Exclusive: West Ham talks begin as £31m new deal wanted by ace

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Published on:

22 Aug 2019, 10:30 am

EXCLUSIVE By Wayne Veysey

Manuel Lanzini has told West Ham he wants a new deal worth £31million, Football Insider can reveal.

The Argentina playmaker, 26, has opened negotiations with the club over a contract extension beyond next summer.

A West Ham source has told Football Insider that Lanzini wants to be lifted into the top bracket of earners at the club as he seeks a package worth £120,000-a-week.

This comes after Football Insider revealed earlier this week that the Londoners are preparing to offer the 26-year-old a deal worth £90,000-a-week over five years.

The two parties are well apart in their negotiations at this early juncture despite a willingness on both sides to reach an agreement.

Lanzini has one year left on his current deal, which also has a two-year option to extend, but the club want to tie him down to a longer-term agreement.

He has said he would be happy to extend his stay at the London Stadium, which began when he joined in 2015, initially on loan from Al-Jaziri, before completing a permanent transfer 12 months later.

West Ham's current top earner is Javier Hernandez, whose £140,000-a-week contract, which expires next summer, is well in excess of his teammates.

Manuel Pellegrini is a big admirer of Lanzini and has selected the attacking midfielder in the starting XI for each of the club's two league matches this season.

In other West Ham news, it can be REVEALED that the club have submitted a £45million bid for an Italy international.

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