West Ham United saw recent attempts to tie defender Ben Johnson down to a new contract with the club fall short, it has been revealed.

22-year-old Johnson, amid an impressive campaign to date, of course saw his terms at the London Stadium extended through the summer of 2024 earlier this month.

This came after those in a position of power in the English capital opted to trigger a two-year extension in their up-and-coming talent’s current deal, ahead of its expiration in the summer.

West Ham defender rejects 6-and-a-half year contract offer

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: West Ham United’s Ben Johnson during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at London Stadium on February 27, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)

It has since been revealed, however, that this in fact only came after West Ham’s initial efforts to tie Johnson down for the long-term failed to bear fruit.

As per a report from the reliable Roshane Thomas of The Athletic, following the turn of the year, the Irons brass tabled a six-and-a-half-year contract proposal to the club’s academy product.

In the end, though, an impasse was reached, forcing the board at the London Stadium to instead trigger the aforementioned extension.

Despite his rejection of the terms offered up, Johnson is understood to remain ‘happy’ at West Ham, amid ongoing attempts to establish himself as the club’s first-choice right-back option.

A fresh round of contract negotiations, in turn, are expected to get underway in January of 2023.

Wolves triumph

Turning attentions back towards the pitch, Johnson was of course involved on Sunday afternoon, as West Ham got the club’s form firmly back on track.

On the back of just a solitary victory from five in the Premier League, David Moyes’ men welcomed Wolves to east London, desperate for a return to winning ways amid the club’s ongoing pursuit of European football.

And, when all was said and done, this is precisely what the Hammers managed, eventually emerging on the right side of a 1-0 scoreline owing to a solitary strike on the part of Tomas Soucek:

 

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