Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready to try and tie down Gary O’Neil to a new long-term contract amid interest from a number of Premier League rivals, HITC understands.
O’Neil joined Wolves in the summer after his departure from Bournemouth and he has rejuvenated the Black Country outfit, who are now pushing to break into the top eight of the Premier League table this season.
He has got the best out of Wolves‘ talented squad and the progress has not gone unnoticed, both in Molineus park
West Ham United interest
HITC understands that O’Neil is on West Ham United‘s radar, as they continue to consider the future of current boss David Moyes, whose current deal expires in the summer.
Sources also suggest that West Ham are not the only Premier League club keeping tabs on O’Neil’s progress.
But Wolves, whose star player Pedro Neto is on the radar of Arsenal, are aware of just how well O’Neil is performing and they are ready to offer him fresh terms.
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs confirmed that they were looking at a new deal him.
Asked if he was going to get a new deal, Hobbs confirmed: “That’s naturally where this is going, he’s done well enough to have that conversation. Part of that will be the plan for the club, and that’s where you have to have honest conversations about what it looks like going forward.
“That is an inevitable situation we find ourselves in this summer, for sure, but let’s not talk about it at the moment. Let’s keep an eye on what we’re trying to do. We want to finish the season well.”
Focused
O’Neil himself was asked about his situation, and he insists he is fully focused on finishing the season with Wolves, who are monitoring Athletic Bilbao ace Alex Berenguer.
“I don’t think my contract situation is where we should be, at this moment in this press conference, with Fulham coming and then Coventry the week after,” O’Neil said to Sky Sports.
“It is important that we remain really focused on the team and what we are trying to achieve.
“So as much as I appreciate it and I’m glad that people think that we’ve done well so far, it’s the same message as last week really – we need to keep going.”
