This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Conor Coventry has rejected West Ham United’s latest contract offer, meaning there is a very real fear he could leave, as reported by Football Insider.
The 19-year-old’s current contract comes to an end in the summer of 2020, but he has so far been unable to strike up a deal with the club on a new one.
This is due to the fact that he is holding out for £5,000-per-week, while the club are unwilling to pay that for someone who has rarely stepped out of the academy’s confines.
There is still time for negotiations, but if the Republic of Ireland youth international gets the sum he has demanded, or leaves London Stadium for pastures new, this could be seen as a glaring sign of the Premier League’s power shift regarding youngsters.
As discussed in our exclusive interview with Tony Cottee, a move abroad was rarely seen as a career enhancer for young talent in England during years gone by.
However, that has changed in recent times, with Jadon Sancho, Bobby Duncan and Ademola Lookman among the players who have walked away from the English game.
There was a time when perhaps players were willing to accept that senior opportunities take time to come around, but the aforementioned trio serve to prove that patience is wearing thin amongst the next generation.
The situation that is unfolding with Coventry is the embodiment of this process: he has played just 53 minutes of first-team football across two appearances, with both of those coming when a Carabao Cup result was out of reach for lower league opposition.
This comes despite the midfielder being captain for the U23s, while becoming one of their various top-level performers in Premier League 2, starting all of their league games this season.
Therefore, it can perhaps be seen as a double hit that West Ham don’t want to match his contract valuation because he hasn’t played enough first-team football, which is only the case because he hasn’t been given the chance to do so.
It would be easy to dismiss Coventry as a money-grabber who should be focusing on his football rather than the wage he receives in this scenario, but that knee-jerk reaction fails to take genuine and legitimate professional ambitions into consideration.
However, it can be argued that the sum of a contract represents more than just the money it demands: it shows how much the club values a player, how much they trust him and the role they are expecting them to play moving forward.
If Coventry was to accept a low offer, it could be seen as a sign that he is happy to kick it in the academy for the foreseeable future.
That isn’t a universal attitude among the emerging next generation of talent, though.
The option to go abroad becoming more accessible has given youngsters a foothold to do this and if English clubs aren’t willing to show trust in them from a very early age, it seems there are outfits overseas who will.