An insider source said to be close to struggling West Ham star Tomas Soucek has made a claim about new contract talks.
There has been much speculation about a supposed new deal for West Ham’s big Czech of late.
And there have even been reports – perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly when people are sat around the negotiating table – that Soucek is being watched by some of the best teams in world football (Grand Hotel Calciomercato).
Soucek was West Ham’s Hammer of the Year last season for a reason.
All round he proved to be the team’s most important and influential player. As a fan if you couldn’t see that for yourself the statistics were there to prove it.
He set a new top flight record for aerial duels won, a new top flight record for distance covered.
Soucek stopped goodness knows how many goals with defensive headers and blocks, scored 10 Premier League goals and laid on one assist.
The Czech man mountain looked a threat at every single West Ham set piece and in almost every attack last season.
Soucek was also in the top 10 Premier League players statistically last season. Only Dimitri Payet, Scott Parker and Paolo Di Canio have managed that in West Ham’s Premier League history.
This season has been a totally different story for Soucek, though, with the West Ham man a shadow of the player we saw last season and in the run-in after he first signed in the January before.
Some fans have put it down to fatigue. But as highlighted by Hammers News at the start of the season, Soucek is suffering as a result of Declan Rice’s new box-to-box roaming role.
And David Moyes has admitted as much himself (Football.London).
We predicted that we may see a rebirth of the real Soucek when Rice was suspended for the game against Watford at the end of December. And we duly did as the big Czech looked like the Soucek of old with a goal and all round excellent display in a 4-1 win.
That’s not Rice’s fault, though. It is up to Soucek and his teammates to raise their levels to match Rice’s and for David Moyes to find a system and solution to get the best out of both.
There is no hiding Soucek’s form has been rotten, particularly with the ball. So now is probably not the best time to be negotiating a new contract.
But according to an insider source close to struggling West Ham star Soucek, those contract talks are imminent and could be concluded this week with a £100k per week deal mooted.
Insider source close to struggling West Ham star Tomas Soucek makes new contract claim
“A source close to the player has revealed to Claret and Hugh the Irons are set to have more talks with the defensive midfielder and his agent over the next few days,” Claret and Hugh claim.
“There have been some suggestions that the Czech Republic international would prefer a more offensive midfield role as was the case last season when he became Hammer of the Year but we are told he remains content to put pen to paper on a new deal if the terms are right.
“Soucek’s advisers will be looking to get as close to £100,000-per-week as possible after he emerged as a key man since when arriving from Slavia Prague back in 2020 and having been told an improved deal will be in the pipeline on the strength of his performances.
“That time appears to have come as talks could prove when they start over the next few days.”
It seems a strange time to be handing a new contract to Soucek given his worryingly below par performances. Had it been done at the end of last season nobody would have batted an eyelid.
But the same could be said about the decision to hand Michail Antonio a new £90k per week deal recently.
If Moyes feels these players should be rewarded with these deals, though, then who are we to argue?