West Ham Confirm Michail Antonio Has Signed New 3-Year Contract
West Ham have confirmed that Michail Antonio has a signed a new three-year deal at the London Stadium.
The 30-year-old has become the Hammers' most valuable and important asset since David Moyes was re-appointed as manager, excelling in a central striker's role after spending the majority of his career out on the wing.
Antonio's goalscoring form towards the end of the 2019/20 season was key to keeping West Ham in the Premier League, and he even netted four goals in one game as the Hammers blew away relegation rivals Norwich City 4-0 at Carrow Road.
Hamstring troubles have hampered Antonio's 2020/21 campaign, but he's still been an important figure for West Ham and has helped the club into the top half of the table after impressing alongside Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals in a front three.
For his endeavours, he's now been rewarded with a new contract, confirmed by the club on their official website. Speaking of his new deal, Antonio said: “I got eight goals in one month, so I’ve got two-and-half years now to see how many more I can get and how far I can get!
“I definitely want to get to the 50-goal mark in the Premier League and see how I can go on from there.
We are pleased to announce that @Michailantonio has extended his stay with the Club until the summer of 2023.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 18, 2020
“I’ve been here for five-and-a-half years, this season will be six and by the time my contract expires it will be eight years. Before I signed here, the longest I had been at a club was two years, so it shows that I’ve been here, done my work, been able to secure my position and keep growing as a player.”
News of Antonio's new contract is the perfect way to round off a calendar year that has seen him net 12 times in 23 appearances. Moreover, he's become one of the Premier League's most feared strikers in that time, with his blistering pace and unrivalled work-rate constantly putting defenders under pressure.