Lewis Orford to sign new West Ham United contract after dramatic U-turn – ExWHUemployee
West Ham United are set to agree a new five-year contract with academy midfielder Lewis Orford, according to ExWHUEmployee.
As shared on The West Ham Way (31 July), the club insider reported that the “elite prospect” would sign for five more years with the Irons, just days after being caught up in their efforts to sign Jhon Duran.
With contract talks going nowhere, Orford had reportedly been included as a makeweight in the Hammers’ £32million offer to complete a deal for the Aston Villa striker [Fabrizio Romano, 25 July], but the bid was rejected regardless.
Now though, a “dramatic U-turn” on the club’s part means the England under-18 captain now looks set to be staying put at the London Stadium for the foreseeable future.
West Ham send clear message with Lewis Orford contract update
Signing an 18-year-old midfielder – who is yet to even make his first-team debut – up to such a long contract is a clear show of faith from the Hammers, and implies Aston Villa have missed out too.
Villans striker Duran seems all-but certain to leave the Midlands club this summer, but the Hammers have been told to pay a whopping £40m for the relatively unproven Colombian [Evening Standard, 26 July].
While a transfer for Duran could still happen, awarding Orford a five-year deal shows how highly he’s rated in East London, and says to Aston Villa that he was a more-than-worthy makeweight in the transfer.
The Irons may now pursue a deal for a more established striker at Premier League or European level [Sky Sports, 31 July] – and for a fraction of the price – whilst also keeping Orford and allowing him to develop further.
Villa’s rejection of the deal may prove to be a blessing in disguise for Julen Lopetegui, who could get the best of both worlds if both Orford and a new striker prove to be better bargains than Duran might have been.
In other West Ham news, the Irons received a boost after an injured midfielder joined up with the first-team squad on their pre-season tour.
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