West Ham eye free-agent Adam Webster for Championship

West Ham United are looking at former Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Adam Webster, 31, a free agent after his contract at the Amex Stadium expired this month, costing zero pounds. For a club adjusting to the harsh financial realities of the Championship, this could be a massive selling point.

Webster missed the entire 2025/26 campaign after tearing his knee ligaments during a pre-season training camp last summer, and he has not played a minute of competitive football in a year. Despite the layoff, he amassed 158 appearances for Brighton & Hove Albion, confirming his pedigree as a proven top-flight performer.

West Ham see him as a cost-effective way to inject veteran experience into a backline left shattered by relegation. Signing a player without a transfer fee aligns with the club’s effort to manage a heavily restricted transfer budget.

Nuno Espirito Santo prefers centre-backs who press aggressively, run hard and provide quick lateral covering to shut down counter-attacks. Introducing a defender emerging from a twelve-month ACL layoff into that high-press system represents a significant tactical risk.

Webster’s market value has fallen from a peak of £24 million to pocket change, and a weekly wage around £45,000 would be realistic for a free agent. A one-year deal at the London Stadium would give both parties a platform to assess his recovery and contribution.

During his peak years under Graham Potter, Webster averaged an 88% pass-completion rate and was comfortable stepping out from the back with progressive distribution. A heavily incentivised, performance-based contract could allow him to prove his knee is fully healed while providing West Ham with a high-calibre ball-playing defender.

Mike Hewitt captured Webster gesturing during the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final between Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest at the Amex Stadium on March 29, 2025. The image underscores his involvement at the highest domestic level before his injury.