West Ham striker Michail Antonio remains in talks with the club regarding an extension on his current contract, a fresh update has claimed.
The 33-year-old has been a brilliant servant for the Hammers since joining from Nottingham Forest back in 2015, proving to be a huge threat in the final third – one capable of troubling some of the best centre-backs in the country on his day.
In fact, Antonio is now West Ham’s record goalscorer in the history of the Premier League, netting 63 times in the competition, which is 16 more than joint-second-place pair Paolo Di Canio and Mark Noble (47).
The Jamaica international is out of contract at the London Stadium at the end of this season, however, so there is a big decision to make regarding his future.
Should Antonio depart when the season reaches its conclusion, he will be able to leave on a free transfer, but there is a chance that the club could want to extend his stay, with an option to retain his services until 2025.
According to Football Insider, West Ham “remain in talks” with the attacker over a new deal, with the report stating that he is the “subject of interest from Premier League clubs going into January as well as mega-rich teams in the Middle East.”
At 33, there is an argument to say that Antonio isn’t quite the footballer he used, perhaps losing some of his pace, but extending his contract by 12 months still makes sense, considering he is still an important player for David Moyes.
This season, he has scored twice and assisted once in the Premier League, and while that may not be a great return in 10 appearances, his selflessness leading the line and ability to link with the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, among others, can be so effective.
Ultimately, the decision could lie with Antonio himself, who may feel that he has come as far as he can for West Ham after eight years there, as well as possibly being swayed by a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League, but it would be preferable to see him stay with the Hammers for another year.
