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MOHAMADOU KANTé AGREES NEW DEAL, SHOWING LOYALTY TO DEVELOPING PROJECT

West Ham United have secured young midfielder Mohamadou Kanté on a long-term contract until 2031. The 20-year-old has impressed with the U21S after joining from Paris FC last summer.

Mohamadou Kanté agrees new deal, showing loyalty to developing project
Mohamadou Kanté his contract with West Ham has been extended - Photo Credit: WHUFC

Mohamadou Kanté, a youthful midfielder, has inked a new deal with West Ham United that will keep him there until the summer of 2031.

After joining the U21S development squad from Paris FC in August 2024, the 20-year-old returned to the French capital on loan right away and helped the team earn promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in 46 years.

Kanté has made an impression in his first season with the U21S with his technical skill, physicality, and goal contributions from a deep-lying midfield position. He has scored three goals and provided two assists while starting all eight of our young Hammers' games.

After he signed his new contract, he remarked, "It makes me incredibly proud." "I must continue to push myself and work hard." When you are focused on getting better every day, that is all you think about; therefore, I am thrilled and grateful to the Club for believing in me.

I am extremely grateful to the Club for its confidence in me.

He went on to say, "Physically, I have always had good stamina, but here it is another level," as he considered adjusting to English football. The training sessions are more severe, and I am working harder and making progress in that area.

"I am feeling better and better as we put in a lot of work in the gym and on the field. I am constantly learning, even tactically, and I believe I am growing better and stronger.

Kanté has had to adapt to a new nation, language, and culture outside of football.

"I am getting along incredibly well with my teammates," he remarked. "We understand each other, yet communication can still be a little challenging. I have been taking English classes, and it is nice that we can talk even when we are not playing.

After returning to the Hammers in the summer, Kanté was called up right away to the first team for their preseason visits to the US and Germany. In August, he rejoined the development squad.

He made a mark right away, scoring a late goal against Woking in the National League Cup to finish off an outstanding debut performance.

"I believe what probably shocked everyone was how fast he settled in," said Academy Manager Kenny Brown, who hailed the midfielder's influence thus far. It would not have been simple because he did not join the Under-21s lineup until late in the preseason, and he immediately travelled to Germany and then the United States with the first team.

"Seeing where he is today in such a short amount of time has been incredibly heartening because he had not played any minutes." He appears to be having fun playing football, and it is encouraging to see how he is already controlling matches for the Under-21 team.

He is physically fit, which is the standard for a midfielder in the Premier League nowadays. He is more than just your presence, energy, and ability to cover ground. He can score goals and has great skill with the ball.

He has gotten off to a great start. Although he still has a lot to learn and is still growing, the staff in the dressing room think highly of him. He works hard every day and arrives at work with a huge smile. We are happy that we were able to secure him for the long run by extending his contract.

Everyone at West Ham United would want to wish Mohamadou well in Claret and Blue and congratulate him on his new deal.

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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