West Ham have Michail Antonio contract option, says David Moyes
Watch crunch relegation battle West Ham vs Watford live on Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm on Friday; kick-off 8pm
Friday 17 July 2020 07:14, UK
Michail Antonio is set to remain at West Ham beyond 2021 after boss David Moyes revealed the club can trigger a one-year extension to his current deal.
Fan-favourite Antonio is once again expected to lead the line for the Hammers in their Friday Night Football relegation showdown with Watford, live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event.
Antonio is coming up to five years as a West Ham player following his 2015 move from Nottingham Forest and was widely thought to have entered the final 12 months of his contract at the London Stadium.
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But Moyes is confident the club are in a strong position to dictate the 30-year-old's future.
Moyes told Sky Sports News: "He's got a year to go [on his present contract] and, as far as I know, he has got a built-in extension, so I don't think there is any real panic [about Antonio's future]."
Antonio is the most in-form player in the Premier League according to the latest Power Rankings, having netted six goals since the restart, including all four in West Ham's emphatic win over Norwich last weekend.
Four points from their final three matches will now ensure West Ham retain their Premier League status next season. Moyes says Antonio has been instrumental in their bid to avoid the drop but says the team as a whole have been magnificent in the battle to avoid relegation.
"I don't think it will be Michy who saves it. If we stay in the Premier League it will be because of the team's performance, and I think it will be the attitude of all the players." Moyes said.
"The players have been bang at it since I came in, in January. We have been desperate to win all the games. The players have done a great job.
"But we have needed to step up and score goals, and thankfully, Michail Antonio has come up to the mark and got some goals. Hopefully that continues in the remaining three games."
West Ham vs Watford team news
West Ham have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Friday's clash with fellow relegation battlers Watford at the London Stadium. Midfielder Robert Snodgrass, yet to feature since the season restart because of a back problem, has been training but it looks unlikely he will be involved.
Boss David Moyes said on Thursday that forward Felipe Anderson was "getting a bit closer" to a comeback after missing three games with a hamstring issue.
Watford manager Nigel Pearson expects to pick from the same squad as he did for Saturday's come-from-behind 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Troy Deeney continues to manage a knee situation but Pearson said it was not a significant concern. Daryl Janmaat, Gerard Deulofeu (both knee) and Isaac Success (Achilles) remain sidelined through injury.
How to follow
West Ham vs Watford is live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm; kick-off 8pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
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