Josh Ajala has put an end to speculation surrounding his future at West Ham United with the Premier League 2 hitman determined to force his way into Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans.
Fabrizio Romano reported in January that German and French clubs had held talks with the former Chelsea kid, his contract due to expire this summer.
Much to West Ham United’s relief, though, it was announced on Friday that the in-form Josh Ajala has put pen to paper on a deal that should keep him in East London until at least 2028.
Fortunately, Fabrizio Romano was very wrong…
What should the next steps for Josh Ajala be at West Ham?
Josh Ajala sets his sights on a West Ham United role
Nuno Espirito Santo has handed debuts to Mohamadou Kante, Ezra Mayers, Keiber Lamadrid and Callum Marshall this season. And Ajala clearly believes that there is a pathway available to him as the free-scoring 19-year-old looks to follow in the footsteps of various Under-21 teammates.
“I think West Ham has been a really good place for my development over the last couple of years,” Ajala tells the club’s official website. “When I first joined the club, everyone was so welcoming and I feel like the group of players we have share a great bond.
“There’s a lot of togetherness on and off the pitch and I think that shows in our results.
“I feel like I’ve been in good form for a lot of the time, scoring goals for both the Under-18s and Under-21s. I want to keep scoring goals for the youth teams and hopefully that will give me the chance to do so for the first team.”
Ajala could pursue a loan move and Football League clubs are bound to be keen
Ajala was on the bench for the first time when West Ham beat Burton Albion in the FA Cup fourth round. Nuno is expected to make changes for the visit of Brentford in Monday’s tie.
It remains to be seen if there will be a place among the substitutes for him again but, as Josh Ajala is in ‘unplayable’ form for Greg Lincoln’s reserves, he is doing his chances no harm.
Who do YOU want to see start v Brentford in the FA Cup? 🏆
Nuno is expected to ring the changes…
“Every young player dreams of making that step up into senior football, whether that’s playing with the first team or going out on loan to get first-team experience,” adds Ajala, who does not rule out a potential stint in the EFL a la Kaelan Casey, Freddie Potts and George Earthy.
“Being on the bench for the first team is a great experience. It’s just a step closer to making my debut which is something I’ve dreamed of since I was very young.
“When I look at the next couple of years in terms of development, I want to make sure I’m scoring goals, playing to the best of my ability and trying to fulfil my potential, whether that’s here with the first team or out on loan.”
The youngster has 11 goals in 20 second-string matches this season.
Ajala fired West Ham into the National League Cup final with a brace against Tamworth last month. Lincoln’s side will face Boreham Wood in the decider on March 17th.
Tying down one of their hottest prospects is a major plus for a side who have lost a handful of exciting talent in recent times. Elisha Sowunmi left for Tottenham in January, while Emeka Adiele moved to the Netherlands with FC Utrecht.
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