Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Everton - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - May 25, 2025 Newcastle United's Callum Wilson salutes their fans after the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..
West Ham are in talks to sign free agent Callum Wilson. The former Newcastle and Bournemouth striker turned down a pay-as-you-play deal from Newcastle earlier this summer, deciding to test the free agency market instead.
The Sun has reported that Newcastle opted against triggering the one year option in Wilson’s contract that would have kept him on his £45,000-a-week salary. They offered instead an incentivized contract offer that is linked to appearances and performance bonuses.
West Ham are now offering a deal that would involve a combination of a fixed salary as well as incentivized bonuses. Wilson has struggled with injuries since joining Newcastle from Bournemouth in 2020, with namely back and hamstring injuries sidelining him for large stretches.
He’s still managed 47 goals in 113 appearances for the Magpies though, leading the line for the better part of three seasons before the arrival of Alexander Isak. His best season came in 2022/23 when he scored 18 Premier League goals in 31 appearances.
West Ham keen on Wilson
West Ham are on the market for attacking reinforcements, having released both Danny Ings and Michail Antonio at the end of last season. The Hammers have also sold star winger Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £55m and will be looking to rebuild.
Graham Potter’s side currently have just one established No9 in their ranks in the shape of last summer’s new arrival Niclas Fullkrug. The German suffered injury issue of his own for much of last season but eventually broke into the team towards the latter stages.
Wilson would likely sit below Fullkrug in the pecking order to start, but will relish his chance to fight for a place in the XI. Talks are considered advanced, but no agreement has been reached at this stage.
Wilson has also attracted interest from newly-promoted clubs Leeds United and Burnley, and is understood to favour a stay in the Premier League.
About the Author
