Daily WHUFC News - 31st August 2017

Ayew eager to complete dream World Cup hat-trick with Ghana
WHUFC.com

Andre Ayew knows this is a make-or-break week if he is to fulfil his
ambition of playing for Ghana at a third FIFA World Cup finals. The West Ham
United forward travelled to the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, inspiring the
Black Stars to the quarter-finals seven years ago – the farthest an African
nation has ever advanced.
To complete a personal hat-trick, however, Ghana need to win both home and
away against Congo to give themselves any chance of overhauling CAF Group E
leaders Egypt and qualifying for next year's finals. "I've been to two but
we're in a difficult spot at the moment," he said. "We're in a difficult
spot, but hopefully we're going to make it to the World Cup. "It's an
important year for us and if we do it, we'll turn something that was
impossible into something possible, so our country would be on fire. We're
going to try to make it happen. We have the belief, we have a great squad
and I think we can do it. "I'd like to go to my third World Cup. It's not
every player who has the chance to go to even one World Cup, so if I have
the opportunity to go to a third one, I need to do everything possible to
make that happen."

Ayew has long been one of Ghana's footballing superstars. The son of
three-time African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele, the forward has been
capped 75 times and appeared at seven major tournaments. However, despite
the presence of Ayew and a host of other top players, Ghana are without a
major title since his father helped the Black Stars win the Africa Cup of
Nations in 1982 – a 35-year drought he is desperate to end. "Ghana is as
obsessed with football as England, if not more. There is a lot of pressure,
there is a lot of demands, there is a lot of everything! "It's my country, I
love to be there, and if there is one I thing I know, it's that I am very
proud to be Ghanaian and to represent my country at the highest level.
"Being the player I am and have been for my country and the clubs I've
played for, and the opportunities it has given me to meet the most important
people in my country, I know the responsibility I have to my country."

While the odds may be stacked against Ayew leading Ghana to their fourth
straight World Cup finals, the 27-year-old is not prepared to give up a
dream he shares with every one of his football-mad compatriots. "I know what
all Ghanaians are expecting for me and it's not something little, but I made
them feel that they can believe in me and put their trust in me. I've done
it in my national teams and my clubs and I'm going to do everything I can to
make sure they are going proud.
"I know that, whenever I am on the pitch, the whole of Ghana is behind me. I
am very proud to be an ambassador, not just for Ghana, but for the whole
continent and I want to make my continent proud every time I am on the
field."

Ghana tackle Congo in Kumasi on Friday 1 September at 2.30pm BST before
travelling to face the same opposition in Brazzaville on Tuesday 5 September
at 7.45pm BST.

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West Ham broke their promises
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 30th August 2017
By: Staff Writer

Robert Snodgrass has continued to put the boot into his parent club just
days after securing a season-long loan move to Aston Villa. The Scottish
international, signed by West Ham back in January for £10million joined the
Championship club last week after being made surplus to requirements by
Slaven Bilic - since when you could be forgiven for thinking he's done
little else bar slate his employers. In his latest broadside, Snodgrass
attacked the club - and manager Slaven Bilic - for what he perceived to be a
lack of loyalty and honesty. "There were a lot of broken promises, a lot of
dishonesty and I thought this is not what I am about," he told The Scotsman.
"I want to wear my heart on my sleeve and be loyal. What you see is what you
get. Sometimes, if that is not the other way, then I don't want to be part
of it. I realised from the off that it wasn't going to happen. "I was
coming on against Manchester City and Bilic said, 'Where do you want to
play, on the left or right?' I thought, 'You've just signed me and I've
played on the right or behind the striker at Hull City all season'. I found
it very strange. "That was my debut. And every time I played I was on the
left. Alarm bells were ringing right away. I don't know why he did it. I
came in as [Dimitri] Payet left but I'd only filled in on the left a couple
of times. I hate that position."

Snodgrass also revealed that he eventually took the opportunity to speak
with Bilic about his issues - but insisted that his concerns were ignored.
"The manager was under a lot of pressure and I later said that, out of
respect, I didn't want to go in and see him during that period," he added.
"When I did speak to him, I said I thought he'd have known I wasn't a left
midfielder and that he must have watched me after signing me for that type
of money. "That was the conversation. His answer was basically that, when
people are confident, they can play anywhere. "I've been at teams like Hull
and Norwich and, when you're signed for big money, they need to play you to
get value. But West Ham are signing lads on double and treble what I signed
for. They're always looking to try and invest and get the best. "But, when
you've got too many and lads aren't playing, it's not a good environment. I
know myself that, when there is a manager who knows how to get the best out
of you, then it's different – and that's why I chose Villa. I wanted to work
with Steve Bruce again. " Bilic wanted me to play cup games to try and
impress, but I said I'd done it at international level and Premier League
and there was no way on earth I was staying to play cup games. I've got
nothing to prove to anyone. "West Ham can go about their business and I'll
go about mine, which is playing football, enjoying myself and being a good
person every day. That's why he didn't want me to leave. He knew I was good
about the place and great with all the lads. "But I need to play games –
it's as simple as that."

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West Ham forward Diafra Sakho not for sale, says co-chairman David Gold
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 30/08/17 8:47pm
SSN

Diafra Sakho will not be moving to another club in August, according to West
Ham co-chairman David Gold. It will have been an emotional day for the
27-year-old Sakho who seemed to be closing on a new club in France. Sky
sources reported earlier on Wednesday that he had passed a medical at Rennes
ahead of a £9m transfer, although it is understood this had been conducted
without West Ham's permission. It is also believed he missed Wednesday's
training session and discussed personal terms without consent. Sky Sports
News also reported that Crystal Palace had made a £10m bid on Wednesday
afternoon. However, Gold took to social media to reject any speculation over
the player they signed from Metz in 2014. He tweeted: "Diafra Sakho is not
for sale in this transfer window he is an integral part of our first team
squad and will play a part in our recovery."
West Ham are waiting to see if Sakho returns on Thursday and they maintain
he is not for sale. They believe he is being badly advised and has left it
too late to move because they don't have time to find a replacement. Sakho
scored 12 goals in all competitions in his first season at the club. But he
has since endured an injury-hit period at the club, with a persistent back
and hamstring injury restricting him to 54 appearances during his three
years with the Hammers. Sky Sports News also understands that West Ham are
in talks to sign Abdul Majeed Waris from Lorient.

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West Ham in talks to sign Abdul Majeed Waris from Lorient
Last Updated: 30/08/17 2:48pm
SSN

West Ham are in talks to sign Abdul Majeed Waris from French club Lorient,
according to Sky sources. Sky believes the player is currently in London for
talks with the Premier League club. The 25-year-old Ghana international has
been at Lorient for the past two years and is viewed as being a likely
replacement for Diafra Sakho, who passed a medical at Rennes on Wednesday.
Waris, formerly of Spartak Moscow and Trabzonspor, can play as either a
striker or winger. The transfer window closes on Thursday.

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TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY WEST HAM PREVIEW
By Iain Dale 30 Aug 2017 at 20:00
WTID

It so happens that I am holiday this week, so tomorrow I'll be able to run
the usual deadline day blog. In advance of that I thought I'd set out what
we may be looking at tomorrow.

Having been praised for an exemplary transfer window, West Ham have reverted
to type over the last few weeks. The William Cavaho saga has been oh so
typical of the chaos that often surrounds our transport dealings. Will we
get him tomorrow? Well, stranger things have happened but I wouldn't bet my
life on it. Rumour is that we are lineing up Barcelona midfielder Andre
Gomes in case the cavalho deal falls through. He signed for Barca from
Valencia a year ago but only made 17 appearances last season (30 in all,
scoring 3 goals). He's made 25 appearances for Portugal.

Earlier today it looked like Diafra Sakho was on his way to Rennes for £9
million. He (miraculously) passed a medical. And then Crystal Palace threw
in a curveball and apparently bid £10 million. West Ham seem to have been
taken by surprise by this and immediately said he would be going nowhere
(courtesy of Jack Sullivan) as we wouldn't have time to recruit a
replacement. At the same time, reports came in that a 25 year old Ghanaian
striker called Abdul Majeed Waris (nope, me neither) had flown into London
to sign for West Ham from Lorient. Looking at his scoring record he's not
exactly proven. One goal in 15 for Spartak Moscow, none in 18 for
Trabzonspur and finally 19 in 51 for Lorient.

There are also moves by Inter Milan to sign Angelo Ogbonna, who want to
offer Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic in exchange. I can't see that
happening, although he does seem to have an impressive record judging by his
Wikipedia page.

Palace are also said to be interested in acquiring Jose Fonte (swap deal
with Tomkins?). He's one player I'd happily see the back of.

It seems to me that we are short of a centre back and a striker.

So all in all it may be a busy day at the London Stadium tomorrow.

Or it could be one where nothing happens.

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Ghana striker Majeed Waris in London to seal £12m move to West Ham United
Published on: 30 August 2017
Ghanasoccer.net

English Premier League side West Ham United have launched a late bid to sign
Ghana striker Abdul Majeed Waris. The London-based side are ready to meet
Lorient's £12 million price tag. SkySport sources say the player is
currently in London for talks with the Hammers. The 25-year-old Ghana
international has been at Lorient for the past two years and is viewed as
being a likely replacement for Diafra Sakho, who passed a medical at Rennes
on Wednesday. Waris scored 13 goals for the relegated side in the French
Ligue 1 last season. English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion had
expressed interest in signing the Ghana international. were also in the
chase for the attacker.

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David Gold rules out sale of 'integral' West Ham striker Diafra Sakho
ES Sport

West Ham will not sell Diafra Sakho during this transfer window, according
to the club's joint-chairman David Gold. Sakho has been linked with Rennes
and Crystal Palace over the last few hours, with a photograph on social
media seemingly showing the striker arriving at a French airport. However,
it appears that the Senegal international had travelled without the
permission of West Ham. He now faces an awkward reunion with his team-mates
at the London Stadium with the club hierarchy insistent he will not be sold
before the window closes tomorrow. Gold wrote on Twitter: "Diafra Sakho is
not for sale in this transfer window he is an integral part of our first
team squad and will play a part in our recovery."
Sakho, who spent much of last season sidelined with a back injury, has been
forced to settle for a limited role so far at West Ham this season. The
27-year-old's only start of the campaign so far has come in the EFL Cup at
Cheltenham, where he scored and provided an assist in a 2-0 win, and he has
been limited to less than 30 minutes in each of the Hammers opening three
league matches. Those three games have all ended in defeat, piling pressure
on manager Slaven Bilic, who will hope that Sakho and Javier Hernandez can
fire the goals to drag West Ham clear of danger.

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Barcelona Transfer News: Tottenham and West Ham eye Andre Gomes after
Juventus snub
BARCELONA midfielder Andre Gomes is heading for a deadline-day move to the
Premier League after Juventus saw a loan bid rejected.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 22:14, Wed, Aug 30, 2017 | UPDATED: 22:19, Wed, Aug 30, 2017
Express.co.uk

Barcelona are happy to let Gomes go just a year after signing him from
Valencia. The Portugal international cost Barca £34million just 12 months
ago but he is not part of Enresto Valverde's plans. And the Telegraph claim
a move to either West Ham or Tottenham is on the cards. According to the
report, both London clubs are battling to sign the 24-year-old. Juventus
looked all set to land Gomes and his agent Jorge Mendes even arrived in
Barcelona on Monday to prepare the move.
Barca wanted a permanent deal or at least a loan offer with an obligation to
buy next summer. But Juve were only willing to offer loan terms with the
option to buy - a deal Barca would not accept. The Telegraph claim Spurs
have been alerted by Gomes' availability, while West Ham are gunning for the
player following their failure to land William Carvalho. West Ham are also
interested in Jack Wilshere, who is free to leave Arsenal as he nears the
last 10 months of his contract.
As for Spurs, they have also confirmed the arrival of Argentine 19-year-old
defender Juan Foyth from Estudiantes.

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Arsenal transfer news: West Ham plot deadline-day swoop for Jack Wilshere
WEST HAM are considering a season-long loan deal for Arsenal midfielder Jack
Wilshere, according to reports.
By JAMES CAMBRIDGE
PUBLISHED: 21:53, Wed, Aug 30, 2017 | UPDATED: 22:09, Wed, Aug 30, 2017
Express.co.uk

Jack Wilshere was loaned out by Arsenal to Bournemouth last season and he
could be set for another spell away from the Emirates this term The Sun
claim West Ham are considering taking the 25-year-old on a season-long deal
but will wait until deadline day before making up their mind. The report
says the move hinges on the Hammers' ability to sign Sporting Lisbon
midfielder William Carvalho. If a deal for the Portugal international fails
to materialise, the London club will reportedly swoop for Wilshere on
deadline day. Slaven Bilic is reportedly keen to add another quality
midfielder to his ranks before the transfer window shuts.
He has set his sights on Carvalho but if Sporting fail to budge on their
£40million asking price a deal looks unlikely. The Sun say the West Ham
hierarchy have identified Wilshere as a deadline-day possibility. And should
his loan spell at the London Stadium go well, they will assess the option of
a permanent move when he becomes a free agent next summer. The England
international is yet to agree a new deal with Arsenal, despite being in the
final 12 months of his contract. He has only just returned to full fitness
after suffering a broken leg last term on loan with Bournemouth. But his
route back to the Gunners first team has been halted after he was sent off
in an Under-23s match against Manchester City last week. Wilshere has made
160 appearances for Arsenal since 2008, scoring 12 goals and providing 24
assists in all competitions.

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West Ham star Andy Carroll escorted by police from training to give robbery
trial evidence
Jack O'Brien, 22, is accused of trying to rob the footballer of his £22,000
watch
HATTY COLLIER
The Evening Standard

West Ham star Andy Carroll was escorted by police from training after a
last-minute request for him to give further evidence in the trial of a man
accused of trying to rob him of his £22,000 watch. The 6ft 4in striker, 28,
was whisked away from the club's training ground to Barkingside Magistrates'
Court on the eve of transfer deadline day. In his main evidence at Basildon
Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Carroll said that a male motorcyclist, who, he
believed, had a gun, demanded he hand over his watch as he drove his green
Jeep Wrangler home from training. Jack O'Brien, 22, denies attempting to rob
the England-capped striker on November 2, 2016. Mr Carroll appeared on
Wednesday by video-link from Barkingside Magistrates' Court, which is around
six miles (10km) from West Ham's Rush Green training ground - closer than
the trial venue of Basildon Crown Court. Defence barrister Michael Edmonds
told the footballer: "Thanks very much for coming back to court. I only have
a few additional questions for you."
Asked about the light conditions when Mr Carroll said he glimpsed the
biker's face for 10 seconds, he said: "I don't remember the sunlight. I just
remember seeing his face." Mr Edmonds asked if Mr Carroll recalled being
told that O'Brien had been arrested before a police identity parade, and Mr
Carroll replied: "Not really."
"You have on Twitter 313,000 followers, is that right?" said Mr Edmonds. Mr
Carroll, with his hair tied back and wearing a black T-short and blue jeans,
replied: "I've deleted my Facebook and Twitter so I don't know, as I haven't
been on it for about eight months."
Prosecutor Simon Gladwell said police arrested O'Brien at a house in
Dagenham, east London, 10 days after the alleged attempted robbery, where
they found him in the front bedroom "hiding in the bedframe under the
mattress". A crash helmet and Ducati jacket were seized from the property,
and a Suzuki motorbike was seized from the back garden. Mr Gladwell said the
three items used in the alleged attempted robbery were the same as those
seized at the time of O'Brien's arrest.
Mr Gladwell said the three items were also used by O'Brien in a string of
burglaries, to which O'Brien pleaded guilty in April 2017, in which items
including jewellery, watches and cash were stolen. The offences happened in
October and November 2016. Mr Carroll previously told the court he was
"scared" when a motorcyclist approached him at traffic lights in Hainault,
north-east London, and demanded he hand over his watch as he returned home
from West Ham's training ground. In a 999 call played to the jury, the
player said: "There's two motorbikes, one's behind me pulling out a gun, I
don't know what to do." After a pursuit, he arrived back at West Ham's
training ground and said in the call: "I've probably just hit about 10 cars
on the way here."
Mr Edmonds, defending, said O'Brien, of Navarre Gardens, Romford, east
London, was not the biker. He said O'Brien had used the motorcycle, jacket
and helmet for crime before, but that it was not him using the bike on this
occasion. O'Brien declined to give evidence in person.
The trial continues.

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Slaven Bilic has failed to address West Ham's main problem and that will be
his undoing - opinion
TalkSport
By Alasdair Hooper - @adjhooper1992
Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Buy a striker! Buy a striker! Buy a striker! So frequent was this chant from
those associated with West Ham that it almost replaced 'I'm Forever Blowing
Bubbles' as the club's main anthem over the summer. While Javier Hernandez
signed on – an excellent addition by the way – unfortunately everyone forgot
what West Ham's main problem was, and has been, for some time - the defence.
In the three atrocious games this season the Hammers have shipped ten goals
already. Last season the team conceded 64 goals – a number that is far too
high for a team wanting to progress. Even during West Ham's impressive final
season at Upton Park they conceded 51 goals, which ultimately cost them a
Champions League place.
All of this points to a collection of defenders that aren't good enough and
tactics that aren't solid enough. In Saturday's 3-0 drumming against
Newcastle, West Ham began with a centre-back pairing of Angelo Ogbonna and
fan favourite – but aging – James Collins. This was partly down to Winston
Reid's injury but also because Jose Fonte, supposedly a reliable Premier
League defender, has seemingly forgotten how to play football properly. The
right-back position became a farce last season, as eight different players
played there at one stage or another, so Pablo Zabaleta was brought in by
the club to fill the position. However, his best days are behind him and
even he has been culpable for stupid, costly mistakes. In midfield, the
players tasked with adding protection to the back line have not been up to
scratch. Pedro Obiang's performance against Manchester United was off the
pace, Mark Noble's form has dropped dramatically and Declan Rice – a young
promising defender – has been shoved into the holding role because he has
been the best performer but mistakes should be expected. Nothing has been
done by Bilic, or the board, to address this problem. If the defence is
failing as badly as it appears you have two options – recruit better players
or train and improve some new ones. Let's take option number two first. West
Ham are in a fortunate position in that they have two, maybe three, of the
best young up-and-coming central defenders. One of them is 18-year-old Rice
who could yet have a major impact this season. While he is currently playing
in midfield the centre-back has all the makings to become a top player and
Bilic is obviously a fan.
However, West Ham also have Reece Oxford who is currently on-loan at
Borussia Monchengladbach. In a similar vain to Rice, Oxford first burst onto
the scene playing in holding midfield as he proved pivotal in West Ham's 2-0
win over Arsenal back in 2015. What has happened since then? Not much. While
it isn't fair to lump all the blame on the coaches you have to ask where is
the guidance? For such a promising player the rate of improvement hasn't
been up to scratch and, rather worryingly, Reading manager Jaap Stam said
Oxford was surprised by the intensity of training during his loan spell with
the Royals last season. Another central defender is Reece Burke, now 20 and
on loan at Bolton. He was originally handed his West Ham Premier League bow
by Sam Allardyce and impressed under the former boss. He then went on loan
to Bradford – where he was voted player of the year – before a spell at
Wigan and now his current temporary move away. Again his improvement seems
to have stagnated. And at right-back the young promising Sam Byram, who was
purchased from Leeds United and touted as a future England international,
can hardly get a game and is another who has failed to make the step up.
West Ham is considered the Academy of Football but all of this suggests
there is a problem coaching and developing these young players into the
finished article. Of course there is also the other option – recruit better
players. Whether it's Bilic or the board making the decisions on signings
the purchases haven't been good enough. Fonte's purchase has failed utterly
up until now, Zabaleta is experienced but is on the decline, Arthur Masuaku
is capable of the sublime and the ridiculous and Angelo Ogbonna can be
classy and flimsy in equal measure.
In midfield, while both Cheikhou Kouyate and Pedro Obiang are capable, they
are both susceptible to injury and can be inconsistent. West Ham need as a
matter of urgency a holding midfielder and a central defender. Signing
William Carvalho, as has been rumoured, would go a long way to solving that
problem but the club's current plight has hardly helped in negotiations with
the player. However, there are no moves to bring in reinforcements in
defence and that is a massive worry. How can anyone look at the current team
and think it is set up for success? There are obviously a huge number of
problems at West Ham, and with Slaven Bilic, but this – the inability to
keep goals out of their net – will ultimately be Bilic's undoing. Either
bring in new players or make the ones you have better – at the moment
neither is happening. If another absurd number of goals fly in past Joe
Hart, in the next couple of games, it could be goodnight Slav.

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The farcical story behind Diafra Sakho trying to force a move from West Ham
to Rennes
The striker clearly wants to leave the Hammers but the club are not having
any of it
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
15:11, 30 AUG 2017

Diafra Sakho is trying to force through a move to Rennes from West Ham but
the club are refusing to do business as they believe they don't have enough
time to find a replacement. The story surrounding Sakho is nothing short of
extraordinary, according to football.london sources, as the Senegalese man
tries to plot an escape route from E20. It all started on Saturday when
Sakho wasn't included in the starting eleven for the Newcastle United
defeat, being told he is behind both Michail Antonio and Andre Ayew in the
pecking order for strikers at the club - two players who aren't striker.
Sakho, not for the first time in his Hammers career, took this badly and
threw his toys out of the pram and set about getting out of east London
having recovered from injury. The frontman told the club he was going back
to France and then tried to buy himself out his contract, according to our
sources. This is something the striker couldn't afford to do. Sakho
travelled to France and set up a medical at Rennes of his own accord - which
he subsequently passed - but there has never been a fee agreed with the
Ligue 1 side and the Hammers.

West Ham News @WHUFC_News
BREAKING: Diafra Sakho arriving in France ahead of his move to Rennes.
[via @NicolasMangeard]
9:19 AM - Aug 30, 2017
39 39 Replies 42 42 Retweets 51 51 likes

Rennes had a bid of £4m up front plus £5m in add-ons flat out rejected by
West Ham but Sakho carried on with the medical anyway but with co-owner
David Sullivan's two sons - Jack and David Jnr - both tweeting to say no
deal - it is now assumed any move is off the table. football.london
understands the lateness in the transfer window to find a suitable
replacement is the reason the club won't sell. They are still interested in
Lorient striker Abdul Majeed Waris, however.

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What could West Ham's interest in Anthony Ralston mean for Sam Byram?
HITC
Vincent Ralph

West Ham United are said to be very interested in the Celtic youngster.
Slaven Bilic, Manager of West Ham United looks on prior to the Premier
League match between Southampton and West Ham United at St Mary's Stadium on
August 19, 2017 in Southampton, England. According to the Scottish Sun, West
Ham United are keeping a close eye on Celtic youngster Anthony Ralston, but
the Hammers already have a promising right-back of their own in the form of
Sam Byram.
The latest report suggests the Hammers have sent scouts to watch 18-year-old
Ralston, who has featured four times so far this season and seven times
since making his first-team breakthrough.
As well as impressing defensively, Ralston has impressed at the opposite end
of the field, scoring one goal and providing two assists already this
season, and his all-round ability appears to have caught West Ham manager
Slaven Bilic's eye. While Celtic will have no intention of selling Ralston
this summer, if West Ham continue to monitor the teenager with the aim of
bidding in the future, it could be telling for Byram, who has failed to make
his mark since signing from Leeds United last year. Ralston's current
contract runs until the summer of 2019, so if he does fancy testing himself
in the Premier League, a move in the next 18 months could be on the cards.
That said, he will have seen Byram struggle for chances - along with many of
West Ham's other young prospects - and could wonder if turning his back on
regular first-team football is the right call at this stage of his career.
Byram did just that at Leeds and he has barely featured at the London
Stadium, managing only 27 first-team appearances to date and not playing a
single minute in the league so far this season. If Ralston did ultimately
arrive at West Ham as a long-term successor to Pablo Zabaleta, Byram's time
would surely be up before it has even begun. Although much will depend on
just how highly Celtic rate the former and how soon he will become the
undisputed first-choice option in his preferred position.

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If West Ham sign Alexandre Mlinde he could form brilliant long-term
partnership with Toni Martinez
HITC
Vincent Ralph

West Ham United have been linked with the talented teenage striker.
According to Foot Mercato, West Ham United have opened talks in a bid to
sign teenage striker Alexandre Mlinde from non-league side AS Minguettes,
and if the Hammers seal a deal he could form a brilliant long-term
partnership with their own Toni Martinez. The Spaniard arrived at West Ham
having shone in the youth ranks for Valencia and he wasted little time
impressing for the Hammers' under-23s, scoring 16 goals in just 17
appearances. A general view during the Premier League match between West Ham
United and Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium on May 5, 2017 in
Stratford, England. That is outstanding form and in time he is expected to
score regularly for the first-team, and if West Ham secure Mlinde they could
be about to have an ideal strike partner for the 20-year-old. Mlinde is only
17 but his form is impossible to ignore, with 21 goals in 22 appearances
last season and 35 strikes the year before. Such has been his emergence that
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is keen to bring him to the London Stadium and
he has sanctioned talks with the player's representatives in a bid to beat
rival suitors to Mlinde's signature. It is unclear if West Ham feel they can
secure a deal in what remains of the current transfer window or if the
teenager is more likely to arrive next year. But with the Hammers already in
possession of one outstanding young striker, the arrival of Mlinde would
mean the future is increasingly bright.

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Diafra Sakho set to join Rennes in £9m deal from West Ham
Stay on top of all the latest news and rumours in our LIVE transfer blog
KEN DYER
ES Sport

West Ham's injury plagued striker Diafra Sakho is poised to move to French
Ligue 1 club Rennes in a £9million deal. Sakho was today reported to be in
France discussing a potential move although nothing has yet been agreed
between the two clubs. The Senegalese international striker scored in his
first six matches for West Ham in 2014, following his move from Metz, but
has since suffered a succession of injuries, playing in just four matches
last season. He returned to fitness this season and scored in the 2-0
League Cup win against Cheltenham last week. Speaking after that win, Bilic
suggested that Sakho would have a future at the club if he stayed fit. "He
didn't score because he didn't play," Bilic said. "We know his strengths but
the problem for him last season was that he played only four games.

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Scottish International Snodgrass Burns His Bridges
WestHamFans.org

If Robert Snodgrass had planned to burn his bridges away from West Ham, then
he should feel very proud of himself! Having witnessed his 'performances'
first hand we suggest that he steps down from his cross and opens his eyes!

According to several news sources, particularly those in Scotland, when
Slaven Bilic decided to splash out £10million on Robert Snodgrass he failed
to research what position he best played. The criticism continued with that
kind of lack of preparation it's small wonder that the West Ham manager is
fighting to save his job with his side propping up the English Premier
League table without a single point.

29 year old Snodgrass this week ended his " hellish" seven month spell at
the Irons when he was reunited with his former boss Steve Bruce after
joining Aston Villa on a season long loan. Alarm bells started to ring from
his first West Ham game as Slaven Bilic introduced him from the bench
against Manchester City just days after his big money move from Hull.

Here are a selection of 'Snoddy's comments...

"I was coming on against City and he said 'Where do you want to play, on the
left or right?' "I thought 'You have just signed me and I have played on the
right or behind the striker at Hull City all season'."His answer was
basically that when people are confident they can play anywhere.""I joined
as Dimitri Payet left and maybe it was a case of 'you can play there'."But
I'd only filled in on the left on a couple of occasions. I hate that
position but when you are Scottish you are brought up to play anywhere."It's
fine to play for one or two games but you need to play in your right
position, especially on the back of scoring nine goals for Hull."At that
stage nobody had scored more goals for Hull or West Ham. The manager was
under a lot of pressure and I later said that out of respect I didn't want
to go in and see him during that period. "But when I eventually did speak to
him I said I thought he would have known I wasn't a left-midfielder and that
he must have watched me after signing me for that type of money.

"There are certain things that I can't really say here, but once you look at
it I ended up getting a lot of stick for something after joining at probably
the wrong time.there were a lot of broken promises and a lot of dishonesty
and I realised it wasn't what I am about. I want to wear my heart on my
sleeve and be loyal. What you see is what you get. Sometimes if that is not
a two-way street then I don't want to be part of it.He wanted me to play cup
games to try to impress but I said I had done it at international and
Premier League level and there was no way on earth I was staying to play cup
games."I have nothing to prove to anyone. I've scored nearly 100 goals in my
career and done it with a smile on my face.

I know myself that when there is a manager that knows how to get the best
out of you then it's different and that's why I chose Villa. I wanted to
work with Steve Bruce again. but when you're doing something for someone
they should come out publicly and explain the reasons why but that was never
done. "I've sat and let everyone else do the talking. They can go about
their business and I will go about mine which is playing football, enjoying
myself and being a good person every day. I have been at teams like Hull and
Norwich and when you have been signed for big money they need to play you to
get value. but West Ham are signing lads on double and treble what I signed
for and when you've got too many and lads aren't playing it's not a good
environment.they had to shift seven or eight out at the start of the season.
People can judge my time at West Ham whatever way they want."

Well we won't be seeing you again will we Snoddy! - Ed

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West Ham transfer news: Hammers striker Diafra Sakho poised to join Ligue 1
side Rennes in £9million deal
The 27-year-old looks set to depart the London Stadium after signing from
Metz in 2014
EXCLUSIVE
By Alan Nixon and Jake Lambourne
29th August 2017, 11:00 pm Updated: 30th August 2017, 2:36 am

WEST HAM are selling striker Diafra Sakho to French giants Rennes in a
£9million deal. The Senegalese hit man has had a tough time with the Hammers
after a glorious first season and he is clear to go. Rennes have agreed a
fee and Sakho is expected to accept personal terms and return to French
football where he made his name in the second tier with Metz. The Breton
outfit came into a windfall from the sell on clause in Ousmane Dembele's
move to Barcelona and came up with the cash for Sakho. They are now set to
bring in the 27-year-old to Ligue 1 after falling out of favour with Slaven
Bilic. Hampered by injuries last campaign, he only featured four times in
all competitions – scoring once. The season before he managed seven strikes,
but in his debut year in England he managed to find the back of the net on
12 occasions. He was awarded the Premier League player of the month in
October 2014 – having scored in six consecutive top-flight matches.

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West Ham could kick start Inter Milan transfer triangle if they beat Everton
to major signing
The Hammers could play their part indirectly in another move
Footbll London
BYALASDAIR GOLD
07:00, 30 AUG 2017

West Ham's move for Benfica striker Raul Jimenez could kick start a move for
one Inter Milan star before the transfer window shuts. The Hammers are
reportedly keen on bringing the Mexico international to London, although
they face competition as Everton are also believed to be keen on moving for
the 26-year-old.
Jimenez almost joined the Hammers in 2015 but he failed to show up for a
medical as his alarm clock didn't go off on time. Now, Portuguese media
outlet Record are claiming that if West Ham can seal a deal for the Benfica
stiker then the Portuguese club will move quickly to replace him with Inter
Milan's 20-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Barbosa. Record had
previously stated that the Hammers would have to stump up £45.8m if they
wanted to sign the former Atletico Madrid striker and Benfica do not have
the funds to sign Barbosa if they can't offload Jimenez.

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Should West Ham Sign A Technical Director?
by Barrett Rouen
greenstreethammers.com

Modern football clubs are generally all run in a different manner to the way
they were 20 years ago. West Ham should look at modernizing. In a bid to
decentralize power and steady the ship should things go wrong the
know-all-be-all manager type has gone away while the technical director and
head coach model has succeeded. Should West Ham adapt too?

West Ham should hire a technical director, if not because it is the way that
modern clubs are run, then because they need the help. Too often the club
has trouble identifying targets and then uniting in a cohesive strategy to
recruit them. The Iheanacho horror-show was an excellent example of that
very problem.

With the inflation in the transfer market it is important for scouting to be
a year round objective. Teams need to look harder, farther and more often
for talent because the rising price of established players is continuously
moving out of the attainable areas for middle level teams. That is exactly
why a manager cannot be tasked with the job and expected to look after the
day to day improvements of his team as well. It's simply an impossible task.

In a perfect world the reason why this works is because both the technical
director and head coach are united in their vision for the club and two
heads are essentially better than one. One person spends every waking hour
searching the world and market for deals that can make the squad better
while the other continues to improve that very same team in as many ways as
humanly possible.

In the bad scenario in which either one of the positions is hired having the
other one still in place creates a level of consistency to oversee the
transition period the club will inevitably fall into during their search for
a new person.

West Ham should hire a technical director because quite frankly they need
more people dedicated to the cause. There's no reason in the world why the
club can't regularly be competing for a place in Europe. They just need to
try and make it happen far more often.

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West Ham flop says he was utterly bemused by Slaven Bilic's comments after
he signed
HITC
Dan Coombs

Robert Snodgrass hits out at West Ham manager Slaven Bilic. Robert Snodgrass
clinched an exit from West Ham last week, moving on loan to Aston Villa. It
brought to an end an unhappy few months in east London, and Snodgrass
believes he was up against it from day one. Speaking to The Mail, Snodgrass
has hit out at Hammers manager Slaven Bilic, suggesting he had no idea of
how to best utilise him. He said: "I was coming on against Manchester City
and he said, 'Where do you want to play, on the left or right?',' Snodgrass
recalled. "I thought, 'You've just signed me and I've played on the right or
behind the striker at Hull City all season. I found it very strange. That
was my debut. And every time I played I was on the left. I don't know why he
did it."

Robert Snodgrass of West Ham United heads towards goal during the Premier
League match between Hull City and West Ham United at KCOM Stadium on April
1, 2017 in Hull, England. Snodgrass added that he refused the chance to
stay, and was attracted by the chance to work with his former Hull boss
Steve Bruce, at new club Aston Villa. He said: "I wanted to work with Steve
Bruce again. At West Ham, he (Bilic) wanted me to play cup games to try and
impress but I said I'd done it at international level and Premier League and
there was no way on earth I was staying to play cup games."

Snodgrass missed an entire season in 2014/15 with a serious knee injury and
it is understandable he would not want to effectively waste another
campaign.
He was not a popular player among West Ham fans, who did not see the best
out of him. Snodgrass' suggestion that he was played out of position offers
some explanation for his underwhelming displays. Bilic is no certainty to
still be West Ham manager next season the way things are going, but if he
is, then it's unlikely Snodgrass will ever play for the club again.

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Aston Villa's Snodgrass continues to run his mouth
By Jack Greene - August 29, 2017
From the Web

New Aston Villa signing Robert Snodgrass has made little to no attempt to
hide how he feels about his parent's club boss, West Ham's Slaven Bilic,
over the last few days since he sealed his loan signing. The Scottish
international winger has talked and talked and talked about how he wasn't
given a chance, how Bilic isn't the right man for the job, and in his latest
bit of talking he's said that Bilic didn't know how to use him properly.
This is not a defense of Slaven Bilic, who for all accounts and purposes,
has done a dreadful job of late at West Ham. However, there is a lot to be
said in this in his defense. When a player goes to a club, and he doesn't
play hardly ever, there is a problem.
It's not typically the manager. Rather it is with the player. Snodgrass
begged and pleaded to leave Hull City, who were desperately needing points.
They utilized him as best they could, playing him in his preferred position
and letting him do what he does. Yet, he wanted to leave and go to West Ham.
At the Hammers, he was found out. Not that he is a bad player, rather that
he is not cut out for a mid-table team even. He doesn't possess the speed
needed, he doesn't track back well enough, and his threat is too one
dimensional. We've all had times in our lives where we were rejected. We all
have faults. If Mr. Snodgrass wants to improve, he needs to recognize them.
Otherwise, he will burn out at Aston Villa in the same exact manner that he
did at West Ham.

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West Ham ace Angelo Ogbonna refusing to leave as part of proposed swap deal
for Marcelo Brozovic
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna is reportedly blocking a swap deal
involving Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozovic. According to Sky Italia's Gianluca
Di Marzio, Inter Milan have proposed a swap deal involving Marcelo Brozovic
and West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna - but the latter is refusing to make
the move.
West Ham were hoping to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last
season by bringing in Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier
Hernandez, but results so far have manager Slaven Bilic under pressure once
again. The Hammers have lost all three of their Premier League games so far
this season, with some fans calling for Bilic to go after Saturday's
shambolic 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United. The poor early season form may
force Bilic to dip back into the transfer market, and reports in Italy
suggest that West Ham have been offered a swap deal that may have been
somewhat appealing to the West Ham boss.
Sky Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Inter Milan have attempted to
sign West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna by offering a swap deal involving
midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but the deal looks unlikely to go through
before Thursday's transfer deadline. It's claimed that Italian international
Ogbonna wants to stay with West Ham, meaning Inter are now looking towards
the likes of Eliaquim Mangala and Shkodran Mustafi as they desperately bid
to bring a centre back to the San Siro. Ogbonna has been fairly solid for
West Ham since signing from Juventus in 2015, and whilst he has suffered
injury problems, he will be hoping for a strong campaign this term to get
into the Italy World Cup squad next summer, rather than risk sitting on the
bench with Inter. Bilic may well have been tempted by a deal for compatriot
Brozovic though, as the Croatian midfielder would have brought versatility
as well as quality on the ball, with Bilic no doubt well aware of what the
former Dinamo Zagreb man can do. The 24-year-old is surplus to requirements
with Inter, and whilst a swap deal may have been appealing, Ogbonna's
refusal to move means that West Ham seemingly won't be acquiring playmaker
Brozovic before the transfer deadline.

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