West Ham could lose promising youngster after contract refusal
After Jeremy Ngakia rejected a contract offer last week, the last thing West Ham want is the possibility of losing another promising youngster. This, however, might just happen after Benicio Baker-Boaitey is stalling on a new contract.
The 16-year-old is very highly rated in the youth academy and is rumoured to be one of the clubs most promising prospects. West Ham wants to sign the youngster to a professional deal but, Baker-Boaitey’s availability has drawn the interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.
It has been reported that clubs such as Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Manchester United are monitoring the youngster and are keen to bring him into their own academies. Adding to the intrigue is that they may only have to pay West Ham a minimal compensation fee.
Baker-Boaitley has already proved himself at the under 18 level and been called up by England in the under 16s. The youngster is able to play on both wings making him a very useful player, due to his versatility.
This would be a huge loss for West Ham manager, David Moyes, who wants to inspire a new era at the club. Moyes wants to promote from within and start giving youngsters chances to prove themselves in the first team. The club needs to do all they can to keep their top young talents for this plan to work.
West Ham is already facing the prospect of losing rising star Jeremy Ngakia, after he rejected his contract. It is believed that he wants a contract that would mirror what West Ham gave to Reece Oxford. The Hammers, however, want to keep his weekly wage low for the time bring and reward him with lager bonuses.
The Hammers are rightly hesitant to give him such a hefty pay-rise, especially after what happened with Oxford not fulfilling his potential at the club. This led to the club being tied to a contract in which they were not getting their fair return from the player.
If the club is hesitant over Baker-Boaitey’s talents and that is why they are not offering his desired terms, then they need to take a look at the clubs that are interested in signing him. This is a good way of measuring his potential to be a world-class player in the future.