Moyes can axe "superb" £50m ace with WHU swoop for "one of the most exciting talents" - opinion

The future of West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek appears to be increasingly uncertain ahead of the summer transfer window, with 90min recently reporting that David Moyes has put the 27-year-old’s new contract talks on hold.

There has been a suggestion that manager the Scot informed the club’s hierarchy that he believed that the Czech Republic international does not currently warrant a new deal, despite the fact that the midfielder has been heavily involved for the Irons this season.

Indeed, since joining from Slavia Prague in September 2020, the 27-year-old has already made 99 appearances for the Hammers, with last season’s displays particularly impressive as the Irons finished sixth to secure Europa League football.

The £47k-per-week Czech midfielder proved to be a revelation alongside Declan Rice last time out, scoring 10 goals whilst playing every single minute of the Hammers’ league campaign.

However, this season, the £42m-rated man’s form has fallen off somewhat, having bagged just five goals and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 over his 31 Premier League outings – a decrease from his 7.16 rating last term.

As such, while it is undeniable that the player who Kevin Phillips dubbed a “superb” talent is exactly this, with transfer insider Dean Jones claiming in an interview with GIVEMESPORT earlier this month that Soucek’s contract “talks have been put on hold because they couldn’t get close to agreeing a deal” – perhaps Moyes could be tempted to cash in on the 27-year-old this summer – for what would likely be a figure much greater than his reported £50m asking price back in 2020.

And, with the Hammers having been linked with a move Olympique de Marseille’s 22-year-old defensive midfielder, Boubacar