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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.

DAVID MOYES' INJURY NIGHTMARE: DEWSBURY-HALL AND JACK GREALISH SCARE AFTER CHELSEA DEFEAT

Everton's loss to Chelsea came at a steep price: Moyes confirmed Jack Grealish's hamstring injury after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's early exit.

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Dewsbury-Hall Injury Disrupts Moyes' Game Plan

Moyes Talks Grealish Injury Scare After Everton's Loss to Chelsea

Everton manager David Moyes discussed Jack Grealish's injury scare following Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's knock during their match against Chelsea. The Toffees lost 2-0 to the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto scoring for the home side. This defeat marked Everton's sixth in the Premier League this season, dropping them to eighth place.

Palmer Shines in Chelsea's Victory

Chelsea's Palmer made a strong return from injury, scoring his first goal for the Blues since September in their 2-0 win against Everton on Saturday. Palmer opened the scoring, and Gusto then increased Chelsea's lead. Everton struggled to trouble Enzo Maresca's team, who secured their first win in five matches across all competitions.

Palmer told BBC Sport post-match, The game is never over. We had chances we missed. Overall, I'm happy with the clean sheet and our play. We know we're better with Cole. He was out for a while, but now he's back and will help us.

Maresca praised James and Gusto, who scored and assisted against Everton, saying, They're good players who can play anywhere—full-back, midfield. Gusto took his chance, assisting Cole, so I'm happy for him. Not winning every game doesn't mean we can't compete for titles. Not conceding is a team effort, from Joao Pedro's press to Alejandro Garnacho's.

Moyes Comments on Injury Concerns

Dewsbury-Hall was forced off early in the 16th minute due to injury, replaced by Carlos Alcaraz. Grealish also reported a hamstring issue after the game.

Moyes said about Grealish, Jack felt his hamstring, so we need to be careful.

Regarding Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes added, It threw us off for about 10-15 minutes. I thought we started well. We then conceded. It's tough to be too disappointed with much of what we did. But I'm disappointed we didn't win, and we have a couple of injuries. I'm not disappointed in the players' effort.

Maresca Assesses Chelsea's Performance

When discussing his team's performance against Everton, Maresca told reporters, I commend the players for performing well despite many issues after a difficult week. The last 48 hours were the worst since I joined the club because we lacked support. I'm happy for Malo, whose effort, along with the team's, shows their commitment to the club. The worst 48 hours since joining because people didn’t support the team or me. When asked if the issue was internal or related to supporters, he explained, "In general." I love the fans, and I am very happy with the fans.

Chelsea's Busy December

Chelsea has four games remaining in December, starting with a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Cardiff City on Tuesday. They will end 2025 with Premier League matches against Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth.

VAR ERROR: FORMER PGMOL CHIEF SAYS HWANG HEE-CHAN TACKLE ON LEWIS-SKELLY WAS RED CARD

Former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett claims Hwang Hee-Chan should have been sent off for a studs-up challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly in Wolves' loss to Arsenal.

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Wolves Star Hwang Should Have Seen a Red Card vs Arsenal

According to Keith Hackett, a former PGMOL chief and FIFA referee, Rob Edwards’ team was very lucky not to have a player sent off in their 2-1 loss to Arsenal this past Saturday.

Hackett told Football Insider that Hwang Hee-Chan should have been shown a red card after his challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly on December 13.

Wolves are likely to be relegated from the Premier League this season. Their situation got worse when Yerson Mosquera scored an own goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Edwards’ team managed to keep Viktor Gyokeres quiet, but two own goals meant they left North London empty-handed. It could easily have been a bigger defeat, too.

Hwang Hee-Chan stays on the pitch against Arsenal

In the 60th minute, Hwang went in for a challenge on Lewis-Skelly with his studs showing. VAR looked at it to see if it was a red card offense, but the ref wasn't asked to review it on the monitor.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former ref said, When you watch that challenge, there’s no question this player used excessive force [which warrants a red card].

“He goes into the challenge fast with a straight leg, studs showing, and even though it's low, it still puts his opponent in danger. The player's feet were off the ground, so he couldn't stop or change direction.

“I'm sure the excuse will be that ‘we stuck with yellow because the challenge was low down,’ but I think there was some intent in the challenge. It should have been red.”

Wolves get closer to Premier League relegation.

Burnley, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds United are also struggling to stay up, alongside Wolves. Their chances of staying in the league seem to be fading fast.

There was a glimmer of hope when Tolo Arokodare scored his first Premier League goal in the 90th minute. But that hope was destroyed four minutes later when Mosquera headed the ball into his own net.

Edwards can take some positives from the game. They matched the league leaders for most of the match. Still, they are at the bottom of the table with only two points from 16 games.

They are running out of time to get some points.

Premier League Standings

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