Talks over a new contract for Tomas Soucek at West Ham have been shelved until the end of the season, 90min understands.
The Czech Republic international initially joined the Hammers on loan from Slavia Prague in January 2020, with his move to the capital made permanent that summer after he helped to stave off the threat of relegation.
West Ham have gone from strength to strength since and have a two-legged Europa League quarter-final tie with Lyon to look forward to after dispatching six-time winners Sevilla in the round of 16 in March.
Soucek has played a significant role in West Ham's progress, creating a formidable partnership with Declan Rice in the heart of midfield, and 90min revealed in January that talks over a new contract had got underway amid interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs.
However, though there's a willingness from both parties to agree new terms, 90min has learned that talks have been put on hold until the end of the season, and Soucek will instead go into the summer with just two years remaining on his contract.
The Czech's role has altered slightly during the 2021/22 season, often allowing Rice to roam forward with more freedom, and that has impacted the goal output of the 27-year-old - who scored ten times in the Premier League last year to help the Hammers finish sixth ahead of both Tottenham and Arsenal.
This time around Soucek has just four top-flight strikes to his name, though he's already featured in 40 games for West Ham this season across all competitions, as well as appearing for the Czech Republic in the delayed Euro 2020, Nations League and World Cup qualifiers; a clear indicator of the incredible workload placed on his shoulders.
Soucek is enjoying another solid season nevertheless, with West Ham again challenging for a top-six finish in the Premier League as well as getting through to the latter stages of the Europa League.
As well as looking to tie down Soucek, West Ham are also planning to discuss a new contract with forward Jarrod Bowen, who has been one of the standout performers of the season and has attracted interest from Liverpool.
Source : 90min