West Ham stalwart 'open' to Everton move as Graham Potter boost for Man City transfer

West Ham manager Graham Potter is set to conduct a ruthless overhaul of his squad at the London Stadium this summer in a move that will see first team stars both leaving the club and arriving after a dismal start to life in London.

The former Chelsea and Brighton manager has won just three of his first 15 matches in charge of the Hammers, a worse win percentage than managed by his predecessor Julen Lopetegui. That has fuelled transfer talk ahead of the summer.

Tomas Soucek has been a stalwart at West Ham since arriving at the club from Slavia Prague in 2020. As well as lifting the Europa Conference League, Soucek has made 241 appearances for the club and scored 40 goals.

Tomas Soucek ‘could push’ for West Ham sale

The midfielder has seen minutes under Potter but has not flourished like he did with David Moyes at the helm. The Scotsman, who is now in charge of Everton, has been linked with a transfer move for Soucek this summer to bring him to Merseyside.

Football Insider now claims that the midfielder ‘could push’ for that move to become reality, despite having another two years left on his West Ham deal. It is reported that the 30-year-old wants more regular game time and, with Idrissa Gueye out of contract at Everton, could get that. A £10 - £15 million fee has been touted for that move.

Potter will be reluctant to sanction any exit for Soucek, who has regularly captained the side since his arrival. The player has also scored four times under Potter, against Fulham, Leicester City, Everton and Brighton.

Potter has even admitted that he tried to sign Soucek when at Brighton. Speaking in January, he said: “He gives his best every single day, and gives his best in the games. He’s a dream in that regard.

“We actually tried to sign him at Brighton, so I know him well. I think he's been great. The five years he's been here have been a real success for him personally. He can help you in both boxes.

“His quality is incredible at that. He covers the ground, plays the role the team needs, has played as the defensive one, has played as the attacking one. He's adaptable in that midfield position. He’s been fantastic to work with.”

James McAtee ‘considering’ Manchester City departure

The outlet also this week claims that a new midfielder could have taken a step closer to arriving at West Ham. The club is named as one of the suitors for Manchester City talent James McAtee, but have competition from Nottingham Forest and Fulham.

McAtee is said to be ‘seriously considering’ leaving the Etihad Stadium, which comes as a boost for Potter. Forest are thought to be frontrunners for the player, who has scored seven top flight goals this term despite having made just two Premier League starts.

The Manchester City man, who was previously on loan at Sheffield United, is a versatile player who can play both centrally or out wide. He does, however, prefer a more attacking role and would offer a different profile of player than Soucek.

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