Maxwel Cornet drops training ground reveal amid West Ham contract jeopardy
Maxwel Cornet may have hinted at a U-turn on his West Ham United status.
The 30-year-old winger joined West Ham all the way back in the summer of 2022 from Burnley.
Costing the Irons a pretty penny, his time at the London Stadium has been nothing short of a disaster.
He's turned out just 37 times for the Hammers, and hasn't worn the shirt competitively since 21 April 2024 in a 5-2 Premier League loss to Crystal Palace.
As such, there's been obvious speculation for some time regarding just how much longer he'll be a West Ham player for.
But as Nuno Espirito Santo prepares his side for QPR on Friday night, the 23-cap Ivorian international may have re-entered the frame.
What did Maxwel Cornet post to his Instagram on Thursday?
West Ham Zone followed reports early last month that Cornet was in talks to terminate his West Ham contract early, with it expiring next summer.
Despite not playing a single minute nor being involved in a matchday squad this season, he was handed a squad number at the start of term.
The Hammers' number 22 thus held a loose grip on a potential role in Nuno's side this season, but that grasp may have now tightened.
Posting to his Instagram story on Thursday, Cornet shared an image of him training for West Ham alongside Airidas Golambeckis.
He also posted a second photo just of himself wearing West Ham training gear.
Clearly then, he's not the Hammers outcast under Nuno that many thought he was, with the Irons coaching team evidently continuing to monitor him.
So, could we really be about to see a shock inclusion in the matchday squad for Cornet against QPR?
Why QPR might be good a chance as any for Cornet
West Ham have seen a number of their players away on international duty over the last few weeks.
Both Manor Solomon (Israel) and Edvin Austbo (Norway Under-21s) have played multiple 90-minute games for their nations during the break.
As such, and particularly in Solomon's case, rests may be in order when QPR come to the London Stadium on Friday night.
This could present Cornet with an ideal chance to at least make the matchday squad if he's been keeping himself fit and sharp in training.
It still obviously feels like a long shot, but the timing of this post and these aforementioned factors means it's a situation to closely monitor as we approach kick-off.
Should Cornet play against the R's, this would be his first appearance since making a nine-minute cameo for Genoa against Como on 26 April this year.