West Ham are close to clinching a deal with impressive young defender Ben Johnson aimed at keeping him at the club for a minimum of another four years.
It means that Johnson will join Declan Rice, Grady Diangana and Nathan Trott have all committed their careers to the club over the next few years.
Johnson has become the talk of the club over recent weeks – impressing big time in the Spanish training camp before creating a fine impression in his first team debut at Manchester City.
He was ruled out of the game against Newcastle with a calf injury but is now fit again and ready to play if required against Cardiff at the weekend.
A source close to the negotiations with Ben and his advisers told us on the phone: “Talks are going well and we are close. We would certainly hope to have it done by the end of the season.”