West Ham to activate one-year option in Angelo Ogbonna contract – Athletic
West Ham are set to trigger the one-year extension option in Angelo Ogbonna’s contract, with talks over a longer deal expected this week according to The Athletic.
Ogbonna hasn’t featured for the Hammers since November after suffering a cruciate ligament injury against Liverpool, but was the first-choice centre-back prior to that for Moyes.
Now he is set to be rewarded for his fine form earlier this season with the club to trigger the one-year option in his deal, which is currently set to expire at the end of this season.
According to Roshane Thomas, the club will enter preliminary talks with the Italian’s representatives this week about extending his deal for more than a season.
He has returned to light training and is hopeful of getting back on the pitch before the end of the season.
There have been some reports linking Ogbonna with a move away this summer [Citta Celeste], but it seems the Hammers are intent on keeping the 34-year-old.
Experience
David Moyes’ side have been solid defensively despite a number of injuries in the heart of the defence across the campaign.
Ogbonna is unlikely to hit the levels he did pre-injury again because of his age and the type of injury he suffered, but the ‘outstanding‘ defender can still supply good performances and has plenty of experience to offer.
He is clearly popular in the dressing room too, having travelled with the squad to Lyon for their Europa League quarter-final second leg last week.
It would be one less position that the Hammers need to strengthen in what is set to be a busy summer transfer window already, even if his role as an automatic starter doesn’t exist anymore.
Fans would be delighted to see him stay, the players would be delighted, Ogbonna would seemingly be happy to stay on too, so it seems like a deal where all parties win.
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