"A pointless signing" - West Ham eyeing summer move for Coventry City star | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

According to The Guardian, the London outfit are weighing up an offer for the midfielder, who is set to be a free agent at the end of the campaign as his contract set to expire in June, having not agreed to an extension with the Sky Blues.

West Ham competing to sign Coventry City's Callum O'Hare

This means Coventry will receive no transfer fee in any potential move, with the 25-year-old seeking the next step in his career.

West Ham are one of a number of clubs linked with a move for the player, with Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers also mentioned as potential destinations.

O’Hare has contributed six goals and three assists from 29 appearances in the Championship this season, having recovered from a serious knee injury which was picked up on Boxing Day 2022, keeping him out for nearly a year.

West Ham United could be an attractive proposition for Callum O'Hare

Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether West Ham would be the right next club in O'Hare's career.

Declan Harte

O’Hare has done extremely well since coming back from injury, although he has suffered a slight dip in form towards the end of the campaign.

The midfielder’s injury record has been a worry, but he has shook off any of those concerns by remaining fit ever since coming back near the end of 2023.

His performances were key to Coventry’s rise back up the Championship table, and his departure will be a real blow to the club.

A move to the Premier League would be a big step up, but he is ready to make that leap at this point in his career.

At 25, it is time to challenge himself at a higher level, and the FA Cup semi-final clash with Man United showed his readiness to compete against the best teams in the country.

He more than held his own in the team’s dramatic penalty shootout loss, playing against big names that have competed in the Champions League this year.

West Ham are a strong club with a European pedigree of their own, although there is some uncertainty over the managerial situation, with David Moyes' future in doubt.

Perhaps waiting until there is greater clarity on who will be in the dugout would be wise, but there are plenty of reasons to believe West Ham are an attractive proposition at this stage of O’Hare’s career.

Ben Wignall

Having performed very well in the Championship for Coventry for the last few years, now is the perfect time to see if O'Hare can compete in the top flight of a top European league - much like Viktor Gyokeres and Gus Hamer have gone on to do.

West Ham though is an interesting proposition because they arguably have a world class attacking midfielder plying their trade at the London Stadium in the form of Lucas Paqueta.

O'Hare is not going to usurp the mercurial Brazilian from the starting 11, but there is a chance that Paqueta could be sold for big money - and that is the only way that Coventry's current number 10 is going to get any game-time at the Hammers.

A move to West Ham would of course be a big one for O'Hare, but he perhaps needs to think about potential game-time too when making a decision, and there's likely to be other clubs who can offer him a decent wage but can also give him the minutes he needs to continue improving.

If the Irons are planning on keeping hold of Paqueta, then O'Hare would be a pointless signing in the grand scheme of things - he would be better off seeking a different club to move to, with the likes of Everton and Fulham perhaps better options if they are still keen.