Ben Johnson has rejected latest West Ham contract offer as Leeds United…
West Ham are still open to handing defender Ben Johnson a new contract, sources have told Football Insider.The 23-year-old has rejected several offers from the Irons – with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.
It is believed he could leave the London Stadium on loan before the 1 February deadline. A well-placed source has told Football Insider that Johnson is keen to play first-team football in his preferred right-back role going forward. West Ham want to renew his deal as home-grown players are valuable to Irons for squad registration reasons. However, Johnson could be allowed to leave permanently this month if he is unwilling to pen a new deal with the east London outfit.
The England Under-21 international has played just six times across all competitions for West Ham this season, grabbing one assist. He started in the Irons’ 0-0 draw against Brighton in the Premier League on 2 January – his only start of the 2023-24 campaign.
The defender, who can play as a full-back on both sides and as a centre-back, has made 93 appearances for West Ham in total since making his Premier League debut in 2019.
Johnson is currently behind first-choice right-back Vladimir Coufal in David Moyes’ pecking order – but Thilo Kehrer has departed this month to clear a path for the 23-year-old. West Ham sit sixth in the Premier League and will play Europa League knockout stage football from March.
