David Moyes admitted that West Ham star Michail Antonio had lowered his effort levels in training as the striker was linked with a move away from the Hammers.
Antonio has hinted he may leave the London club before the January transfer window deadline and has been linked with a move to Everton and Wolves, the BBC reported.
The 32-year-old has not been a regular starter for Moyes this season due to the arrival of Gianluca Scamacca and now Danny Ings in January, and that appears to have demotivated the striker according to the West Ham manager.
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Speaking during his pre-match press conference, the Scotsman suggested Antonio had lost focus: “His training has been much better, I’ve seen him be a little more focused on his job,” Moyes claimed.
“He’s holding the ball better than he has recently (and) he’s getting one or two more chances, but he’s probably earned it with the effort he’s put in the last two games.
“He scores Jarrod’s second goal against Everton. If you’re getting close to goals and assists, which I think you are, it means he’s doing more good things.
“He has competition and I told a lot of the players that they need to stand up and challenge the competition.”
