Ben Johnson to make West Ham transfer decision after offer tabled – sources
West Ham defender Ben Johnson is set to make a decision on his future next week, sources have told Football Insider.
The Premier League club have offered the 24-year-old an improved five year-contract as they look to tie him down before his current deal expires at the end of this month.
Johnson will become a free agent in a matter of weeks if West Ham can’t agree a deal with him, meaning any interested parties won’t have to pay a fee to sign him due to his contract situation.
Sources say the English right-back is keeping his options open and key to his final decision will be where he can best progress and develop his overall game.
Football Insider revealed on 2 June that Leeds United, Rangers and Crystal Palace have shown “strong” interest in signing Johnson once his contract comes to an end.
Ben Johnson could leave West Ham despite contract offer
West Ham are keen to ensure they keep hold of Johnson’s services after he’s spent the past 17 years at the club.
Since progressing through the ranks, the former England youth international has made 109 appearances for the club, playing right across the back four and also in midfield.
After seeing his opportunities limited in the first half of last season, Johnson was heavily linked with a move away from the London Stadium in January before David Moyes handed him more minutes after the turn of the year.
The defender played 25 games across the campaign, but that hasn’t been enough to tempt him into signing a new long-term deal yet.
Johnson’s decision over his future is believed to be around continuing his development as a player rather than signing the most lucrative contract.
West Ham want to keep hold of the academy product as multiple home-grown stars are expected to leave the club this summer.
Football Insider revealed technical director Tim Steidten has drawn up a list of domestic targets for the transfer window as the club looks to remain within the Premier League’s quota for British players.
In other news, West Ham ‘more likely to sell’ Mohammed Kudus after source’s reveal
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