Halfway through the 2025/26 season, now feels like a pretty good time to check in with those who left West Ham United over the summer.

Who is facing an exit after only 197 minutes of football at his new club? Which former full-back has his overachieving outfit dreaming of Champions League qualification?

And which former West Ham United talisman could be set for a new challenge in the Championship?

Kurt Zouma – CFR Cluj

Zouma was supposed to bring Champions League football back to a club who famously defeated Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United at Old Trafford back in 2012. Instead, ambitious, big-spending Cluj head into Christmas closer to the bottom of the Romanian top-flight than the European spots.

The former West Ham skipper has barely featured in his new home. His soon-to-be ‘former’ home, according to the latest developments out of Eastern Europe. Earning £45,000-a-week at a Cluj side now facing major financial concerns, removing Zouma from the wage bill would certainly help in an era of austerity.

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“I think a winter [change] is possible. Let’s see, we have to talk to him too,” Cluj president Iuliu Muresan, told Fanatik recently. “He’s very positive, a good guy, but we need fit players who want it.

“He wants to play, he has quality character, he has an impressive physique, but he has some problems with both knees. It’s hard for him to play football at this level anymore.

“The chances are 99 per cent that he will leave, yes.”

Vladimir Coufal – Hoffenheim

From one high-profile, high-cost failure to one of the most inspired bargain signings in Europe’s top five leagues. Even with his 34th birthday coming up, the veteran full-back has still got it.

Close friend and long-time teammate Tomas Soucek could hardly believe his ears when it emerged that West Ham would not be extending Vladimir Coufal’s contract. Their loss, though, has been Hoffenheim’s gain. If Graham Potter is wondering why he is receiving a couple Christmas cards from Sinsheim, the form of his former right-back should explain it.

Coufal has been an ‘absolute masterstroke’ of a signing for a Hoffenheim team sitting just two points behind RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen, hovering narrowly outside the Champions League positions.

Furthermore, only Inter Milan set-piece specialist Federico Dimarco and Matthieu Udol of Lens have more assists than Coufal’s four across all the full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.

“He’s incredibly willing to run. There’s no question about his age,” Hoffenheim coach Christian Ilzer told Kicker. “He’s in top shape and highly professional in everything he does.

“He’s an enormous asset to our game in both directions.

“Vlad does an excellent job of resolving difficult situations, controlling difficult balls, and making the right decisions. Defending in the last line and attacking in the first line is not an easy position, both tactically and physically. He does it truly flawlessly.”

Was letting Coufal go our biggest mistake of last summer? Which former Hammer do you miss the most?

Vladimir Coufal achievements at West Ham United

• 180 appearances in all competitions
• 147 Premier League appearances
• 20 assists
• Conference League winner in 2023
• Europa League semi-finalist in 2022
• Winner of the Players’ Project Award in 2023

Mohammed Kudus – Tottenham Hotspur

While the Ghana international certainly sits closer to Coufal than he does Zouma, Kudus is falling some way short of Thomas Frank’s ‘target’.

The under-fire Tottenham Hotspur boss wanted more goals from his £54.5 million summer signing. Ironically, Mohammed Kudus is posting worse starts now than he did even during a poor second season with West Ham.

Three goals in 23 matches.

On the other hand, he has also been a rare bright spot in a largely disastrous start to the Frank era. Arguably the one consistent source of creativity in a drab outfit devoid of personality and unpredictability.

Kudus sits among the top 20 chance creators in the Premier League.

Nayef Aguerd – Marseille

There are a few reasons why the £30 million signing from Rennes struggled during his ill-fated stay in claret and blue.

Nayef Aguerd hinted at an issue with David Moyes’ tactics. His head coach at Morocco, Walid Regragui, blames injuries – Aguerd suffered an ankle injury almost immediately after joining in 2022 – as well as the ‘harshness’ of the Premier League.

He certainly looks more at home back, erm, home in French football. Representing a third Ligue 1 outfit of his career, the former Dijon man is cutting the mustard for a Marseille side keeping pace with PSG and Lens at the summit.

Aguerd even scored the winner against Paris Saint-Germain. Marseille’s first Stade Velodrome victory over their ‘Clasique’ rivals since 2011.

Emerson Palmieri – Marseille

While Aguerd has produced his fair share of headline moments for L’OM, Emerson has been plugging away quietly in the background. Yet, starting 13 of the last 14 games in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League, the experienced left-back has unsurprisingly proven himself to be a solid, good value addition for an up-front fee of just £600,000.

Emerson was frozen out by Graham Potter towards the end of his time in London, replaced by a younger model in El Hadji Malick Diouf. History may yet repeat itself across the Channel, though.

Aaron Cresswell – Stoke City

One of a trio of former Hammers now earning a living in Staffordshire. Although questions have arisen regarding Divin Mubama while Welsh wing wizard Sorba Thomas remains in ‘deadly’ form, their 36-year-old left-back is proving that he still has plenty left in the tank.

Despite featuring 15 times this season, Potters boss Mark Robins has taken to resting Cresswell in recent weeks as the schedule becomes increasingly brutal. The veteran feels that he can still bring invaluable experience to a Stoke side whose promotion push has stalled of late, though, even if he struggles to play three games a week these days.

“I was at West Ham when we had three years in Europe,” Cresswell tells the Stoke Sentinel. “We were playing on a Thursday, playing on a Sunday and then potentially again on the next Thursday. It’s a challenge but one we’re all ready for.”

Danny Ings – Sheffield United

Former England international Ings finally got off the mark for Sheffield United in mid-December. That tap-in during a 1-1 draw with Norwich City was his first since leaving the Hammers on a free transfer, and his first in 12 Blades appearances.

“It was a big relief,” Ings told The Star with a sigh.

“It’s been quite a tough road for me over the last couple of years, to be honest. I’m just kind of trying to fight back to my old ways, and doing what I’ve been doing for such a long time. But sometimes it just takes a while to hit the ground running and I’m really delighted to get that goal.

“Hopefully I can build on that now.”

Alongside fellow veteran Patrick Bamford – Sheffield United have two ex-Three Lions to pick from up top – manager Chris Wilder is backing Ings to silence his doubters for good.

Wes Foderingham – Aris Limassol

It was the departure of Foderingham which paved the way for Lukasz Fabianski’s return to the London Stadium. After failing to make a single first-team appearance during his one and only season with West Ham, the former Rangers, Sheffield United and Swindon goalkeeper could not resist the urge of regular first-team football. Although there are probably a few other reasons why he swapped the East London bench for the sun and sand of Cyprus, of course.

So far, Foderingham has played 11 matches, kept six clean sheets, and conceded just eight goals for third-place Aris Limassol.

Edson Alvarez – Fenerbahce

Hammers News reported this week that West Ham will not be re-calling Edson Alvarez from his loan spell at the Turkish Super Lig giants. Why would they? With Freddie Potts blossoming, Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa growing, there is an argument that the £35 million signing from Ajax would be Nuno’s fourth-choice midfielder these days.

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Over in Istanbul, though, Alvarez is clearly relishing life in a league which has proven itself time and time again to be a useful destination for ageing footballers in need of a revival.

Fenerbahce recorded a combined 184 points across the last two seasons while failing to overhaul champions Galatasaray on either occasion. With Alvarez at the base of the midfield these days, could 2026 be the year when the bridesmaids finally walk down the aisle?

“Alvarez has won the hearts of fans,” Turkish publication Sporx explain. “Edson quickly became one of the most popular players.”

Maxwel Cornet – Genoa

If the £17.5 million signing from Burnley had hoped a move to Italy would bring about a change in fortunes, he was mistaken. Cornet has played only 75 minutes of football after extending a loan spell at Genoa which began at the start of 2025.

In one of the rare occasions he did get on the pitch, Maxwel Cornet missed a penalty at the death during a 0-0 draw with Parma. Patrick Vieira, the Arsenal and France legend, was sacked soon after.

Now, the task falls on Roma icon Daniele de Rossi to keep Genoa in the top-flight. Considering Cornet’s seemingly never-ending fitness problems, De Rossi would be advised against pinning his hopes on the West Ham loanee.

Michail Antonio – Leicester City?

After Brentford ruled out signing Michail Antonio on a short-term deal, the veteran striker must have wondered when a chance was finally going to present itself, if ever. Antonio is desperate to kick-start a career which has been placed on pause since his horror car crash 12 months ago.

But, one year on, Leicester City could yet give West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer the opportunity he is crying out for.

“He has been training with us and we are having a look. Soon, we will probably take a decision,” Foxes coach Marti Cifuentes told Leicestershire Live recently, having opened the door for Antonio to train with the Championship underachievers.

“It would not make any sense that he was here if there was not interest from both sides. But this is always a negotiation and a conversation between two parties.

“He’s aware he could do a good job for us here. We think he could help us if he’s ready to help us and that’s what we’re discussing at the moment.

“He’s a player that has 17 years of experience of professional football. I don’t think anyone will be surprised by his quality or his level. At the same time, for the last year he has not been competing.”