After World Cup heartbreak for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, what comes next for West Ham ace?
Aaron Wan-Bissaka's West Ham United future may start to look a lot clearer following DR Congo's heartbreaking World Cup elimination.
The African nation led England for 68 minutes in Wednesday's last-32 clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
However, Harry Kane equalised in the 75th minute and then won the match for England in the 86th minute.
It was a cruel way for Wan-Bissaka and his teammates to exit the tournament in what was a magical journey to even make it that far.
Wan-Bissaka impress against England, as he has done pretty much all tournament, but it was not enough.
The full-back will now enjoy a short break before heading back to West Ham, where his future is far from certain.
What is latest on Aaron Wan-Bissaka's West Ham future
Wan-Bissaka is said to be looking to leave West Ham following the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League.
He is not alone in that regard, of course, but unfortunately not every player will get their wish.
Mateus Fernandes is heading to Tottenham in an £85million deal, which will reduce the need to offload others.
Crysencio Summerville looks set to be the other big-money departure, which hopefully means Jarrod Bowen stays.
As for Wan-Bissaka, no official interest has yet been reported in the defender, let alone any concrete bids.
Nuno Espirito Santo will no doubt be desperate to keep the £15million signing from Manchester United.
And now that his return date to Rush Green has likely been locked in, with players granted 21 days off as per FIFA rules, West Ham will have a better indication of where his future lies before long.
What did West Ham learn from Wan-Bissaka at the World Cup?
Wan-Bissaka can hold his head high, as can each of his DR Congo teammates.
Getting out of their group was considered a massive achievement, as was ending their long wait to get to the tournament in general.
Wan-Bissaka was particularly good in his country's final two games, coming against Uzbekistan and England.
The 28-year-old registered the most defensive actions (11) of any player on the field in the England game.
While he may not have been at his best last season - not many were - Wan-Bissaka can more than do a job for West Ham in 2026-27 if he does stay on.
West Ham were given another reminder of just how good defensively he is on his day, which is something Nuno will not want to lose.