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West Ham’s ‘next Declan Rice’ completes permanent transfer to Champions League club West Ham have sold academy graduate Freddie Potts to Club Brugge in a deal worth around £10million. The 22-year-old was expected to be a key member of the Hammers' squad in their upcoming Championship season, as they seek an immediate return to the top flight. But Potts - the son of club icon Steve - has ended his 17-year association with the club he first joined as a six-year-old. The midfielder will be swapping the Championship for Champions League football, after the Belgian giants qualified by clinching league glory last term. West Ham said in a statement: "We can confirm Freddie Potts has joined Club Brugge on a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee. "Everyone at West Ham United would like to sincerely thank Freddie for his hard work, commitment and all-round contribution and wish him every success in the future." Potts, who has drawn comparisons to former West Ham captain Declan Rice, is being lined up as a replacement for Raphael Onyedika. The Nigeria international is closing in on a move to Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt for a rumoured £7.6m fee. Pott twist Potts' West Ham exit comes just as he looked set to play a greater role for the club in the Championship. The local lad made 22 Premier League appearances last season, starting 12 times as the Hammers were relegated on the final day. But having spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Portsmouth in the second tier, he was expected to feature more in the upcoming campaign. The departure of key man Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham in a £85m deal appeared to pave the way for this. Potts wore the captain's armband during West Ham's pre-season friendly draw with Rangers in July, suggesting he would be among Nuno Espirito Santo's starting midfielders. It appears Potts himself even expected this, having recently shared his plans to become an established player at the London Stadium. In an interview with BBC Radio London, he said: "I want to play as much as I can for West Ham this season. "I want to show that I've got the experience in the Championship from before with previous clubs. I'm excited for the challenge that comes ahead." Potts also spoke of the desire throughout the club to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt following relegation. He added: "I think it's going to be a very good season for us." "We can see the love for the club from the fans, and we want to replicate that on the pitch. "We're very confident going into this season that we can achieve the goal that everyone wants to achieve and no doubt the fans will back us." talkSPORT verdict Former Hammers striker Tony Cottee joined Jeff Stelling and Andy Townsend on talkSPORT Breakfast on Monday. The ex-England international strong expressed his stance that Potts should have been kept hold of by the club. Asked about his potential departure, Cottee admitted: "I don't get it. Freddie Potts, I don't know I might be a bit biased. "I played with his dad and I want to see the academy players. I don't get it, £10million to Brugge, I think they're talking about. "When he played in the Championship two seasons ago, he was Player of the Year for Portsmouth, he was the Player of the Year for Wycombe in League One and we're getting rid of a good young academy player. "It doesn't make sense to me at all. Alright, £10million, you could argue that the club needs a bit of money to pay the bills. "I get that at the moment, but in the grand scale of things, you've got to keep your good academy boys." He added: "West Ham might have raised well over £200million by the time the season starts. "At which point, why are you selling an academy player for £10million? I don't get that one." End of the road Potts will leave West Ham having made 32 first-team appearances. He made his senior debut in a 1–0 loss against Dinamo Zagreb in the Conference League in 2021, with his Premier League bow coming last August, coming on as a half-time substitute in a 5-1 loss to Chelsea. West Ham will play their first competitive game of the season next week, as they host league rivals Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup first round. They will then get their league campaign underway a week later with an away trip to fellow relegated side Burnley on August 16.