West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Chelsea target Michail Antonio will be offered a lucrative new contract, report The Sun.
Antonio took the long route to the top and spent the majority of his career, prior to his arrival in the Premier League, in England’s lower tiers. However, his good performances for Nottingham Forest appeared to capture the attention of West Ham, who subsequently made their move to secure his services.
He has since established himself as a key figure in the Hammers’ squad. He has fired home 17 goals in his first 53 Premier League appearances, earning himself a call-up to the England squad; for whom he is yet to make an appearance.
According to The Sun, Antonio’s good form in claret and blue has turned heads across London. The tabloid believe that he has appeared on the radar of Premier League leaders Chelsea.
However, the Blues could be about to suffer a considerable blow in their pursuit of the 27-year-old. The Sun report that Antonio is set to be offered a £65,000-a-week contract extension to reject Chelsea’s advances and commit his future to West Ham. They note that the new deal will, however, include a £20million release clause. In the current market, Antonio is surely worth more than that.