Five players West Ham could sign in the Championship

Despite claiming a 3-0 win over Leeds United on Sunday, West Ham were unable to escape relegation to the Championship after Tottenham defeated Everton.

The result marked the end of a 15-year stint in the top flight for the Hammers and they now face an uncertain summer with a number of players expected to depart when the transfer window opens.

Speculation surrounding the likes of captain Jarrod Bowen and Portuguese international Mateus Fernandes is rife, with the pair both said to be attracting attention from a number of clubs across the Premier League and Europe.

Meanwhile it still remains unclear who will lead the hammers in the Championship next season, with Nuno Espirito Santo refusing to commit his future to the the club in the aftermath of Sunday's relegation.

Regardless who sits in the dugout of the London Stadium next season, West Ham will have funds to spend in the transfer market as they look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

But who could they target over the course of the summer? We've taken a look at five players that West Ham could sign ahead of their return to the Championship.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

How differently things could have worked out...

West Ham made multiple bids for the centre-back during January window, with their approaches reportedly falling far short of Southampton's valuation of the England international.

Remaining on the south coast looked to be the correct option for Taylor Harwood-Bellis as a phenomenal end to the season saw Southampton secure a place in the Championship play-off final before the 'Spy-gate' saga ultimately precluded their involvement.

At one stage it appeared to be almost a certainty that Harwood-Bellis would play his club football in the Premier League next season, either by leading Southampton to promotion via Wembley or with a move to the Hammers.

With both of those routes to the top flight now unavailable, however, it remains to be seen whether a Premier League club will enquire about Harwood-Bellis this summer.

While a move to the London Stadium would mean another season in the second-tier for the 24-year-old, Harwood-Bellis could play a key role in West Ham's bid to secure an automatic return to the top flight over the course of the next twelve months should he opt to join the Hammers.

Asmir Begovic

A lack of confidence in the goalkeeping department can often be ruinous for a club's hopes of success, as West Ham have found out this year.

Mads Hermansen joined the club last summer in a deal said to have been worth £20million, but failed to impress and was dropped after conceding 11 goals in his first four Premier League appearances.

Alphonse Areola similarly struggled to inspire confidence, and it appears the Frenchman may depart for pastures new in the summer, with his wife hitting out at the club on social media in response to how he has been treated.

Should Hermansen remain at the club the Hammers would be wise to bring in an experienced 'keeper to serve as his No. 2 and few would fit that bill better than Asmir Begovic.

The former Stoke City and Chelsea goalkeeper spent last season at Leicester City as they dropped into League One, though it remains to be seen whether he will sign a new deal at the King Power Stadium.

Femi Azeez

One of the outstanding talents of the 2025/26 Championship season, Femi Azeez enjoyed a breakout campaign as Millwall emerged as genuine promotion contenders.

Azeez had arrived at The Den from Reading in the summer of 2024, but had struggled to make a consistent impact in his first season as Neil Harris was sacked following a slump in form and replaced by Alex Neil.

Over the last twelve months, however, the 24-year-old forward has emerged as one of the most exciting forwards outside of the top flight, and he registered 19 goal contributions from 35 appearances as they reached the play-offs.

Millwall would ultimately miss out on promotion after losing to Hull City, and Azeez now appears poised to leave the club with a number of teams chasing his signature.

While a move to the Premier League will likely be available to Azeez, West Ham could be tempted to make a move for a player with proven experience of succeeding in the second tier.

Of course, West Ham and Millwall are bitter rivals, so any move would no doubt be a lightning rod for controversy. Goalkeeper David Martin was the last player to cross the divide when he joined the Hammers in 2019.

Sorba Thomas

It remains to be seen if Jarrod Bowen will remain at West Ham this summer, though if he does choose to stay it will not be due to a lack of outside interest.

With Crycensio Summerville also unlikely to remain at the club in the Championship West Ham will need to bolster their ranks in the wide areas and there are few candidates as qualified than Stoke City's Sorba Thomas.

Thomas' performances this season have been a rare shining light in what has been an otherwise frustrating campaign for the Potters as they ultimately finished 17th despite sitting in the automatic promotion places in November.

He is currently enjoying the best form of his career having netted 10 goals and provided 13 assists in the Championship, in what was a remarkable debut season at the club having signed from Huddersfield Town in the summer.

The Wales international actually started his career in West Ham's academy before being released at the age of 16 and a reunion this summer could represent a full circle moment in his career.

Zan Vipotnik

Of the litany of issues that led to West Ham's relegation this season, a lack of goals ultimately proved to be one of the most damaging.

Only Jarrod Bowen reached double figures in all competitions and with his future in doubt the club must act in the transfer window to ensure that they can arrest the slide.

With that in mind, Swansea City's Zan Vipotnik would make a perfect summer signing after enjoying a free-scoring campaign at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Vipotnik topped the Championship scoring charts last year with 23 goals and Swansea protected their investment by signing him to a new deal in March.

Like many of his contemporaries on this list the Slovenian will surely field interest from a number of clubs both in the Premier League and abroad, meaning a deal would signal a real statement of intent if West Ham could bring him to the London Stadium.