West Ham desperate to tie Manuel Lanzini to new deal fearing Liverpool want him as Philippe Coutinho replacement
Hammers trying to accelerate contract talks with star midfielder with Coutinho on verge of quitting Anfield for Barcelona
WEST HAM are trying to accelerate contract talks with Manuel Lanzini as they fear Liverpool want him as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho.
The Hammers have been trying to tie the Argentine ace down to a new deal for the past few months after he established himself as one of their key players.
But with Barcelona now throwing everything they have into trying to sign Coutinho, Liverpool have had to cast their eye around for potential replacements.
And right at the top of their list is Lanzini - who has shown in two years with West Ham he is one of the most creative players in the Premier League.
Since the start of the year the Hammers prioritised handing new deals to three of their best players, Lanzini, Pedro Obiang and Michael Antonio.
Midfielder Obiang and England hopeful Antonio have long since put pen to paper on their new contracts, but 24-year-old Lanzini still hasn't.
And there is a growing unease that leaves him vulnerable to the advances of Liverpool, who would be able to offer him hugely improved terms.
Lanzini still has three years left to run on the deal he signed in March 2016 when he made his move to the London Stadium permanent.
But that is only on wages of £30,000-a-week, and the Hammers were looking at bumping him up to £50,000-a-week if he committed his future for another four years.
The attacking midfielder knows he could get a lot more if Liverpool came knocking over the next few weeks, flush with the £96million it is likely to cost Barca to sign Coutinho.
And it has not escaped his attention that the club have handed new signings Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic deals worth more than £5m-a-year.
So the Hammers board are likely to have to put a contract on the table closer to £85,000-a-week if they are to fight off interest from Anfield.
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