Genoa on loan in January 2025 instead.
And, after scoring twice and providing one assist in seven Serie A outings for them during the second half of last season, Genoa once again decided to strike a loan deal with West Ham in this season’s summer window.
This was an agreement that would see Cornet spend the duration of the 2025-26 campaign with the Griffin’s, but crucially, it also included the option for them to purchase him permanently from the Hammers.
However, the 29-year-old wideman has made just seven total appearances for Genoa so far this season, and he’s failed to provide a single goal or assist in any of those games.
So, it’s surely highly unlikely that they’ll have any interest in splashing out on a fee to sign him permanently this summer, which is ultimately what West Ham would’ve been happy to see happen with the inclusion of such a clause.
What is Cornet’s West Ham contract situation?
This likely leaves West Ham in a bit of an unwanted and unforeseen scenario come the summer window.
Cornet is contracted with the Hammers until the summer of 2027, meaning next season will be his final under contract at the London Stadium.
Therefore, it can’t be ruled out that he returns to these shores and stakes a claim for another first-team role, especially if Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side get relegated to the Championship.
But, it’s probably far more likely that West Ham will want to sell him, but given how disappointing his time with Genoa has been, it begs the question, what club are going to be willing to spend a significant transfer fee on him?
As such, the Hammers may have a very hard time getting him off their books this summer, as Genoa can’t have seen enough production from him to justify triggering their option to buy.
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