West Ham United will not renew the contracts of defenders James Collins and Patrice Evra when they expire on 30 June, the club have confirmed.
34-year-old Collins has played 214 times over two spells with the East London club and has been a stalwart in the middle of their defence.
Former-Manchester United left-back Evra made only five appearances for the Hammers this past season after being signed on a short-term deal by former manager David Moyes back in early February. He made his debut towards the end of the month against Liverpool.
A statement on the club’s official website read:
“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks for the outstanding service James has given West Ham United down the years.”
West Ham announced Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager only two days ago, signing the former-Manchester City boss down to a three-year deal at the London Stadium.
The Chilean coach’s first duty as the new Hammers boss could be to strengthen the defence following the impeding release of Collins and Evra at the end of next month.
