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Add as preferred source on Google<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThe 2025\/26 Premier League season ended with West Ham United\u2019s darkest fears becoming their new reality.<\/strong><\/p>\n Championship football looms at the London Stadium, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will need to be replaced, while a host of Hammers will never pull on the claret and blue kit again.<\/p>\n This was a campaign not entirely lacking in stand out performers though. Mateus Fernandes\u2019 West Ham United career was short but very sweet, Dinos Mavropanos earned himself the Hammer of the Year award, and Crysencio Summerville finally found his scoring boots. <\/p>\n Explain your choice in the comments\u2026 \ud83d\udcad<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n But, as you will see in our end-of-season ratings, the flops far outweigh the Fernandes\u2019 in East London.<\/p>\n Former France international Areola looks certain to leave West Ham after losing his place to Mads Hermansen in February, much to the fury of his wife.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing dropped at the beginning of the season for no reason,\u201d Marrion wrote in a bitter social media post following Sunday\u2019s relegation. \u201cThen (he) made 20 games and all of a sudden (Nuno said); \u2018I\u2019m really sorry you won\u2019t start. \u2018Why?\u2019 \u2018For no particular reason but I\u2019m sorry\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Nuno\u2019s decision was not without justification, though. All seven of West Ham\u2019s clean sheets came with Hermansen between the sticks, while the late penalty he gave away against Nottingham Forest in January proved just as damaging in hindsight as it was feared at the time.<\/p>\n A funny season for the Dane. Hermansen started the first five matches and then spent half the campaign stuck on the bench before returning with a flurry of clean sheets. Hermansen remains a divisive figure among Hammers fans, flitting from commanding and confident to flappy and error-prone. <\/p>\n Still, with seven shut-outs in 18 games, only David Raya and Gigi Donnarumma could boast a better clean sheet percentage.<\/p>\n Hammer of the Year in 2025, he watched West Ham\u2019s final day clash with Leeds from the bench 12 months on. Talk about a decline.<\/p>\n Wan-Bissaka endured a disastrous start to the campaign \u2013 arguably at fault for three Chelsea goals in August\u2019s 5-1 battering \u2013 and only fleetingly showed flashes of his very best.<\/p>\n Brought in on a free from Southampton, Walker-Peters proved to be exactly what many expected him to be; A solid if far-from spectacular squad player. Should have a big part to play in the Championship next term.<\/p>\n A season of two halves. Mavropanos was exceptional throughout much of the spring but the fact he spent the first few months behind Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo tells its own story. <\/p>\n The big Greek chipped in with some vital goals, while his performance in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City was one of the best by any Premier League centre-half in 2025\/26.<\/p>\n Inquiries are flooding in for Chelsea misfit Disasi already, and no wonder. The Frenchman completely transformed West Ham\u2019s backline following his arrival on the final day of the winter window. <\/p>\n The form table shows that West Ham would be in a European spot if the season had begun on the day of Disasi\u2019s debut, a 2-0 win at Burnley on matchday 25.<\/p>\n Ironically, somewhat improved from his awful debut season. However, Todibo\u2019s \u2018disgraceful\u2019 conduct in the defeat to Newcastle will be the abiding memory. Sent off for violent conduct against Chelsea in January and struggled to force his way back in after that.<\/p>\n Some fine displays \u2013 see Man City, Fulham and Bournemouth \u2013 but was also a major reason why the Hammers conceded so many goals from crosses.<\/p>\n The worst pound-for-pound signing in West Ham\u2019s modern history? Kilman was booed by the London Stadium terraces in the FA Cup clash with Leeds. While Mavropanos, Todibo and Disasi may all depart, it is hard to see how he comes back from that.<\/p>\n Usually at the scene of the crime whenever a defensive blunder occurred.<\/p>\n The comments of Jamie Carragher sum up Diouf\u2019s season pretty neatly. The Liverpool legend was blown away by Diouf in the autumn but, on co-commentary duty for the final day, Carragher was left exasperated by countless aimless crosses ballooned well off course. <\/p>\n Three assists in his first five games, followed by two in the next 27. His defending and his decision-making need major work, yet may still be snapped up by a top-flight side this summer.<\/p>\n A brief and mixed spell in the team during Diouf\u2019s African Cup of Nations absence either side of Christmas. Scarles did OK in some outings and struggled massively in others. Will hope to nail down a spot in the Championship.<\/p>\n Looks solid. Should be a good option next season as a left-back or left-sided centre-half. Made six league appearances after his debut in December.<\/p>\n The old debates still rage on. Do the pros outweigh the cons? There is no doubt West Ham were a better team with Soucek in the midfield, yet his presence is also a reason why the Hammers frequently struggled to control possession or outrun the opposition.<\/p>\n Five goals from the centre of the park is respectable, but well down from last season\u2019s tally of nine.<\/p>\n In your correspondent\u2019s humble opinion, Fernandes should have taken the Hammer of the Year award ahead of Mavropanos. A pillar of consistency, class and craft, it is just such a shame that the Portugal playmaker will not be around to drag West Ham out of the Championship next season.<\/p>\n A Champions League footballer in-waiting.<\/p>\n A big disappointment. The \u00a314 million signing from Monaco joined on the same day as Fernandes last August but that is where the similarities end. Magassa struggled badly with the pace of the Premier League, while Nuno would select Freddie Potts and even Mohamadou Kante ahead of him at times. <\/p>\n Started only twice after being hauled off during the 3-0 hammering by Wolves in January.<\/p>\n It feels lightyears ago that some were comparing Potts and a young Declan Rice. The Barking-born youngster exploded onto the scene during successive wins over Newcastle and Burnley in October but would never live up those excellent early standards.<\/p>\n Young Player of the Year at Portsmouth in 2024\/25, do not be surprised if Potts is one of the first names on the team sheet in the Championship.<\/p>\n If only Fernandes had arrived a few weeks sooner. Ward-Prowse would come to epitomise the struggles of Graham Potter and Nuno wasted no time removing him from contention following his appointment.<\/p>\n Ward-Prowse represented two clubs in 2025\/26 \u2013 West Ham and Burnley \u2013 and both would end up in the bottom three.<\/p>\n Played only 67 minutes across 11 substitute appearances but the potential is easy to see. Another, like Potts, who should actually benefit from relegation.<\/p>\n Had no business being a starting Premier League midfielder. Nuno\u2019s decision to include Irving over Fernandes during back-to-back defeats against Brentford and Leeds in October was one of the more baffling of his tenure.<\/p>\n Let us know below \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Guido Rodriguez was a man reborn at Valencia following his winter departure. The slower pace of Spanish football would have been a welcome change after he spent much of his Premier League career chasing shadows.<\/p>\n West Ham\u2019s most naturally gifted footballer but also one of the most frustrating players ever to pull on the shirt. Paqueta was sent off in disgrace against Liverpool and left for Flamengo soon after. <\/p>\n Yet, he still equalled his best-ever Premier League tally of four despite leaving mid-season.<\/p>\n Nine goals and eleven assists means Bowen racked up 20 goal contributions from the right-hand side. Yet, the captain would become a \u2018moments player\u2019 rather than one capable of carrying a threat from the first minute to the last; the odd strike of inspiration papering over the cracks.<\/p>\n Major question marks regarding his ability to lead the team as captain.<\/p>\n Like Mavropanos, a season of two halves. Summerville became the first since Jesse Lingard to score in five successive matches in the winter, yet failed to find the net in any of the club\u2019s final seven matches. <\/p>\n Looking back now, that purple patch following the turn of the year introduced the Hammers to a vibe Summerville couldn\u2019t quite maintain, even if he still emerges from the wreckage unscathed.<\/p>\n Just, why? Adama did not start a single league match and looks certain to follow his old Wolves boss Nuno out the door. Destined to be one of the most forgettable signings in modern history.<\/p>\n If only they\u2019d had him a few years earlier. Wilson racked up seven goals in just eleven Premier League starts, including last-gasp winners against Everton and bitter rivals Spurs. One of a few who did not deserve to go down.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, at the age of 34, Wilson could not contribute as much as Nuno would have liked him to. Should be retained if possible.<\/p>\n Ends his season \u2013 and possibly his West Ham career \u2013 with six goals in 17 league games. A near one-in-three record rather sums up a striker who occasionally makes the difficult look easy but the easy look difficult.<\/p>\n Reports claim that Castellanos will look to leave after relegation. In our view, the \u00a327 million Argentine has a move to Nottingham Forest written all over him.<\/p>\n Oh, Pablo. In the end, it was hard not to feel sorry for him. Despite what a prolific track record in Portugal might have suggested, he is just not a Premier League player. Pablo failed to score a single goal, barely even threatened one, and will unfortunately be remembered for his role in that <\/em>Wilson equaliser ruled out against Arsenal.<\/p>\n Can Pablo bounce back in the Championship? Or is it best for all parties to move on and forget this dalliance ever happened?<\/p>\n The less said about Fullkrug, the better. Arguably the least effective starting centre-forward in the whole of the Premier League before his similarly-disastrous stint at AC Milan. Signed for \u00a327 million on big wages and now 33 years of age, Fullkrug will go down as one of West Ham\u2019s poorest striker signings.<\/p>\n And that is saying something\u2026<\/p>\nWho is most to BLAME for West Ham going down? \ud83d\ude20<\/h3>\n
![\"Nuno](\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2237788010-scaled-e1759186239860-1024x630.jpg\")
<\/div>Every West Ham United player rated <\/h2>\n
Alphonse Areola \u2013 3\/10<\/h3>\n
Mads Hermansen \u2013 5\/10<\/h3>\n
Aaron Wan-Bissaka \u2013 3\/10<\/h3>\n
Kyle Walker-Peters \u2013 5\/10<\/h3>\n
Konstantinos Mavropanos \u2013 7\/10<\/h3>\n
Axel Disasi \u2013 8\/10<\/h3>\n
![\"Axel](\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2275613054-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/div>Jean-Clair Todibo \u2013 3\/10<\/h3>\n
Max Kilman \u2013 1\/10<\/h3>\n
El-Hadji Malick Diouf \u2013 4\/10<\/h3>\n
Ollie Scarles \u2013 3\/10<\/h3>\n
Ezra Mayers \u2013 4\/10<\/h3>\n
Which players could actually BENEFIT from a Championship season? \ud83e\udd28<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\nTomas Soucek \u2013 6\/10<\/h3>\n
Mateus Fernandes \u2013 8\/10<\/h3>\n
Soungoutou Magassa – 2\/10<\/h3>\n
Freddie Potts \u2013 4\/10<\/h3>\n
James Ward-Prowse \u2013 1\/10<\/h3>\n
Mohamadou Kante \u2013 5\/10<\/h3>\n
Andy Irving \u2013 2\/10<\/h3>\n
Who were your BEST and WORST performers of 2025\/26?<\/h3>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\nGuido Rodriguez \u2013 2\/10<\/h3>\n
Lucas Paqueta \u2013 3\/10<\/h3>\n
Jarrod Bowen \u2013 6\/10<\/h3>\n
Crysencio Summerville \u2013 7\/10<\/h3>\n
Adama Traore \u2013 2\/10<\/h3>\n
Callum Wilson \u2013 7\/10<\/h3>\n
![\"Callum](\"https:\/\/cdn1.hammers.news\/uploads\/25\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2276447940-1024x611.jpg\")
<\/div>Taty Castellanos \u2013 6\/10<\/h3>\n
Pablo Felipe \u2013 2\/10<\/h3>\n
Niclas Fullkrug \u2013 1\/10<\/h3>\n