West Ham United insider @ExWHUemployee has provided an update on the latest regarding Michail Antonio’s contract.
Last season, the 30-year-old Englishman bagged 10 goals and provided three assists in 24 Premier League appearances, making him the club’s best-performing player (per WhoScored).
So far this term, he has also been the Hammers’ best-performing player after bagging three goals and no assists in six top-flight outings.
However, the Englishman’s current deal at the London Stadium is set to expire at the end of the season, although it has been stated that the Irons are ‘keen’ to offer him a new deal (per Football Insider).
During the latest episode of The West Ham Way Podcast, @ExWHUemployee discussed the latest regarding the situation surrounding Antonio’s contract.
He said: “The club has been talking to Antonio about a new deal for him and there does seem to be some discrepancy on how much we want to offer in terms of duration, to how much he wants.
“At the moment, that is what’s going to cause the discussions to go on longer than being a quick decision.
“Now, this will be taken up in December/January and hopefully be concluded in those months to extend his stay.
“He likes playing for West Ham and I think he wants to finish his career here, but he is wanting a longer contract than we are potentially offering.”
TIF Thoughts on @ExWHUemployee’s update on Michail Antonio’s contract…
As can be seen in what the in-the-know podcaster had to say, he believes that there could be a hold up in Antonio’s contract negotiations over how long the deal should be.
Should West Ham offer Michail Antonio a deal which is as long as he wants?
No, we should be cautious
Yes, he needs to stay
A report by Football Insider in October stated that the Irons wanted to keep Antonio at the club until ‘at least’ 2023 and ‘potentially even longer’.
So, with the Hammers reportedly prepared to offer him a deal longer than the minimum length they are eyeing, then, hopefully, the issue regarding the contract’s length is just a minor one.