Winston Reid, West Ham Agree on New Contract: Latest Details, Comment and More

The saga surrounding the future of West Ham United's Winston Reid took a shocking twist on Thursday, as the Hammers announced the New Zealand international has put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with the east London club.

The team took to Twitter to confirm the news:

Reid's current contract was set to expire at the end of the 2014-15 season, leading to plenty of transfer speculation. Speaking to the Hammers' official website, the centre-back didn't deny he took a lot of time to come to a decision:

"

It’s one of those things that took a bit of time, but we got there in the end and I’m very happy to be here for the next part of my career. I’m looking forward to it.

At the end of the day, for myself I feel comfortable here. I was speaking with the Joint-Chairman David Sullivan and everybody and felt like I was valued here. He was clearly very committed to getting the deal done and keeping me at the Club, so I’d like to thank him for that and I’m delighted to sign for the next six years.

My family are happy living here too. We’ve been part of the Club living in London, so we weighed all the factors up and I’m delighted to be staying here.

"

His new six-and-a-half year contract will keep the 26-year-old at the club until 2021.

As reported by Goal's Graeme Bailey, the new contract brings a sudden end to a lengthy transfer saga that saw Reid linked with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, while Everton already tried to move for the defender during the winter transfer window.

Liverpool were also reportedly interested, per the Daily Mirror's Steve Stammers, and given his status as an impending free agent and his apparent reluctance to sign a new deal, it was a surprise not to see him leave the club in January.

Even Hammers boss Sam Allardyce admitted he fully expected the New Zealander would leave the club at the end of the season, as reported by the Daily Mirror's Neil McLeman in January:

"

There is no future for Winston Reid at West Ham United at the moment because his contract finishes.

The only thing is that his contract finishes June 30. He hasn't said he is going to sign and he hasn't said he is isn't.

But you would you err on the side that he isn't by the feel and the look of it at this moment in time, by the know-how in the football world I have been talking to—other managers and so forth about the situation so I would say it is highly unlikely that Winston is going to sign for us based on what people are saying to me.

"

ESPN FC's James Dall always knew he wasn't going to join the Gunners, however:

As unexpected as this news is, it's undoubtedly a fantastic move for the Hammers. Reid is a proven Premier League commodity entering his prime as a football player, and the long-term commitment means that at the very least, the club could hold out for a significant transfer fee should he wish to leave in a year or two.

The 2014-15 campaign has already been quite the success for West Ham, and with Reid's contract situation now out of the way, the club can focus on other areas of need going into the final stretch of the season.

Follow @ReverschPass