Adama Traore did not have a goal or an assist in nine Premier League games last season for West Ham United. However, the Hammers want to keep him at the club.
According to The Athletic, "He is in the final month of his contract but West Ham are hopeful he will sign a new deal."
Traore was used sparingly by Nuno Espiritio Santo and only made substitute appearances for the Hammers in the league. He was often left on the bench and was not involved in the last three games of the season as West Ham were sent down to the Championship.
The right-winger did bag two assists in three FA Cup matches. He may not have contributed much in the Premier League. However, the 30-year-old could still do a job in the Championship next season. He has experience of the second tier of English soccer from his time at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa.
Traore joined the Hammers from Fulham in January on a short-term deal. His manager at the Cottagers was Marco Silva, who is set to replace Jose Mourinho at Benfica. It has been reported that Traore could follow Silva to the Portuguese side.
Who else are West Ham hoping to keep?
The Athletic has also revealed that "West Ham are desperate to keep (Mateus) Fernandes and (Jarrod) Bowen." However, this feels very optimistic.
Fernandes has been linked with a host of top sides, including Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool. The player will not want to play in the Championship, but West Ham could price him out of a move as they value him at £80 million. It could be a ploy to get a club to pay this by revealing how much they want to keep the player.
Bowen has also been rumored to be the subject of interest from multiple clubs, including Chelsea, Everton, Manchester United, and Newcastle United. The West Ham captain would want to keep on playing at the highest level to get back into England contention.
It would be devastating for West Ham fans to see Bowen leave. However, it would be purely for footballing reasons. The Sun has reported that "Bowen’s wage of more than £100,000-a-week is not set to reduce despite relegation."
Many of West Ham's other players have had their wages slashed by 50% following their drop down to the Championship. It could cause unrest in the West Ham dressing room if this is not the same for every player.
Add us as a preferred source on Google