West Ham striker Michail Antonio will reportedly leave the club at the end of the season, bringing to an end a memorable spell at the club.
The 34-year-old arrived at the London Stadium from Nottingham Forest back in 2015, and in the nine years since then, he has arguably become one of the Hammers’ best players of the Premier League era.
Antonio’s physicality and pace have so often been a nightmare for opposition defenders to handle, and he has racked up a tally of 82 goals in 305 appearances, not to mention also chipping in with 40 assists.
At 34, though, there are now question marks as to whether or not the Jamaican’s best days are behind him, even though he scored the equaliser in last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool in the league.
Antonio is out of contract at West Ham at the end of the season, and according to a new report from Football Insider, the east Londoners won’t be offering him an extension, therefore ending his time at the club:
“West Ham are expected to allow Michail Antonio to depart the club when his contract ends in June, sources have told Football Insider. The Irons have the option to extend his deal a further 12 months but it is believed they are ready to let the 34-year-old walk away for free.
“Antonio has been a key man for David Moyes during his tenure and has been the first-choice senior striker at West Ham in recent years. However, Moyes is also set to depart the club in June when his contract expires. West Ham are scouring the market for a new striker – who will replace Antonio after years of stellar service at the London Stadium.”
It does feel like the right time for Antonio to move on, considering giving a new deal to someone his age would be seen as a risk, especially as he has been known to pick up injuries down the years.
This season, only six league goals have come his way in 23 appearances, and he has arguably lost some of the speed that used to be such a potent weapon for him.
Antonio will depart a true modern West Ham hero, however, with no player scoring more goals for them in the Premier League, and it will then be a case of finding a younger successor to him this summer.
