West Ham’s relegated squad have been urged to stay at the London Stadium and become ‘legends’ by helping the side back into the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were relegated on the final weekend despite a 3-0 win over Leeds. The Hammers will play second-tier football next season for the first time in 14 years, following a poor campaign in East London.
Sales are anticipated with West Ham needing to make at least £100m to cushion the financial impact of relegation, with Matheus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen among the club’s leading assets.
However, former Premier League forward Jermaine Beckford has said the squad can earn cult status at West Ham, if they stick around and bring the club back to the top tier.
“Conversations will have been happening long before today. If those players had anything about them they would look at the size of West Ham, massive club and fantastic fanbase,” he said to the BBC.
“If they stay at the club and help them get promoted back to the Premier Leaugue, and then they manage to keep them up the following season, they turn into legends.
“Money will come later on. The status that comes with sticking at a massive club and getting them back in the Premier League where they think they belong, that changes everything.”
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen was asked about the future of the club’s biggest assets and said now was not the time to discuss potential exits.
“It’s still very, very raw. Talking about futures is disrespectful to the club, the fans, everything like that,” he said to Match of the Day.
“This club deserves to be in the Premier League. Our aim now is to get this club back into the Premier League.”
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