ExWHUemployee claimed that West Ham are in the midst of contract talks with Michail Antonio, when speaking on the West Ham Way podcast last night (Tuesday, November 10th).
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The 30-year-old has been in sensation form for the Hammers since Premier League action resumed in June.
Antonio, signed from Nottingham Forest for £7 million in 2015, has scored 11 goals in his last 15 Premier League games for West Ham (Soccerbase).
The powerful attacker is absolutely vital to the way in which David Moyes sets up his team. And he is undoubtedly one of the most important players the Scot has at his disposal at the London Stadium.
And when speaking on the West Ham Way podcast last night, ExWHUemployee claimed that the Hammers hierarchy are trying to tie Antonio down to a new deal, although the insider suggested that it is proving to be rather problematic at the moment:
“The club has been talking to Antonio about a new deal. There does seem to be some discrepancy on how much we want to offer in terms of duration in comparison to what he wants. At the moment that will cause discussions to go on longer. He likes playing for West Ham and i think he wants to finish his career with us. But he is wanting a longer contract than we are potentially offering.”
Let’s hope that some common ground can be found.
With Antonio’s hamstring problems, West Ham’s reluctance to offer him a four-year deal is understandable.
Perhaps a three-year deal would be a fair outcome for both parties. We certainly don’t want to lose Antonio. But at the same time, offering him such a long-term deal would be counter-productive.
It’s a tricky one, and a compromise is clearly needed.
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