West Ham United have opened talks with Tomas Soucek about extending his stay at the London Stadium.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that West Ham have started negotiations with the 26-year-old midfielder regarding a new four-year deal.
The report goes on to state that, despite the fact the Czech Republic international’s current contract runs until the summer of 2024, the club’s hierarchy are keen to tie him down to a new long-term deal.
Fans will be buzzing
Considering just how “important” a part of the West Ham side Soucek has become since his €21m (£17.5m) permanent signing back in the summer of 2020, the news that the club are hoping to extend the midfielder’s stay in East London is sure to have left fans buzzing.
Indeed, during his first full season with the club last term, the £42m-rated man was in remarkable form over his 38 Premier League appearances, scoring ten goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.7 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.
The defensively-minded midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning 9.6 duels per fixture.
These returns saw the £67k-per-week dynamo earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.16, ranking him as Moyes’ second-best performer in the top flight last time out – as well as seeing the 26-year-old win the club’s Hammer of the Year award.
As such, while many will be disappointed that West Ham missed out on a £50m deal to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the January transfer window, the news that the club are working on keeping Soucek a part of their squad for the foreseeable future – amid reported interest from both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain – is sure to have appeased the Hammers fanbase somewhat.
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