Graham Potter should secure bargain reunion at West Ham with player he says is 'quality' - opinion

West Ham are going to need to invest in their squad this summer after a hugely disappointing campaign that has seen them drop to 17th - at time of writing - in the table, although not in danger of relegation.

Graham Potter has a big summer ahead of him, and along with the club’s recruitment staff, he will have to be clever with recruitment to stay within spending rules. One player he could look at to add experience and leadership is Brighton striker Danny Welbeck, who could add depth up top and on a modest fee, given his age and the fact he is out of contract in the summer of 2026.

Should West Ham consider Welbeck?

On paper, signing Welbeck is a debatable one. He is 34 years of age and a likely candidate for injuries. But Welbeck has been a steady performer over recent years, and he has scored 10 times this season, also assisting four times in 32 games across all competitions.

That’s a respectable record for a player who has started 20 league games to date. Above all, the most attractive factor about Welbeck is his leadership. With serious experience, the striker has shown real leadership at Brighton, and it’s something West Ham are sorely lacking at the moment. The Irons have lacked leaders to hold others accountable and turn things around this season, and Welbeck is someone Potter knows he can rely on to demand more from the other players. And on top of all that, Potter knows how to get the best out of the former Arsenal striker, as you can see below.

Potter and Welbeck’s mutual respect

Speaking before he took the West Ham job, Potter praised Welbeck heavily when appearing on BBC, He said: “If you get Danny Welbeck fit and enjoying his football, the quality is still there. He is a top player and a top person. Credit to the club - they didn't just recognise that it is about signing young players, it is also about understanding what older players can do for the environment and for the collective.

"Somebody like Danny is a role model. He can teach you how to act, how to be, how to condition yourself and how to interact with your team-mates at the highest level. I'm delighted for him that he is doing what he is doing. I think he is contributing with goals, he is intelligent, he can drop in and he can threaten the backline.

“If you see what Danny has had to go through, I think he is also a resilient character. He is a good human being, so he doesn't get carried away too much with the nonsense of football. To have someone [in your squad] that has been there and done it, and can just handle it well, I think is priceless as a coach. We talk about tactics such as half spaces and all this stuff, which is of course really important, but there is a human side to the game as well - having players like him is just so valuable."

While Potter was manager of Brighton, in 2022, Welbeck said of his then boss: “Every manager has their own way of doing things and he wants success and he wants to win. If you look at the way the team is playing and how we are going into matches there is no stone left unturned on what he wants us to do out there on the pitch."

Welbeck calls out teammates

Welbeck made the news recently when he called out his teammates following a defeat to Brentford. "We made our bed and we have to lie in it. It's not good enough," said Welbeck.

On the back of that, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler backed the striker, saying: “He's [Welbeck] someone who's here for a long time, who scores a lot of goals, who gives a great effort for this club so we can be sure he wants the best for this club and the best for his team-mates. What I always demand is for a culture where not everything is happy-clappy.

"We demand a culture where we can be honest with each other, where we can share our thoughts, where we can give each other critical feedback. If you only are positive and only clap the shoulders of your team-mates then I'm sure no-one gets better from that. So that's the main thing that I demand here in this club and in this environment."

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