Friday, June 26

Daily WHUFC News - Dimitri Payet

Dimitri Payet signs!
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to confirm the signing of the exceptional France international Dimitri Payet. The outstanding 28-year-old joins the Hammers on a five-year contract, with a further one-year option, for an undisclosed eight-figure fee from French Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille. Blessed with superlative technical skills, exceptional vision and an inventive range of passing, Payet operates to great effect from his preferred central attacking midfield position, and is sure to add eye-catching flair and creativity to Slaven Bilic's side.

Payet, who becomes West Ham's third senior summer signing following the captures of Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Darren Randolph, is looking forward to bringing his formidable talent to the Barclays Premier League

Payet said the Club's determination to bring him to east London played a huge part in him deciding to end his hugely successful spell in French football. The player spoke to Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold and new manager Slaven Bilic before putting pen to paper on his West Ham contract."West Ham really showed me that they wanted me to come, both the Joint-Chairmen and the manager," Poyet told whufc.com. "That's very important for me. I was also keen to sign up to a clear project. West Ham's is very interesting and matches perfectly with my ambitions. "Firstly I spoke with the manager, who really wished for me to come here and had been watching me a lot. He made it clear that he wanted me to sign and that too was important in my choice. "I'm an attacking footballer so for sure I like attacking football and that they're counting on me to help achieve that gives me a sense of responsibility. The fact that I'm here is also down to that. "I'm very happy to be here. It's true that it's taken a little while but that's normal, negotiations are like that. But now that it's done, I'm very happy." I'm an attacking footballer so for sure I like attacking football and that they're counting on me to help achieve that gives me a sense of responsibility

A top-class player, Payet made more successful through balls than any player in Europe's top five leagues last season, bar Barcelona star Lionel Messi, and chalked up a phenomenal 17 assists in 36 league appearances for Marseille. With seven goals to his name too, it is clear the 5'9 player possesses the rare ability to both cut defences apart with his passing, and exploit the spaces created with his finishing.

It is a further mark of Payet's influence on the game that he has recorded 51 assists over the past six Ligue 1 seasons with Saint-Etienne, Lille and Marseille. Born on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, the Hammers new boy began his career playing for local clubs Saint-Philippe and Saint-Pierroise before moving to metropolitan France to join Le Havre at the age of 12 in 1999.

After returning to Reunion for a two-year spell with AS Excelsior, the 18-year-old Payet moved to Ligue 1 side Nantes in 2005 and made his first-team debut against Bordeaux in December of that year. Payet scored on his first professional start against Lille in September 2006, but Nantes were relegated at the season's end and the midfielder remained in Ligue 1 by joining Saint-Etienne. There, he helped Les Verts to qualify for the UEFA Cup, scoring on his European debut against Hapoel Tel Aviv in September 2008.

As he continued to mature, Payet's influence grew. He scored a career-best 13 goals in 2010/11 to earn a senior France debut in a 2-0 Euro 2012 qualifying win over Romania, during which he laid on his country's second goal. That form also saw the midfielder catch the eye of French champions Lille, and he linked up with West Ham great Joe Cole and Belgium star Eden Hazard at Les Dogues in summer 2011.
Payet played UEFA Champions League football with Lille, enjoying one of the best seasons of his career in 2012/13, when he totalled 12 goals and 13 assists and appeared in all 38 Ligue 1 matches. Marseille spent a reported €11m to take the player to France's second-largest city in summer 2013, and he has continued to impress regularly over the past two years, recording 15 goals and 21 assists in 71 league appearances for L'OM. In total, Payet has netted 60 goals in 332 club appearances.

Payet's abilities have seen him capped 15 times by France, scoring once, in a friendly international against Belgium in Paris last month.

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£10million Dimitri Payet joins West Ham
KUMB,com
Filed: Friday, 26th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have completed the capture of Marseille forward Dimitri Payet. The 28-year-old French international, who will cost West Ham in the region of £10.7miliion becomes Slaven Bilic's third signing of the summer following hot on the heels of Darren Randolph and Pedro Obiang. Capped 15 times for France, Payet flew into London via Mauritius on Thursday morning to undergo a medical and complete his transfer. Confirmation of his signing is expected to be made imminently.

Payet, who has spent the last two seasons at L'OM becomes the third Hammer to cost in excess of £10m, following in the (expensive) footsteps of Enner Valencia and club record signing Andy Carroll.

With Carl Jenkinson and Alex Song likely to follow Payet, Bilic's new-look squad for the forthcoming 2015/16 season is beginning to take shape nicely. Reaction from Payet will follow soon.

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Daily WHUFC News - 26th June 2015

From the Treatment Room
Whufc.COM

Hello everyone,

First off all I would like to welcome the new players and our new manager Mr Slaven Bilic. I am looking forward to an exciting final season at the Boylen Ground. It has been a busy time during the off season and at the start of pre-season and the positive news is that Diafra Sakho, Doneil Henry and James Tomkins are training and Andy Carroll is getting close to his comeback. Andy is training on the pitch, building up his fitness and will join the team in the next few weeks James , Diafra and Doneil are all with us in Ireland and have been working well over the off-season, a balance between rest and fitness work. We are preparing for next week's first leg of our UEFA Europa League first qualifying round game against FC Lusitans with 25 players in Ireland. We are training very well and have no injuries in the group, working hard towards the game next week.

Have a great week!
Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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West Ham to sign Alex Song on a free
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 25th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

Barcelona have reluctantly agreed to allow Alex Song to join West Ham United on a free transfer - just three years after they paid Arsenal £15million for his services. The midfielder spent last season on loan at the Boleyn and despite failing to impress for the second half of the campaign, is set to return to east London in order to join Slaven Bilic's new regime. According to Matt Law (Telegraph), the 27-year-old will cost West Ham no immediate fee - although the Champions League holders are reported to be insisting on certain performance-related clauses being included in any deal. Barca had previously informed the Hammers that Song would cost £5million - an apparent bargain at that figure. However West Ham appear to have successfully argued that as Song no longer has a place at the Nou Camp, it would be in Barcelona's best interests to allow him a free transfer in order to remove his £.3.5million annual salary from their wage bill. Song - who is settled in London and keen to return to West Ham - is currently receiving treatment for a persistent injury at the club's Chadwell Heath training ground, from where he posted a picture on Instagram this morning.

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Abdennour tempted by Hammers switch?
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 25th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

Highly-rated Monaco defender Aymen Abdennour is being monitored by West Ham, it has been revealed. According to GFF, the 25-year-old, 6'2" Tunisian is being sought by several clubs including Premier League Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham United. However GFF claim that the centre half - who has also been known to play wide left in attack on occasions - would prefer both European football and a club in London should he consider a move to England, immediately placing West Ham above both Reds and Magpies. Liverpool have already made contact whilst Newcastle are said to have made a bid worth around €17million (£12.1m, via FootMercato) but the player has turned down the opportunity to move to the North East. His priority is said to be Serie A - where Juventus and Milan are both reported to have made contact with Monaco with view to a permanent transfer. Les Rouges et Blancs are said to be willing to accept an offer of €20m (£14.2m) for Abdennour, who has been with his current club for just 18 months. "There are lots of big clubs that are interested," his agent Abdelkader Jilani said. "There are clubs who have approached us and who will enter into contact with Monaco. Already there is AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Liverpool. I don't think that Monaco will prevent Aymen from leaving."

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West Ham offer for Dimitri Payet 'reluctantly accepted' by Marseille
Last Updated: 25/06/15 2:56pm
SSN

France international midfielder Dimitri Payet is in London ahead of a move to West Ham, according to Sky sources – but his current club Marseille are angry with the player and his agent. It is believed a fee of £10.7million has been settled with Marseille for the 28-year-old, after the French Ligue 1 club reluctantly agreed to a deal. Payet is set to undergo the first part of his medical after agreeing personal terms but, in the statement, Marseille accused Payet and his agent Mark McKay of reneging on an agreement to review his future in July. "Olympique de Marseille says it has absolutely no intention of selling Dimitri Payet," the statement said. "In early June, an agreement to this effect was made with Dimitri and his agent. Both sides endorsed on this occasion that the OM playmaker honour the last two years of his contract. "On June 22, Dimitri's agent requested a new meeting with club president Vincent Labrune and, at that meeting, he announced that he and his player had opened negotiations with West Ham, saying that the English club offered a contract of six years accompanied by £21.4m in wages over that period. "Therefore, the agent demanded a huge and immediate revaluation of Payet's contract to remain at Marseille. Unable to meet this demand, Olympique de Marseille, through the voice of its president, expressed his surprise that negotiations were opened with another club without OM being warned. "The club then pushed the reckless demands of Payet's agent, explaining that he agreed to reasonably revise the player's contract in mid-July. The agent, refusing this timeline, asked Labrune a quick response saying that 'otherwise, the English club is preferred'. "Surprised by this ultimatum, the Marseille president decided after half a day of reflection to respond favorably to the English bid that was received but at the same time told the player to face his responsibilities. "OM considers these to be to stay at Marseille and wait until mid-July for to review his contract or select West Ham. OM obviously wants Dimitri to choose to stay next season."

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Payet medical within 24 hours
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham's £11 million French capture Dimitri Payet will have his medical tomorrow at Spire Roding Hospital. Payet is currently believed to be in Canary Wharf looking at flats which the club use to house their foreign players but talks have been going well this morning. We were told by a senior Hammers source: "Everything is going well and we expect Dimitri to go through the medical tomorrow." Payet's fee is around £11 million as there seems to have been confusion between certain media sources who have confused sterling with Euros but we understand it is as near to £11 million as makes no difference. Assuming no last minute snags -and Marseilles have issued a statement which concedes he is on his way – Payet will become a huge signing for the club which has hunted him down relentlessly for months.

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West Ham transfer news: Scout report on new signing Dimitri Payet
By Ciaran Gowan | Thursday, June 25, 2015
TalkSPort

West Ham transfer news: Everything you need to know about Dimitri Payet

Marseille midfielder Dimitri Payet looks set to become West Ham's first major signing in the Slaven Bilic era, so talkSPORT takes a more detailed look at what he brings to the table.

Name: Dimitri Payet
Date of Birth: 29/04/1987
Born: Réunion (French island in the Indian Ocean)
Position: Midfielder
Club: Marseille
International: 15 France caps (correct as of 25/06/15)

What's the Latest?
Despite Marseille hoping he would stay put, Payet has arrived in London to complete his move to West Ham, with the Hammers paying an expected fee of £10.7m. Their new star will make around £80,000 per week on his new five-year contract, talkSPORT understands.

Did You Know?
1) Being deployed primarily as a winger or attacking midfielder, Payet is known for his speed, ball control and vision. In 36 league games during the 2014/15 season, he managed to score seven goals and create 17, the most in Ligue 1.

2) Last season, Payet created 135 scoring chances for his club, more than any other player in the major European leagues. And yes, that includes the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Eden Hazard.

3) Payet has been playing internationally for France since the Under-21 level, and to date has made 15 appearances for the senior side.

4) Over the course of his career, Payet has developed a reputation as somewhat of a hothead, with his former coach Stéphane Moreau describing him as a "talented player despite his natural indifference." He also refused to show up to training at Saint-Etienne once in an attempt to force a move to Paris Saint-Germain during the 2011 January transfer deadline.

The move didn't happen and as punishment, his club forced Payet to train with the reserves, but when he returned to first team duty he explained that he had no regrets over the incident. Six months later he joined Lille, spending two years there before his Marseille move.

What is being said?
They say:

French football expert Lucile Alard of Eurosport says that "[Payet] makes a lot of assists. He has a strong vision of the game and could make the difference with a pass; he can organise the game. He chose West Ham for the money and for the chance to play in the Premier League. Marseille cannot match this wage offer from West Ham, and the other explanation for his likely exit is the fascination for the Premier League that many French players have."

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HAMMERS OPEN TALKS WITH ABDENNOUR
TheIronscircle.com

West Ham have reportedly opened talks with Monaco to sign defender Aymen Abdennour. The centre-back is coveted around Europe. West Ham have opened talks with AS Monaco for the signing of highly-rated centre-back Aymen Abdennour, reports GFN France who quote Foot Mercato. The Tunisian defender caught the eye of many teams in Europe this season with some exceptional performances in the Champions League, most notably during AS Monaco's two-legged victory over Arsenal. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move out of France this season, as fellow Premier League sides Newcastle and Liverpool have been said to be interested, as well as Serie A duo Juventus and AC Milan. Foot Mercato reported today that Newcastle had offered €17m for the centre-back, which falls short of the €20m valuation they have on the player if he wants to leave. Liverpool and West Ham have recently opened talks with the Ligue 1 side over a possible move, and it's said that Abdennour would prefer a move to these clubs over Newcastle, due to their involvement in European football. Although, Juventus and AC Milan have both also made undisclosed bids for the player.

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West Ham close in on Alex Song deal with Barcelona
Midfielder poised to leave Nou Camp on a free transfer and could earn around £70,000-a-week at Upton Park
Telegraph.co.uk
By Matt Law
3:25PM BST 25 Jun 2015

West Ham are edging towards agreeing a deal with Barcelona to sign Alex Song on a permanent deal. Barcelona had demanded £5million for Song, but the Spanish club are now understood to be open to the idea of allowing the midfielder to leave on a free transfer. West Ham are prepared to match his £70,000-a-week wages, but are haggling over performance-related bonuses Barca want included in the deal. Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur have all shown an interest in Song due to his home-grown status, but the 27-year-old dropped a hint of his own that he will return to Upton Park. On Thursday, Song posted a picture on Instagram of himself outside West Ham's Chadwell Heath training ground, where he was receiving treatment on an injury. West Ham hope to tie up a deal for Song in the next fortnight as they get ready to announce the £10.7m signing of playmaker Dimitri Payet. After flying to England, Payet will undergo a medical before signing a five-year contract, with an option for a sixth, to move from Marseille. The French club have reluctantly allowed Payet to leave after suggesting West Ham spoke to the player without their permission. A statement on Marseille's official website read: "At the start of June, an agreement was reached with Dimitri and his agent. The two parties agreed at this time that the OM playmaker would honour the remaining two years of his contract. Dimitri Payet is joining West Ham for £10.7m "On June 22, Dimitri's agent requested a new meeting with President Vincent Labrune. He announced that he and his player had opened negotiations with West Ham, saying that the English club offered a contract of six years worth E30m.
"The agent then demanded a huge and immediate revaluation of Dimitri Payet's contract to remain at Marseille. Unable to meet this demand, Marseille, through the voice of its president, expressed surprise that negotiations had been opened with another club without alerting Marseille."

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Slav: "I am happy…we are confident"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Slaven Bilic flies out to meet his players at the Irish training camp tomorrow full of bilicwhhope for the Europa Cup campaign and the season ahead.Speaking to the official club site he explained: "For the players, this is why you play for the whole year, to try to qualify. On the other hand, we didn't qualify for the group stage. We will we not jeopardise or risk ourselves ahead of 8 August.
"We have to be careful. We are very confident. We have an Andorran team. We are favourites of course and this is a chance for some players who did not play regularly and some youngsters to get a game."After that, it becomes even more serious because I know Malta and I know Armenia and there are decent football players and they are definitely good teams and if we are going to play them, it's going to be their game of the season.We are hungry for European nights, especially at Upton Park, but on the other hand we must be very careful not to use the players who had a very long season last year and call them four weeks before the season and make their holidays short. We have to get the balance and I am sure we are going to do it."

Concentrating on the Barclays Premier League, Bilic told West Ham TV: "It's a difficult start, but on the other hand it is good.
"This league is very well-known because there are no easy games, so the schedule can't be easy. If you look at our first three away games, they are big ones as we have Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. We also have three home games which are also difficult, but they are promising, let's say. I'm happy with the start. We have a great game to start at Arsenal and history says it is better to play Arsenal in August then in November. "It could be better but this is the Premier League and we have to play all the teams twice sooner or later. As it is, I am quite happy with the fixtures."

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Payet agent gives Sullivan the credit
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Dimitri Payet's agent has spoken of the hard work Hammers co chairman David Sullivan has put in to secure the player. Payet looks nailed on to complete his £10.8 million move after a medical tomorrow and his agent – named as Mark Mackay – was full of praise for Sullivan's input. He said: ""David Sullivan worked very hard to make sure the deal was in place and although Marseille did not wish him to leave, the fact West Ham wanted him so badly helped convince the player it was the right decision. Her added: "Payet is a top player, an exciting player, and his signing represents a real coup for West Ham."

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Irons speak on French midfielder and striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham have moved quickly to cool reports that they are ready to add Yohan Cabaye and Loic Remy (above) to their squad. The club look all set to formally announce the arrival of Dimitri Payet over the next 48 hours but there are no plans at this stage for either Cabaye or Remy to join him Top French newspaper L'Equipe was claiming earlier in the day the Hammers were keen on the pair but this evening a top Hammers insider denied any interest. He explained: "Payet has been a central target for some months but we are not looking at either Cabaye or Remy at this time."

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Former Hammer scores three in three
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Former Hammer Sebastian Lletget scored for the third straight game on Wednesday night as he scored the opener in LA Galaxy's 5-0 thrashing of the Portland Timbers in the MLS. He came off the bench to score in last weekend's 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.
Just 13 minutes in, the former West Ham midfielder fired Bruce Arena's men ahead when he slotted home Dan Gargan's deflected pass following a Stefan Ishizaki through ball to continue his impressive run of form. Five minutes later, he also helped double LA's lead after Portland's Max Urruti brought him down in the box for a spot-kick that captain and former Hammers teammate Robbie Keane converted to make it 2-0. He scored his first goal for LA Galaxy against Columbus Crew SC in 1-1 draw 11 days ago.

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Jenkinson to decide future in next few days
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 25, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

According to ESPN, West Ham are set to win the race to sign Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson on loan very soon. Arsenal are set to hand the 23-year-old a new contract before allowing him out on another season loan next season. Jenkinson played 36 times in a season-long loan at West Ham last season and a number of clubs are thought to have expressed an interest in the right-back. Sunderland had been hoping to land him after agreeing a loan fee with the Gunners, but it is believed he would rather stay at West Ham in the Capital. Jenkinson will return home from the Czech Republic today after England Under-21s' European Championship campaign came to a dismal end as they lost 3-1 to Italy on Wednesday. Jenkinson is expected to resolve his future in the next few days.

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