West Ham United have confirmed that Pablo Zabaleta’s contract has been extended by another year.
Declan Rice and a number of West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to react to the news that the club confirmed on their official website that Pablo Zabaleta has had the option in his contract triggered, meaning that he is expected to stay at the London Stadium until the end of next season.
Zabaleta’s future with the Hammers has been up in the air for a while now. He has been a fantastic signing on a free transfer, but his form has dipped this season and it would not have been a huge surprise if he had seriously considered retiring at the end of the campaign.
The 34-year-old has made 25 Premier League appearances this season. But he has recently lost his place in the side, and Ryan Fredericks’ display against Tottenham suggests that he faces a big battle trying to get back into Manuel Pellegrini’s plans.
Nevertheless, the club have announced on their official website that they have activated the option in Zabaleta’s contract that will ensure that he is set to stay with Irons until next summer.
The news has gone down extremely well on social media. Zabaleta may have struggled lately, but most West Ham fans have a huge amount of respect for the full-back and feel that he is a major asset to the squad whether he is playing or not.
There are a minority who are underwhelmed by the announcement. But most are very pleased that he will continue to provide competition for Fredericks and act as a mentor for youngster Ben Johnson.
Here is how Rice and some of the supporters reacted to the announcement…
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