West Ham in contract discussions with senior star to push back Prem, Saudi interest after ‘huge’ bid
West Ham duo Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek
West Ham United remain in contract talks with Michail Antonio as they try to prevent the centre-forward from leaving in a cut-price deal next year, according to a report.
Antonio has been a truly loyal servant to West Ham, having been on their books since September 2015. Overall, he has managed 77 goals and 44 assists in 288 matches for the Irons.
For a while, West Ham had to rely heavily on Antonio as he was their only striker. And even though he previously operated as a right-back, the 33-year-old proved himself to be a fearsome attacker thanks to his keen eye for goal and physicality.
Antonio is no longer the only striker at West Ham, as manager David Moyes can now rely on Danny Ings, while the in-form Jarrod Bowen can operate there too. Nevertheless, Moyes still views Antonio as an important member of his squad.
Despite that stance, there have been rumours Antonio could leave the London Stadium. His contract expires in June 2024, and this has put other clubs on alert.
In September, it emerged that West Ham had begun contract discussions with Antonio and his camp. But on October 23, transfer insider Dean Jones exclusively revealed to TEAMtalk that Antonio’s future could be thrown into doubt this winter, with West Ham on the hunt for striker reinforcements.
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Football Insider have now provided an update on Antonio’s situation. They state that even though an agreement has yet to be reached, West Ham are still in negotiations with the player over fresh terms. West Ham also have the option to extend his current deal until June 2025, just in case they need to stop a Bosman agreement in January.
The report adds that West Ham are keen to tie the Jamaica international down to prevent him from joining one of his Premier League suitors, while there is also interest from the Saudi top flight.
Update on Michail Antonio future
Antonio almost signed for Steven Gerrard’s side Al Ettifaq over the summer, with Football Insider claiming he received he a ‘huge offer’ to leave West Ham for the Middle East.
That move stalled after Al Ettifaq landed Moussa Dembele on a free transfer from Lyon, though Saudi chiefs remain eager to snare Antonio in a future transfer window.
Antonio is far from the only player West Ham need to make a decision on. As per transfermarkt, Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Soucek, Ben Johnson, Angelo Ogbonna and Pablo Fornals are all due to become free agents at the end of the campaign, as things stand.
