Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Sun 3 May 2026 15:10, UK

West Ham United will be kicking themselves after passing up on signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin last summer before Leeds United pounced.

It has been a dismal season for the Hammers, who are locked in a tense relegation battle alongside London rivals Tottenham.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been able to turn things around in 2026, though his side has been unable to stray too far away from the relegation zone.

Inheriting a thin squad levels behind the one lifting European titles just three years ago, the Portuguese coach has been dealt a rough hand at the London Stadium.

And he may just be wondering what could have happened if the Irons were able to bring in the current Leeds man last summer.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a revelation for Leeds

Prior to his summer move, it had been a rough few years for the forward, who had continued to struggle with injuries at Everton.

Of course, nobody was to know that he would have the season he has, but on a free transfer it was almost a no-brainer.

Since his impressive period under Carlo Ancelotti, Calvert-Lewin had struggled for consistent minutes, with recurring fitness woes massively impacting him.

Naturally, this did stand out to clubs last summer as he looked to move away from the Toffees.

But since then, he has been fantastic for Leeds – leading the line incredibly, while his poaching instincts have seen him rack up 12 goals in the Premier League, while he is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

For West Ham, they were called into action in January, with Taty Castellanos joining from Lazio.

And while his energy and work cannot be faulted, the Argentine does not bring the guaranteed goals up top in the same way that Calvert-Lewin does for Leeds, while the ageing Callum Wilson was never going to be ready for a 38-match season.

Leeds nailed their recruitment – West Ham could take note

Upon their promotion to the top flight, Leeds got their recruitment direction spot on.

Out of all the sides in the division, the Whites were the one club to solely bring in players over the age of 25, adding vital experience from players ready to perform in the Premier League without having to bed in.

Alongside Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor and Lukas Nmecha have also popped up with goals – scoring 14 between them as Daniel Farke’s side push towards the safety line.

For the Hammers, this has proven an issue, with the aforementioned Castellanos not possessing the natural forward instincts to lead the line in a physical relegation battle.

For Leeds, they have given themselves a platform to build from, with a highly experienced core ready to be complimented by what will likely be younger, more exciting signings over the summer.

At the London Stadium, Nuno picked up not just a downtrodden squad, but one lacking both depth and quality.

Even if Calvert-Lewin himself did not choose to make the move to the Hammers, he was the archetypal signing that West Ham should have been making as they looked to settle down after a poor 2024-25 campaign.