'If you're Leeds United' - Paul Merson's ominous West Ham relegation warning offers big Daniel Farke hope

Paul Merson believes Premier League strugglers West Ham could be the team Leeds United aim to finish above in order to avoid relegation next season.

The Hammers have endured a miserable end to the 2024/25 campaign with just one win in their last 10 games, having fallen to yet another defeat at home to Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Manager Graham Potter was keen to finish the campaign with some momentum going into the summer but since taking over from Julen Lopetegui in January, he’s won just four games.

West Ham confirmed earlier this month four hugely experienced players - including reported Leeds target Vladimir Coufal - will leave this summer while a wider overhaul is expected, but funds are not infinite. More than £120m was spent last year while a £36million obligation to buy Jean-Clair Todibo was triggered recently.

If Leeds are to survive in the Premier League next season then at least one of the current top-flight regulars will need to drop, with all of last year’s newly-promoted teams going straight back down for the second consecutive year. And Merson has singled out West Ham as the team to target in a damning verdict on the east London club.

Paul Merson’s damning West Ham verdict offers Leeds United encouragement

“You’ve got to have the players to play a certain way of football and who he brings in I don’t know at the moment,” the former Arsenal and Portsmouth midfielder told Sky Sports. “I think if you’re a Leeds United or a Burnley and whoever comes up in the play-offs, I’m afraid to say they’ll be highlighting West Ham.

“They’ll be looking at West Ham and going ‘They’re one of the teams I think we could try and finish in front of’. Because if you look at all the players that are going, I mean that will bring the average age down to about 12 or 13! I mean that’s an old age group. But experience is priceless. When that experience goes, that's when you start to struggle. It’s alright bringing in a lorry load of youngsters but it’s a hard one.

“I think West Ham is a hard job, I think it’s a big club but I just think it’s a hard, hard job. Someone needs a lot of time, there’s a lot to be done there. I think he should be given a four or five year contract to get it right. Because he’ll go and then someone else will come in and it will never get going. And sooner or later it does catch up with you and someone gets relegated.”

Leeds, Burnley and one of Sheffield United or Southampton will all be looking at the likes of West Ham going into next season, with the odds currently stacked against all three in the race to survive. Previous years have seen the likes of Everton, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth struggle but all appear to have kicked on, reducing the pool of realistic relegation rivals even further.

Growing discontent at West Ham, coupled with the club’s decision to offload several experienced squad members, could see them fall into serious trouble. Head coach Potter might also find it difficult to recruit for his style, given funds could be lacking and a significant overhaul is needed.

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