Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Sat 23 May 2026 10:10, UK

West Ham United head into the final day of the season locked in a fierce battle to avoid relegation.

Their Premier League survival hopes were given a major boost on Tuesday when rivals Tottenham slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea.

Even so, West Ham’s fate is still tied to events elsewhere on Sunday, with former manager David Moyes now leading Everton into a crucial clash with Spurs.

If Nuno Espirito Santo’s side drops into the Championship as many expect this weekend, a summer of player sales is likely to follow.

West Ham, however, will be desperate to emulate Wolves’ example if they can, after the relegated club managed to tie down one of their key players, Andre, to a new deal.

Wolves stun Championship as star man pens new deal

Joining from Fluminense in 2024, Andre starred for Wolves as they avoided relegation under Vitor Pereira last term.

It has been an incredibly difficult season this time around, but Andre and midfield partner Joao Gomes escaped the season as two of the only players with their heads held somewhat high.

Since his arrival under Gary O’Neil, Andre has been linked with clubs across Europe, with interest coming from Italian giants Juventus last summer.

Earlier this year, the midfielder would express his intention to stay at Wolves during a Twitch livestream from his home, expressing how much he loves the club.

Naturally, this was not taken at face value, with the 25-year-old hardly going to put a summer move out into the public.

Though Wolves would announce a new deal on Friday – stretching to 2030 – with the nature of the announcement and Andre’s quotes during it not exactly pointing in the direction of a club simply looking for a higher fee this summer.

Expressing his desire to bring the club back to the Premier League, the man with 13 caps for Brazil is set to stay in the second tier, potentially becoming a cult hero in the process.

The Old Gold have had time to plan ahead of next season, with relegation all but a certainty since the opening months.

But the plan looks to be strong, with talks taking place between the club and Kieran Trippier this week, alongside a potential return for Raul Jimenez, whilst young starlet Mateus Mane is also set to stay.

West Ham, on the other hand, are left staring down the barrel of a mass exodus this summer.

Who could leave West Ham as relegation draws closer?

It has been a dismal year for the Irons, who have not been able to pull away from the drop zone, despite a noticeable improvement since the turn of the year.

Despite that, there have still been a few performers worth noting, with Mateus Fernandes likely set to be the first man out of the door this summer.

Joining from Southampton, Fernandes has impressed in the Hammers’ midfield, with the East London club likely unhappy that he has not been called up to the Portugal squad this summer, meaning that they cannot drive up the fee.

At 21, the midfielder has the world at his feet, and may be on the move sooner rather than later.

Question marks also hang over the heads of Crysencio Summerville and captain Jarrod Bowen, who are likely to attract attention from Premier League clubs, whilst Axel Disasi’s loan from Chelsea will not become permanent should the drop come.

As is the case with Wolves and Andre, securing Bowen for another year would be a huge statement of intent, with the winger instantly becoming the star man in the Championship.

While they have not been aided by the tension of the battle at the bottom, there is no conceivable plan in place at the London Stadium yet, which will leave Hammers fans jealous as one of their fellow strugglers gets set to fight for an instant return.

All they can do is beat Leeds, then they must cross everything that Moyes can do them a favour.