West Ham hope to agree on a new contract for playmaker Manuel Lanzini within the next fortnight, according to Claret & Hugh.
The reliable Hammers website claims that the 26-year-old has less than 12 months on his contract, but that the club do have an option to extend his current deal by two years.
Claret & Hugh report that the Hammers previously planned to hand Lanzini a new five-year deal, which would have doubled his wages, ahead of him getting injured last summer, and add that now that the player has returned to his best, both sides have stepped up their efforts to get a new deal sorted.
It is believed that there had previously been a stalemate between Lanzini and West Ham over a new contract.
OPINION
This is excellent news as the Hammers need to do all they can to sort out Lanzini’s future. While the Hammers can automatically add two-years to his deal, it’s likely that he won’t be happy about staying at the club if they don’t reward his efforts in the past seasons with a pay-rise. The 26-year-old has scored 21 goals, while assisting 17, in 110 appearances since signing his current Hammers contract upon joining from Al-Jarzia, and he deserves some sort of recognition for his contribution. This is especially the case if Lanzini continues to wow this season, just like he did against Brighton on Saturday. The Hammers managed only a 1-1 draw against the Seagulls, but that was down to the playmaker not delivering the goods. Lanzini not only played an inch-perfect pass through for Javier Hernandez to slot home, but he made four key passes during the game, significantly more than any of his teammates, and averaged a rating of 8.08 (Source: WhoScored). So if Lanzini submits similar performances in the coming weeks, then handing him a new deal will look like a very smart decision.
