‘No formal decision' on Michail Antonio future as West Ham announce retained list
Antonio's current contract is due to expire on June 30 and the Jamaica international is still sidelined after being involved in a car crash in December, which left him with a broken femur.
It was announced on Monday that Antonio will appear in the Premier League's retained list as a 'free transfer', but West Ham's current priority is to help him on the road to recovery.
West Ham United has issued the Club's Retained List of players at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Read the full statement below ⬇️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) June 9, 2025
'Given Michail Antonio's unique situation, following his serious road traffic accident in December 2024, there will be no formal decision and announcement on his future until such time that it is considered right and appropriate,' a West Ham club statement read.
'However, as his current contract is also due to expire on 30 June, for the purposes of the Premier League Retained List procedure at the end of the 2024-25 season, Michail will be listed as a free transfer.
'As a long-serving, highly-respected player, and a much-loved member of the West Ham family, the club's absolute priority at this time is to support Michail personally in his journey to resume playing at the highest level.'
It had already been announced that Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Danny Ings would depart at the end of their contracts this month.
Ex-West Ham captain Kurt Zouma, currently on-loan to Al-Orobah of the Saudi Pro League, will also leave the club on June 30.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Man Utd beat Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea to sign Southampton prospect
Manchester United have reached an agreement to sign teenager Harley Emsden-James from Southampton, beating a string of Premier League rivals to his signature. The Red Devils have done a deal worth £1m for the 16-year-old talent, although they will go on to pay add-ons and Southampton have negotiated a 20 per cent sell on clause. The centre-back has played up to Under-18 level for the Saints, despite only turning 16 in March this year. There was plenty of competition for the England youth international, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all tracking the youngster. Manchester United have won the race, though, continuing their recent ploy to snap up the most promising young talent in the country. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. The Red Devils have not only been able to do this from much smaller clubs, but also poaching talent from those of rival stature. Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven both arrived from Arsenal in the last year and have made their debuts in the Manchester United first team. It is very unlikely Emsden James will follow them into the first team in the near future, instead heading into the Under-18 team at Manchester United when he arrives. 18-year-old defender Heaven signed from Arsenal on February 1 and has already made six first team appearances for the Red Devils. It would have been more than that if it were not for a season-disrupting injury and he is likely to be regularly involved next season. Speaking out on why he left the Gunners for a move to Old Trafford, he said: 'The opportunities that the young players have got here in the past. 'I think United had the most minutes given to teenagers last season [2023/24]. That convinced me to come here. More Trending 'And the people and the fans here are quite loving, and I felt that when I was playing. They're so supportive.' Director of football Jason Wilcox has been credited for bringing in a number of talented prospects and Ruben Amorim thanked him for Heaven's arrival. 'I think once again Jason Wilcox is doing a great job bringing Ayden,' Amorim told MUTV in May. 'I think these types of players are what we need. He showed a lot of quality and character after the big injury. We want these types of players.' MORE: Liverpool eyeing move for £100m PSG forward after record Florian Wirtz deal MORE: Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle in race to sign £25m Manchester United star on loan MORE: Newcastle in transfer talks for Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Burnley stars
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
European game generated 38 bln euros in 2023-24 season, study shows
June 11 (Reuters) - Europe's soccer market grew by 8% in terms of revenue in the 2023-24 season to 38 billion euros ($43.46 billion) with England's Premier League generating the most, Deloitte said in a study published on Wednesday. In its Annual Review of Football Finance, Deloitte said the top five leagues -- Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1 -- generated 20.4 billion euros in revenue, an increase of 4%. Premier League clubs had the highest revenue of Europe's top leagues at 6.3 billion pounds ($8.50 billion). However, the traditional 'big six' clubs in England's top flight reported lower average revenue growth (3%) than other clubs that were in the Premier League in both the 2023-24 and 2022-23 seasons (11%). The study said the growth was largely driven by expansion of clubs' commercial offerings, which also led to the teams cumulatively generating more than two billion pounds in commercial revenue for the first time. "A focus on stadia development and diversification of commercial revenues led to growth across the European football market in the 2023-24 season," Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said. "However, clubs and leagues cannot afford to take their eye off the ball as new challenges, including an evolving regulatory landscape and changing fan behaviours, arise. "The pressure is mounting for more clubs to drive additional revenue at the same time as managing rising costs. "More so than ever, leaders and owners must recognise the great responsibility they have of managing these businesses, capturing the historic essence of a football club while honouring its unrivalled role as a community asset for generations to come." Clubs in Europe's 'big five' leagues reported an aggregate operating profit (0.6 billion euros) for a second successive season, while the aggregate wages/revenue ratio fell from 66% to 64%. Clubs in England's Women's Super League (WSL) jointly generated revenue of 65 million pounds in the 2023-24 season, a 34% rise. Each WSL club had a double-digit increase in revenue, while all 12 clubs reported over one million pounds in revenue for the first time, with an average revenue of 5.4 million pounds. "Through developing more robust fan engagement strategies, strong commercial deals and securing central distributions, WSL clubs unlocked a new phase of growth," Deloitte Sports Business group's knowledge and insights lead Jennifer Haskel said. "Plus, as the reporting and attribution of commercial revenue remains inconsistent between clubs, we may be scratching the surface on the value now being generated by the women's game." ($1 = 0.7409 pounds) ($1 = 0.8743 euros)
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
‘Under strain' English football must improve value for fans, report says
The English football system is "under strain," a new report has found, urging regulation to address factors like fan engagement and competitive balance. However, Deloitte's latest Annual Review of Football Finance has found a lack of clarity around future regulations is proving "unhelpful" to potential investors. According to the group's report, Europe's 'Big Five' leagues generated over 20 billion euros (£16.9 billion) in 2023-24, with Premier League clubs reporting aggregate revenue of £6.3 billion. The Football Governance Bill is set to create an independent regulator for England's top five leagues after making its way through Parliament. However, concerns remain, particularly at the top-flight level, regarding the impact of regulation on the league's growth potential and ability to attract new investment. Tim Bridge, the lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, believes that issues surrounding the competitiveness of the Premier League must also be addressed. 'There can be no doubt that the system in English football is under strain,' he wrote in the foreword to the report published on Thursday. 'Repeated reports of fan unrest at ticket price and accessibility demonstrate the challenge in the modern era of balancing commercial growth with the historic essence of a football club's role and position in society: as a community asset. 'We still await the output of the Independent Football Regulator to fully understand how this may impact the game in England, but it is clear that the way in which the game is governed and the regulation that underpins it needs to seek to drive value, fan engagement (both physical and digital) and competitive balance. 'The two most recent seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25) underscore the challenge, as in each season, all three clubs promoted from the Championship were subsequently relegated after just one season in the Premier League. 'The financial implications of the 'yo-yo effect' on clubs, their spending, and overall competitiveness are major factors to address in order to continue attracting high levels of investment across the system. 'This should though be viewed by all those running the game as an opportunity. The level of interest and the demand to engage with English football remains high and investors still see the opportunity, particularly when there is a strong community link or adjacent investment opportunities, but the lack of clarity over the future regulatory regime is now unhelpful.' Bridge noted that other top leagues are closely observing how the English regulator takes shape, highlighting an economic report by Spain's LaLiga in 2022-23 which welcomed the introduction of a regulator in England to help contain inflationary pressure on wages and other football spending. The Deloitte report again illustrated how far ahead the Premier League is of its 'Big Five' rivals currently, with its aggregate revenue almost double that of the next highest earners LaLiga – whose clubs generated a combined 3.8bn euros (£3.2bn) in 2023-24.
