London Stadium, London, Britain - January 21, 2023. West Ham United's Danny Ings comes on as a substitute to replace Michail Antonio.
West Ham United won’t ‘allow’ Michail Antonio to leave the London Stadium before tomorrow night’s deadline, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
The Lowdown: Antonio’s confession
The Jamaica international’s contract with David Moyes’ side isn’t set to expire until June next year, but having made just nine top-flight starts so far this season, has been linked with an early exit.
Premier League clubs Wolves, Everton and Nottingham Forest have all been credited with an interest in the 32-year-old, who is seemingly open to a departure.
The Irons talisman’s close friend, Adebayo Akinfenwa, told talkSPORT just last night that he’s personally spoken to the striker, who has admitted that him leaving is a ‘real possibility’, but a contrasting claim has now been made.
The Latest: Sheth’s comments
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sheth says that West Ham won’t be willing to let Antonio leave before the end of the window as a result of the limited options currently available in that centre-forward position.
“Now the information I was getting, which I’ve mentioned here before, was that Antonio would be allowed to leave, or they’d consider offers for him, if they brought in another striker on top of (Danny) Ings.
“But the fact that Ings is injured at the minute, the fact that Scamacca is injured at the minute, means that Antonio is playing, and he played really well against Everton last week.
“So, I don’t think they want to allow him to go just now because of that situation that they’ve got with their strikers just now.”
The Verdict: Keep hold of him
Antonio has previously been described as a ‘one-man show’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and it’s important that West Ham do everything they can to keep hold of him in the final hours of the window.
The Umbro-sponsored forward has been a fantastic servant for the club over the years, posting 108 goal contributions in 254 appearances, not to mention that he currently ranks in the 94th percentile for most dribbles completed per 90 minutes by strikers.
The Wandsworth-born talent also has two Player of the Month awards to his name, highlighting the noticeable positive impact he has on the side, and even the thought of losing his services will be a huge worry for Moyes.
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