90min

Michail Antonio Set to Be Offered New Bumper West Ham Contract

By Grey Whitebloom

Michail Antonio's post-lockdown form is poised to be rewarded with a wage increase and contract extension
Michail Antonio's post-lockdown form is poised to be rewarded with a wage increase and contract extension / Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
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West Ham forward Michail Antonio is on course for a new and improved contract and the London club are confident he will sign.

Antonio has been a West Ham player since joining from Nottingham Forest in 2015. In the most recent domestic campaign, he enjoyed his best scoring season in claret and blue, netting ten Premier League goals - eight of which came after football returned from the coronavirus-induced hiatus.

Only one Premier League player could better Michail Antonio's tally of eight goals post-lockdown
Only one Premier League player could better Michail Antonio's tally of eight goals post-lockdown / Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

This flurry of goals, coupled with the fact that Antonio's current deal with the Hammers expires in 2021, has inevitably prompted interest from fellow Premier League sides - though Antonio expressed a desire to retire at West Ham as recently as July.

David Moyes' side are optimistic that any talk of a move away will be swiftly quashed as they are set to entice Antonio with a contract extension with a sizeable wage increase, according to The Guardian.

There may less than 12 months left on Antonio's deal, but the contract contains an in-built option for West Ham to trigger a two-year extension.

Ahead of any negotiations, Antonio is thought to earn a salary in the region of £70,000-per-week. Alongside Sebastien Haller - the striker Antonio has displaced from the starting lineup - Jack Wilshere, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko are reportedly among the club's best-paid players with weekly wages of around £100,000.

Felipe Anderson is one of West Ham's best-paid players with a salary in the region of £115,000-per-week
Felipe Anderson is one of West Ham's best-paid players with a salary in the region of £115,000-per-week / Michael Regan/Getty Images

Serie A sides Napoli and Lazio have turned down Brazilian winger Anderson in recent weeks as West Ham look to offload some of their highest earners and free up space in the squad for new arrivals.

12 months after arriving at the London Stadium, striker Albian Ajeti was sold to Scottish champions Celtic, representing the club's first sale of the summer. At the other end of the pitch, West Ham are thought to be 'lining up' a bid for Brighton centre back Shane Duffy.