West Ham United defender Pablo Zabaleta has extending his contract by another year (via the club’s official website).
The full-back will be sticking around at the London Stadium for the 2019/20 season in which he will turn 35 years old.
The former Manchester City man will seemingly battle it out with Ryan Fredericks to be Manuel Pellegrini’s first-choice right-back, although many will anticipate his age will mean a reduced role.
Zabaleta is of course no longer the player he once was, but he has shown he is still capable of playing in the Premier League.
It will be interesting see how Zabaleta sticking around will affect forgotten man Sam Byram, who might have been hoping for a chance next season.
TBR’s view
Byram has had a torrid loan spell at Nottingham Forest having picked up a bad knee injury in late August during a Carabao Cup match against Newcastle United.
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The injury has limited him to just six appearances in total and the player will have been massively frustrated about not being able to prove himself at the City Ground.
Zabaleta’s extension will surely come as a further blow to Byram. The former Manchester City man will surely be utilised as a back-up to Ryan Fredericks, which will likely lead to another loan move somewhere for Byram.
Either that, or he may end up with the reserves where he will wait for an injury to one of his rivals.