Just what was needed at West Ham this week. Nuno’s side still sit rooted near the bottom of the Premier League table and now have three defeats on the spin: Not a lot of good news coming out of London Stadium any time soon, you’d think.
Wrong.
Highly rated young midfield ‘monster’ talent Mohamadou Kanté has just signed a bumper six year West Ham contract, which will keep him at the club until 2031.
Widely tipped for great things – the young man arrived from FC Paris in the summer having spent his first season on loan at the club whence he was bought by Tim Steidten in 2024 – Kanté has put in some eye-catching rampaging performances in the under 21’s which have seen him likened to former Arsenal midfield supremo Patrick Viera in style.
Six year deal a big boost for West Ham United’s academy
The last thing Kanté needs just now is over-hype or too much pressure on his shoulders, after all he is still just 20 – but his decision to commit his long-term future to West Ham is a jolly fine piece of news in these challenging times for fans and club alike, and something of a vote of confidence in Nuno Espirito Santo’s youth policy.
The Portuguese head coach has looked to bring on young talent from within, a policy which has already seen academy graduates Ollie Scarles, Freddie Potts and Callum Marshall feature in just the four games in which Nuno has been at the helm.
And of course, another feather in the cap for sporting director Mark Noble’s ability to bridge the gap between academy and first team. Now for a new contract for George Earthy…
I would stick the lad on the bench and give him a little bit of game time. As someone else pointed out he is 20 so he is not a kid and looks like he has the physical attributes to handle himself with the grown ups
Good preparation for the championship where we will see all the youngsters come to light, plenty of experience in that league, including the manager. Perhaps that’s where the board want us to be, escape their financial mess, off load the has beens and uninterested, ask Bowen for one season, unleash the Brazilian Guillerme. If doing well the stadium will fill and sky will televise plenty of our games. Is that what the board really wants??
As i was reading this thread and before i read that Mark Noble had something 2 do with it i was going 2 suggest that Nuno asks him if he could handle being put in the first team before it gets any worse and it’s 2 late. and by him being likened 2 Arsenals Viera it sounds like we could use him now in our midfield. and 20 isn’t that young, some of these kids have more gumption and balls that 25-28 year olds. look at Michael Owen picked for ”The-England-World-Cup-Team” back in the day??? refresh my memory how many goals did he score, i think 6 comes 2 mind but i’m not 100 % sure. give the kid a run-out or 2.even if he does play well, at least we”ll find out 1 way or the other. C O Y I’s.
Cheers Paul.
Agree with Gazza, is good news but six years ?
I should also think that there is probably a clause if a “big team” ?? come calling, he is allowed to leave. Probably get a few starts in the Championship next season 👍
I wonder how much he gets paid ?
In these barren times at WHU it is mouth watering to think ahead to 2029 and wonder at the style of football played at the club when Fernandes, Scarles, Magassa, Potts, Guilherme, Earthy and the other U21s, such as Fearon & of course Kante, are established players at West Ham.
Whatever happens this season I cling to the hope as many as possible will come through, even after it is not always going smoothly (Scarles, Orford, Earthy,.).
Need to get Earthy to sign a new contract also, his contract expires at the end of the season, feel similarly to you, if we go down there are a lot of young talents that we could nurture to play a better style in the championship and relaunch the club, would take a few years to re establish ourselves but has to be better than what has happened these last 3 years (except the cup win).
We have potentially a golden future but we can’t waste it like we did with Cole, Carrick et all.
Agree 100%, That’s right, I hope all this talent is not wasted and they stay and are not poached or leave, one by one. That’s what I am worried about, that clubs will come in and poach them while WHU will just cash the cheques not realizing what is actually happening. If there is a rebuild as you mention with these lads, it’ll be brilliant to watch, (at last!).
Earthy keeps being injured, hope it works out. He is a playmaker I think. We need him. If these lads come through it’ll be a sight for sore eyes that’s for sure.
I agree this is good news both for academy players and possibly the future first team but I still think it is utter madness to offer anyone a 6 year deal when the future is so uncertain.
That’s good news. Unfortunately we need some quality NOW. The younger players are starting thier journeys as professionals. Are they good enough, strong enough mentally and physically to save the the first team from leaving the EPL?