West Ham in talks over new role for Michail Antonio after exit confirmed

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Evening Standard

·7 agosto 2025

West Ham in talks over new role for Michail Antonio after exit confirmed

Hammers have decided against offering the forward a new contract following his car crash last year

West Ham have confirmed Michail Antonio will leave the club on a free transfer.

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The striker’s contract expired in June, but the Hammers delayed making a decision on whether or not to renew his deal while he was in rehabilitation after a serious car accident back in December.

Antonio, 35, broke his leg in the accident and was ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

He returned to football for Jamaica in June and more recently he featured for West Ham’s under-21 side against Boreham Wood in a friendly, scoring twice.

In a statement released by West Ham on Thursday, the club revealed that conversations are taking place over the future role for Antonio.

“West Ham can confirm that, following the expiry of his contract at the end of last season, Michail Antonio will not be signing a new deal as a first-team player with the club,” the statement read.

“Michail will always be a much-loved and respected member of the West Ham family. As has been the case since December, the club will continue to support and assist him in his ongoing rehabilitation, offering him access to training, facilities and medical care if needed.

“Dialogue continues over his future involvement with the lub in an alternative capacity - including one that would enable others to benefit from his experience and leadership qualities - and he will forever hold a special place in our 130-year history.

“Everyone at West Ham United would like to sincerely thank Michail for his outstanding, dedicated service in a claret and blue shirt over the last ten years.”

West Ham manager Graham Potter had effectively confirmed that Antonio would not continue his playing career in a West Ham shirt, saying that the Jamaican was not in his plans after the signing of Callum Wilson.

Potter did hint, however, that a role as a youth coach or mentor could be Antonio’s next step.

“It’s up to me to see where the next part of his career goes,” he said.

“Yes, he can still play, of course. No, he’s not going to play for West Ham, that’s basically the point.

“We’re in the process of speaking about what he wants to do in the future, so I wouldn’t want to say too much.

“If anything, it will be a role, maybe looking at with the [under-] 21’s, coaching, mentoring, that type of thing. But again, that will be up to him.”’

Antonio, 35, was at West Ham for ten years, having joined the club from Nottingham Forest back in 2015.

The forward played 323 times, scoring 83 goals to become the club’s leading Premier League goalscorer.