Michail Antonio
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio admits talks have gone on which could see him leave the club this month. Antonio has been credited with interest from Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton, with the 32-year-old playing second-fiddle to Gianluca Scamacca at the London Stadium. Last Friday, West Ham bolstered their forward line further with the signing of fellow striker Danny Ings for £12million from Aston Villa, with Ings making his debut against Everton a day after his arrival.
Michail Antonio said: “Honestly, I’ve not ruled anything out. That’s all I can say. Nothing has been ruled out. There are talks, so whatever happens, happens.”
While Antonio admits his future remains uncertain, one thing he does know is that it will be tough for him to leave West Ham, who he first joined in September 2015. In that time, Antonio has become the club’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League, with 58 league goals, as well as helping the Hammers finish sixth and seventh in England’s top-flight, as well as last season’s run to the Europa League semi-finals.
Michail Antonio added: “I’ve been here for seven-and-a-half years now, become top goalscorer for the club [in the Premier League] and I’ve loved every moment of it. Every single moment is somewhere close to my heart and I’ll always be looking out for it. I love the fans, I’ve loved my time at West Ham. It’s just one of those things. I’m not saying goodbye, I’m saying basically, if it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I won’t be upset about staying and I’ll definitely be upset if I leave because obviously I’ve enjoyed my time here, but football is football. Players move, players stay and seven-and-a-half years at one club, I would never have thought of it because before I came to West Ham the most I stayed at a club was two years. I’ve still got a year and a half here. I can’t say I’m going because I’ve still got a year and a half left at the club.”
This season, Antonio has scored five goals in 26 appearances in all competitions. However, just two of them have been in the Premier League.
