Impressive West Ham star in talks over ‘substantial’ new contract after Man Utd links
West Ham central midfielder Tomas Soucek has reportedly entered negotiations over a new contract at the London Stadium.
Soucek, 26, joined the Irons on loan from Slavia Prague in January 2020. They spent £19.1million to make his move permanent that summer, as per BBC Sport.
The star became a huge hit among the West Ham fans during his first full season in the Premier League. He scored 10 goals while appearing in all 38 league matches, helping David Moyes’ side to qualify for Europe.
The Czech Republic international has not been as much of a threat this campaign, although he still has goals against Newcastle, Brighton and Watford to his name.
Soucek’s impressive performances since arriving in England have seen pundits tip him for a transfer to Manchester United.
Trevor Sinclair told talkSPORT in September: “I’ve said it last season, we were talking about this exact fixture, and I said Declan Rice and Soucek would walk into the Manchester United team.
“I don’t think their two or three holding midfielders would walk into West Ham’s team.
“I think they are probably as good as you’re going to get in the Premier League at the moment.”
Tomas Soucek talks begin
West Ham are hoping to prevent an early exit by tying Soucek down to a new deal. According to club insiders Claret and Hugh, talks recently began between the player’s advisors and West Ham officials.
Soucek is set to receive a ‘substantial’ pay rise which will keep him in east London until 2026.
The player’s current deal runs until 2024 and has the option of another two years, but West Ham aim to scrap that idea and replace it with a considerable new contract.
They also realise the importance of keeping Soucek around amid uncertainty over Declan Rice. The fellow midfielder is being tipped for a major move, despite his lofty £100m price tag.
Soucek has made 29 appearances so far this term, helping the Hammers to compete for a top-four spot and reach the Europa League round of 16.
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West Ham in for Chelsea forward
Meanwhile, Football Insider claim West Ham are preparing to enter talks for Chelsea’s Armando Broja.
The forward has been a handful for Premier League defenders since joining Southampton on loan in the summer.
His record stands at five goals in 18 league matches, while he has also hit two strikes in the Carabao Cup.
Southampton are hopeful of striking a permanent deal, but West Ham want to win the race for Broja’s services.
According to the report, the Hammers have penned in talks with Chelsea late in the January transfer window.
They want to make Broja the understudy to Michail Antonio, with a view to him becoming their first-choice forward one day.
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