Exclusive By Hughie Southon and Dave Langton
West Ham are becoming more confident that Tomas Soucek will stay at the club beyond the summer transfer window.
The Irons midfielder has been in a stand-off with boss David Moyes over the terms of his new contract.
He has yet to commit his future to the club but there was a feeling earlier this summer that he would leave if the right offer came in after the manager refused to give his a contract imptovement.
This allegedly led to bad cloood between the pair and at this point there has been no bid for the Czech and West Ham are growing in their belief that he will remain at the club.
We are now being told that Soucek is not minded to push for a move as feelings appear to have become calmer betweeen manager and player and the Irons will not actively attempt to sell him.
There has not been an offer from an elite club, and the sides linked with him all finished below the Hammers last season.
David Moyes has readily admitted previously that every player has his price but the Irons value Soucek highly.
The Irons have had midfield issues when it comes to numbers but they have signed Flynn Downes from Swansea, and Declan Rice is also set to stay for at least one more season.
Cheered me up a treat – best news of the summer so far. Thanks C&H! Now if we can just sign a couple of forwards ….
I hope he stays, if the club rate him so highly, why could they not sort his improved terms! but no doubt, he will have to play that holding roll again next season to accommodate Rice (Who is excellent at that holding roll) and who will leave next summer partly due to the very clear lack of ambition in this window so far.
🤞 Lets hope so & lets hope Moyes starts to play him in his best position again
Agree. Moyes must have rocks in his head. We can’t afford to lose him..David Moyes ,sir Alex Ferguson you’re not.
Play him to make runs into the box that’s where he’s effective ,great player ! Let’s get a striker Borja preferably. However that looks tricky for some reason . Typical ah.
The full details of their disagreement are not public knowledge and nor should they be. This club has washed its linen in public far too often in the past.
I would’ve thought that the issue’s that Soucek has with his contract, would have more to do with the chairmen than with Moyes? Who knows, maybe I’m missing something?
Moyes is a man of Integrity so I feel that if there were issues between the manager and the player, I would think that it has a fair bit to do with Moyes possibly feeling let down. Nobody held a gun to Soucek’s head when he signed his last (first) contract.
As for the rumours regarding how and where the manager wants Soucek to play, this is the prerogative of the manager and this is the reason WHY Moyes holds the position of the manager here at West Ham….. The Tail Doesn’t Wag the Dog!
All said and done, this has to be good news for both the club and the manager.
Good news indeed as we all rate Soucek. It seems DM has enough problems to solve without personally inviting them in. It wasn’t broke, he didn’t need to fix it. It would be really happy days if he reinstated his role.
I suspect Rice was the reason for the change. Did he not speak publicly about his desire to add more goals and become more of a complete midfielder? If DM reinstates Soucek in that role I don’t think Rice will be happy playing the defensive position. Perhaps DM can fit both in and use Downes as a defensive midfielder in a midfield trio?