Michail Antonio in action for West Ham. (Getty Images)
According to Daily Mail, West Ham have held initial talks about a new deal that would make Michail Antonio one of the top earners within the club.
Antonio’s sensational goal-scoring form since the restart of football saved the Hammers from Premier League relegation and the club are now poised to offer him a new deal as a reward.
The versatile forward, who has one year left on his West Ham contract currently earns £65,000-a-week, however, the new long-term deal will see him receive at least £100,000-a-week.
Meanwhile, Antonio hit double-digit figures for the first time in his Premier League career after he scored 10 goals for the Hammers this season. Out of the ten, eight were scored in the last seven games, helping West Ham survive in the top-flight.
The 30-year-old’s incredible form at the end of the season has also made him the side’s leading goal-scorer in the league, overtaking the likes of newcomers Sébastien Haller and Albian Ajeti. Haller, who arrived just last summer, was West Ham’s first-choice striker under former boss Manuel Pellegrini.
The 26-year-old’s inconsistency in front of goal, however, saw him lose his first-team spot after the arrival of new boss David Moyes. Moyes preferred Antonio over Haller to spearhead West Ham’s attack and the move paid off as he put them back in the race, avoiding relegation to the lower division.
With Antonio proving his worth at an extremely crucial situation such as this for West Ham, the club’s decision to offer him a new deal seems like a step in the right direction.
Also, the poor form of Haller remains a major concern for Moyes’s side if they wish to better their displays next season. Despite making 32 league appearances, the Frenchman could manage just seven goals, suggesting that Antonio’s presence would be crucial for them in the coming days.
Apart from Antonio, and Haller, they do not have any established strikers in their ranks with Ajeti and Jordan Hugill being the only other options. Both Ajeti and Hugill are clearly not favourites at the side, with the two of them yet to open their accounts for West Ham.
Hence, West Ham should definitely extend Antonio’s stay at the club as he has already proved himself this season and in the past since his move from Nottingham Forest back in 2015.
West Ham clearly lack consistent goal-scorers and this will hurt them badly next season. If it was not for Antonio’s late-season form, things would have gone downhill for the Hammers. He is definitely worthy of a new deal and West Ham must do everything possible to make it happen.
