Daily WHUFC News - 8th August 2017

West Ham sign Montenegro international Sead Haksabanovic
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of Montenegro attacking midfielder Sead Haksabanovic.

The exciting 18-year-old joins the Hammers on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee from Swedish club Halmstads BK, where he became the second-youngest player in Allsvenskan league history in April 2015.

Blessed with searing pace, outstanding technical ability and vision and an eye for goal, Haksabanovic has already made 70 first-team appearances and made his senior international debut in May.

Now, the Sweden-born player will bring his wide range of talents to the Hammers, London Stadium and the Premier League.

"I'm really happy to be here - it's a dream come true," said Haksabanovic, who becomes the third former Halmstads player to join the Hammers after Sweden stars Niclas Alexandersson and Fredrik Ljungberg.

"West Ham is a big club and it is a nice feeling to have signed. The move happened quite fast - we heard that they wanted me, so I was interested to hear the plan for me and when I did I was very pleased.

"I am an attacking player, I like to dribble and shoot, but I work hard for the team. I am really looking forward to getting started, I have watched quite a few West Ham games in the Premier League and I can see that they have some great players and great fans.

"Now I just want to get used to being with the team and then hopefully play some games at some point next season."

Haksabanovic was born in the small village of Hyltebruk 35 miles north east of Halmstad, joining the club at the age of six in 2006.

Nine years later, he became HBK's youngest-ever player when he debuted at IFK Norrkoping in the Allsvenskan on 9 April 2015, aged just 15 years, eleven months and six days.

Halmstad were relegated in 2015, but Haksabanovic's eight goals and seven assists in 30 appearances saw them promoted from the Superettan at the first attempt.

Back in the top flight, the teenager has continued to impress this season, starting all 18 Allsvenskan fixtures and scoring four goals, despite playing for a team which has won just two league matches.

Internationally, Haksabanovic featured for Sweden at U17 and U19 level before switching his allegiance to Montengero – the country of his father's birth – earlier this year.

A senior debut arrived on 10 June in Podgorica, when he played the final six minutes of his nation's 4-1 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Armenia – a victory which kept them second in Group E.

Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Sead to London Stadium the best of luck as he embarks on a new career in Claret and Blue.

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Carabao Cup second round draw details
WHUFC.com

In the event that West Ham United are drawn at home in Round Two of the Carabao Cup then they will be given special dispensation by the EFL Board to play the fixture at the opposition's venue, due to a previously agreed arrangement that London Stadium was to stage the 2017 IAAF World Championships in August.

If the draw dictates this is required, then the EFL Board will determine a level of compensation to be paid by West Ham to the opposing club. No further 2017/18 Carabao Cup ties will be affected in the event that the Hammers progress in the competition and are drawn at home.

An EFL spokesman said: "The Board of the EFL has carefully considered a request from West Ham United and, given the circumstances they faced when relocating to their new stadium, felt it was wholly appropriate to agree to a fixture reversal."

The Carabao Cup Round Two draw will take place live on Sky Sports News on Thursday 10 August 2017, following the Bury versus Sunderland televised Round One tie.

The 13 Premier League clubs not competing in UEFA competitions will enter the competition at Round Two, along with Hull City and Middlesbrough from the Sky Bet Championship.

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Byram: We'll definitely be looking to finish in the top half
WHUFC.com

Sam Byram has set a top-ten target for West Ham United.

The right-back arrived in east London in January 2016 helped the Hammers to seventh in the Premier League just a few months later. Byram's first full season in Claret and Blue was less successful position-wise, as Slaven Bilic's side ended the 2016/17 campaign in eleventh – albeit 17 points worse off than they had been a year previously.

As he prepares to begin his third season as a West Ham player, the No22 pointed to the summer signings of Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic and Chicharito as four real reasons for optimism.

"I think the signings we've made show the ambition of the Club," said Byram. "We've got a great squad and we'll definitely be looking to finish in the top half of the table and see how well we can do."

One of those four transfer window captures, Zabaleta, will battle Byram for the starting position on the right side of Slaven Bilic's defence.

However, with different qualities – Zabaleta has vast experience and tactical nous, while Byram has pace and a relentless willingness to get forward – the 23-year-old knows both will likely be called on by the Croatian during the upcoming campaign.

"Every player is going to have competition in a top team and West ham are a top club, so we've got competition all over the pitch," he observed. "For me, I've just got to keep working hard and try to impress the manager and get in the team."

Byram featured in all six of West Ham's pre-season matches, having returned to Rush Green early following his summer holiday, and he is hoping that hard work pays off in the shape of game-time in the opening Premier League fixture of 2017/18 at Manchester United.

The Hammers head to Old Trafford on Sunday on the back of a 3-0 pre-season defeat by Manchester City in Iceland, taking the number of goals conceded in those six matches to ten, and Byram has joined the chorus of voices calling for a defensive improvement.

"We were obviously disappointed with the result and we knew we were in for a tough test against a top team, but it's the sort of challenge we needed before the Premier League starts next weekend," he confirmed.

"We've let in a few goals that we are not too pleased about. Manchester United have similar quality and are up there and will be challenging this year, but we've also made some good signings so we want to group together and put in a good performance."

West Ham's opening Premier League fixture at Manchester will be screened live by Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 3.30pm on Sunday 13 August.

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Loan watch: Cullen and Burke debut for Bolton
WHUFC.com

Josh Cullen and Reece Burke both made their Bolton Wanderers debuts at the end of the week which saw them move on loan to the Macron Stadium.

The Trotters took on Leeds United in their Championship opener on Sunday, but were beaten 3-2 in an entertaining clash in the north west.

Hammers midfielder Cullen, who impressed in League One on loan at Bradford City last campaign, started the match for Phil Parkinson's men, but the visitors took the lead early on when Kalvin Phillips found the back of the net after seven minutes.

The division's 2016/17 top goalscorer Chris Wood then doubled Leeds' lead to complete a disastrous first half an hour of the season for Bolton.

Gary Madine pulled one back with six minutes remaining in the opening period, but Phillips was on hand to double his career Championship goal-tally in less than a half of football when he tapped home before the break.

An Adam Le Fondre penalty gave the hosts hope in the second half, but Wanderers – who handed Burke a debut from the bench in the 53rd minute – could not equalise.

Parkinson's outfit have an opportunity to bounce back immediately on Wednesday when they take on Crewe Alexandra in the Carabao Cup first round.

Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach took on Leicester City in their final pre-season clash of the campaign on Friday, though Reece Oxford missed out with an ankle problem.

The Foxes ran out 2-1 winners, with Jamie Vardy bagging a brace to turn the game around after Thorgan Hazard had given the German side the lead early in the second half.

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Westley's youngsters ready for Billericay clash
WHUFC.com

Terry Westley sees Tuesday night's clash against Billericay Town as a final chance for his U23 players to cement a spot in the starting XI before the league season kicks-off on Friday.

The Premier League 2 outfit travel to the AGP Arena to face the Isthmian League club in their last pre-season fixture of the campaign before Everton visit Dagenham and Redbridge later this week.

The youngsters have faced a number of tough friendly tests already, having taken on the likes of Football League sides Colchester United and Barnet, and with the number of experienced heads in the Blues' side, Tuesday is likely to be no different.

Former Hammer Paul Konchesky is a key player for the hosts, while ex-Tottenham Hotspur man Jamie O'Hara is club captain. Former Premier League journeyman Jermaine Pennant also signed for the club this summer.

Hammers boss Westley acknowledged the game will be a tricky one, but challenged his players to prove themselves before the league campaign begins three days later.

He said: "It will be a hard game against Billericay, but we are looking at it as a real chance for some players to prove themselves for a final time this pre-season when we play on Tuesday.

"It's a chance to try and get a spot in the starting XI for when we kick-off our league campaign against Everton on Friday at Dagenham.

"It will be a game where those players who have been away with the first team this pre-season, they'll get to play with the group for a first time this summer, which is something we haven't had.

"We played Spurs at the weekend too, which was a good measure of where we are, so we're looking forward to this last friendly."

The Hammers have had a positive pre-season in full, beating National League Dagenham and Redbridge 2-1 after narrow defeats to Colchester and Barnet.

They then travelled to Slovakia to take on two local sides, and after a defeat followed by a win in mainland Europe, Westley was pleased with the trip.

"It was a really great trip in Slovakia for us," the Academy Director continued. "We had the players working in the morning and in the afternoon, and then they were doing analysis work in the evening.

"It was great to have everyone together for that. It was a full-on, seven day programme and we had two very good games in great stadiums with great pitches, which was very important to us.

"We were really pleased with the second game in particular, with the manner in which we played."

Supporters can purchase tickets at the turnstiles at the AGP Arena on Tuesday, and kick-off is at 7:45pm.

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Sead Haksabanovic: West Ham sign teenager from Halmstads BK
BBC.co.uk

West Ham United have signed teenage attacking midfielder Sead Haksabanovic from Swedish club Halmstads BK for an undisclosed fee. The 18-year-old, who cost a reported £2.7m, has agreed a five-year contract. The Montenegro player made his debut in Sweden's top flight in April 2015 when aged just 15 - the second-youngest ever in that league - and has already made more than 70 first-team appearances. "I'm really happy to be here - it's a dream come true," he said.

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Carabao Cup: West Ham to play away tie after World Athletics Championships
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have been given special dispensation to play their Carabao Cup second-round tie away from home as London Stadium will still not be ready to host football matches. The Hammers already had permission to travel away for their opening three games of the Premier League season. London Stadium is currently hosting the World Athletics Championships. West Ham will have to pay compensation to their opponents if they are drawn at home and the tie is switched. Home and away clubs in the EFL Cup split gate receipts equally.

The World Athletics Championships event finishes on 13 August, with seating and branding needing to be changed before the Hammers move back into the 57,000-capacity stadium. The EFL Cup second-round draw takes place live on Thursday, 10 August, with the 13 Premier League clubs who have not qualified for European competitions entering the draw.

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THE CAUTIOUS WATCHER ON THE TRANSFER WINDOW
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 6 AUGUST 2017 AT 10:34PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @StevenMcCarthy9

This window is one that I am struggling to really come to terms with, why? Because I have no idea whether to be optimistic or apprehensive for the season ahead. In my opinion we are still 3 or 4 signings away from competing for a top 8 or even 10 position. I think Javier Hernandez is a fantastic player and the type of professional on and off the pitch that we should be aiming to bring into the club. However he is not a proven 20+ goal a season striker.
He scored 20 goals across all Competitions in the great 2010/11 season for Manchester United (not such a great one for us!) – but he had the world class talents of Berbatov, Tevez and a truly brilliant Nani on the wing that season to aid him to his 13 League Goal. To put that into perspective, Antonio our top scorer last season, scored 9 goals last season despite missing 9 games. And my worry is that he is simply not enough along side our current injury prone triplet in competition for a striker role.

At the moment we have 4 attacking players on upwards of 80,000 a week, Carroll, Ayew, Arnautovic and Hernandez.
With Lanzini hopefully added to the list soon signing a new contract. However only one of this is regarded as both a regularly fit player and goalscorer, yet he is still to even make his competitive debut. The signing of Arnautovic is another great one, a player who's entering his prime and show's the promise to be a real fan favourite with his size, power, skill and pace. The idea of Arnie on the wing and Antonio on the right wing is one that I think West Ham fans have every right to be optimistic about. Ayew is then surely the first player to fill in either wing side or centre forward with Sofiane.F and Snodgrass seemingly on the way out the door.

I am a fan of Ayew, despite his injuries he is a quick and skilful player who also has a habit of finding the back of the net. With the injury prone triplet of Carroll, Sakho and Ayew (who's injury history I discussed at length in my Gary Lewin article), David Sullivan spoke to the press and stated that Sakho should be 100% for the start of the season, this to my mind is either a sick joke on West Ham fans. You could argue it is a simple ploy to place the player in the shop window, however my cynical West Ham fan nature is not so sure! The notion of an injury free Sakho is one that we know has the potential to find the back of the net, however it is one that worries me! Due to the nature of his back injury itself, the likelihood of him staying injury free for more than a few months are high and extremely unlikely. Aside from goals, a fully fit Sakho also brings his well known toxic attitude, and even further risk of inflating his ego with which he can potentially cause trouble. I personally think we need to get shot of him, whether it is simply to free up his 35,000 weekly wages or simply reduce the risk of dressing room unrest.

The 16 million we nearly received for him last year is only the stuff of dreams for us at the moment, and I would bite your hand off for even half of that! Should Carroll and Sakho become injured (more a matter of when) then we have Ayew and the unproven but clearly talented Martinez to choose from to partner or replace Hernandez.

I would love to bring youth through with Martinez regularly coming on late in the games to run defences ragged, however I think we need to look at someone bigger for that role – Andy Carroll. Martinez should in my opinion be out cup striker, starting all our cup games and getting game time that way. Carroll should be seen as nothing more than a bit part player in my mind, I think that in terms of reducing injury risk and keeping him fit for as long as possible, we should only use him as such. Particularly over the first few months of his injury return, we should just chuck him on during the last 20 minutes of games and let him throw himself about and bully defences.
We simply cannot rely on him to be anything close to a regular starter this season, because it feels like as soon as we do, he picks up another long term injury. The negativity around him at the moment, wether it be in his off field antics, regular injuries or the constant disappointment of reading he won't make the squads week after week, is something detrimental to both players and fans. Personally if we could sell him for anything over 10 million I would help him move out his house and help with the fixtures and fittings at his new gaff. This would make a big physical striker top of our priority list, I would aim for Llorente who scored 15 League goals last season. And then aim for an ambitious loan with an option to buy in the form of Batshuayi.

But another concerning factor for me is that we also need more signings across the park. Specifically the middle of the pitch is a worry for us, as @Farehamhammer brilliantly put just the other day when discussing this issue! I love Noble and I think that taking into account the elements of professionalism and Passion he brings are priceless, however he has only shown glimpses of the quality we truly need to see. Take for example our last season at the Boleyn, he showed glimpses of Scott Parker's central midfield quality. He would break up play, burst forward and his passing was more often than not accurate. In contrast to last season and arguably multiple prior, he failed to do so on a regular basis. Noble however is almost unsellable with the overall elements, including passion and love of the club, however I do think he should be considered a squad player. Hopefully being introduced into our staff and coaching setup over the course of the coming seasons.

What I personally think we need to find a true engine and powerhouse in Central Midfielder. Look at how important Kante was to both Leicester and Chelsea's title winning seasons, having that player who is not worried about getting stuck in and running countless miles on the pitch, whether it is to chase back or break forward is a priceless thing for a side. Obiang's composure, range of passing and great technique are something that was priceless to the team last season. Kouyate compliments him incredibly well too with his height, strength, power and aerial presence.
But most importantly in my opinion is the ability to win back and retain possession, West Ham simply give the ball away too often. It has been our downfall for years. With Oxford out on loan, I would love to see Fernandez get his shot in the middle of the park more regularly. He has impressed me with his pace and presence on the pitch, particularly during our win against Chelsea in the Cup, however I cannot see him as much of a ball winning midfielder.

Who would I sign to try and add that quality to our squad? That is a really tough question, I like Wilshere, but he is neither physically imposing or consistently fit, which is surely a massive requirement for someone entering our side.
Lewis Baker is top talent off the Chelsea production and youth player shopping lists, at 22 I think he is another with a big point to prove. If we could sign him on either a loan or permanent deal, I feel he could really drive our midfield forward. On loan at Vitesse last year he really impressed with his overall play, willingness to run and technique. I think despite his impressive time on loan, he is a player who would not cost a huge amount to bring across London.

If I were to be even more ambitious, why not pull out all the stops to bring in Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich.
The promising centre mid has been told he can leave the Allianz Arena on loan or permanently after struggling to cement a first team place…I see this as a total shot in the dark to be honest.
But if you don't ask you don't get! And it would be a good statement for our club to have taken in one of Europes hottest young properties, even if it is only on a loan deal. Sanchez is an incredibly powerful and speedy player who I think could be a starter for any of the clubs outside the top 4. If you wanted someone not as physically imposing, but more of a defensive minded player then Malaga's Pablo Fornals would be a fantastic addition who is valued at around 11 Million Euros. He isn't a house hold name, nor is he as flamboyant as Sanches, but his energy and technique are his real strengths!

Before I end this article, I want to take a moment to say that I am one of the fans who is neither board in or out.
However even the biggest board supporter would concede that the transfer policy is truly shocking, whether it be out constant leaks to the press, the sniping at suggested targets or even just declaring interest in every player under the sun before just fizzling it out slowly. They have taken on our debt and spent incredibly well when faced with the challenge of returning us into the top flight and then cementing us back there. Our wage structure has ballooned and we have seen the club sign our first ever 20million pound players.

However I fear that they are still reluctant to spend big on individual players, merely stating interest and not pulling out all the stops to sign a real talent.You only have to look at the amount of money spent overall this summer, 19million pounds, something that could soon greatly decrease should the sale of Feghouli go through. The supposed 50, 60 or even 80million budget that was suggested is what we need to compete for a top posistion. I am aware I might sound like an Ungateful c**t here, to which numerous fans have called me on Twitter! But The Boleyn Ground, Payet and Season ticket sales money is well in excess of that. But with the constant statements of intent and promise of players, they simply cannot believe the owners believe we have enough to challenge for a top 10 or 8 place in the crazy spending League.

I would love to hear what you think and your transfer views @StevenMcCarthy9 and hopefully this article is proved to be terribly wrong by the end of next season! COYI's!!!

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West Ham sign Sead Haksabanovic on five-year deal from Halmstads
By Sky Sports News
Last Updated: 07/08/17 9:31pm
SSN

West Ham have completed the signing of Sead Haksabanovic on a five-year contract from Swedish club Halmstads. The 18-year-old, who has already made 70 first-team appearances in Swedish football, passed a medical with the Hammers on Monday and signs for an undisclosed fee. Haksabanovic was handed his debut for Halmstads in 2015 at the age of 15 and the attacking midfielder has scored four goals in 18 appearances in the Swedish Allsvenskan this season.
He represented Sweden at youth level but chose to switch allegiances to Montenegro and made his debut for the national team in June this year, coming on as a substitute in the 4-1 World Cup qualifying win against Albania. "I'm really happy to be here - it's a dream come true," Haksabanovic told the club's official website. "West Ham is a big club and it is a nice feeling to have signed. The move happened quite fast - we heard that they wanted me, so I was interested to hear the plan for me and when I did I was very pleased "I am an attacking player, I like to dribble and shoot, but I work hard for the team. I am really looking forward to getting started, I have watched quite a few West Ham games in the Premier League and I can see that they have some great players and great fans. "Now I just want to get used to being with the team and then hopefully play some games at some point next season."

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West Ham fans blast 'double standards' over treatment in and around London Stadium
HITC
Damien Lucas

High profile West Ham United fans have blasted what has been described as 'double standards' at their new home. The Hammers' move to Stratford from their beloved Upton Park has been beset by problems from the start. From in-fighting among the club's fans to segregation issues, violent scenes between home and away supporters and a general dissatisfaction with the atmosphere and feel of a ground many refer to as 'soulless', it has left a bitter taste in what was supposed to be a memorable and historic campaign. Having signed a 99-year lease many supporters are disillusioned at the prospect of a long-term future at the ground in it's current state.

Popular fans website Knees Up Mother Brown compiled a brilliant 10-point message to David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady detailing what needs to change if supporters are to embrace the stadium long-term. General view inside the stadium during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on May 14, 2017 in Stratford, England. One bone of contention for supporters has been the way they are treated by nearby Westfield Shopping Centre and the way athletics and music fans have been treated during events there.

At the weekend, KUMB editor Graeme Howlett put it to Westfield and London Stadium operators that they treated Hammers fans with double standards over access to and standing in the ground "Athletics fans, Depeche Mode fans and away supporters all stand. Yet West Ham fans, who pay the most, are ordered to sit at the London Stadium," Howlett put to the stadium operators on Twitter.

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Graeme Howlett @kumbdotcom
Athletics fans, Depeche Mode fans and away supporters all stand. Yet WHUFC fans, who pay the most, are ordered to sit at the @LondonStadium. https://twitter.com/lkhammer/status/893921260593393665 …
8:55 PM - Aug 5, 2017
5 5 Replies 25 25 Retweets 39 39 likes
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That came after Tom Peck, a political correspondent at the Independent, blasted the shopping centre company as he tweeted a picture showing that barriers usually in place on West Ham matchdays were down for the Athletics, as they also were for music events earlier this year "The route past Westfield Stratford shops and cafes wide open for athletics fans, not locked and bolted like it is for West Ham fans. Utter joke," Peck said.

Tom Peck ✔ @tompeck
The route past @WestfieldStrat shops and cafes wide open for athletics fans, not locked and bolted like it is for West Ham fans. Utter joke.
6:29 PM - Aug 4, 2017
36 36 Replies 191 191 Retweets 238 238 likes

Howlett then followed up Peck's tweet up by asking for some clarity from Westfield. "Your policy, Westfield Stratford - I'm sure I'm not the only West Ham supporter who'd appreciate an explanation. Pretty please?" Howlett said.

Graeme Howlett @kumbdotcom
Your policy, @westfieldstrat - I'm sure I'm not the only WHUFC supporter who'd appreciate an explanation. Pretty please? https://twitter.com/tompeck/status/893524287432404993 …
6:45 PM - Aug 5, 2017
23 23 Replies 45 45 Retweets 77 77 likes

The club's relationship with Westfield Shopping Centre next door is crucial and at the moment West Ham fans are being treated like second class citizens there despite pouring millions of pounds into its food and drink outlets and shops already. At the first two games at the stadium last season - against Domzale in the Europa League and Juventus in the official opening game - the various exits in Westfield were open which allowed a number of options for fans to filter down on their way to the stadium.

Not only did that ensure fans did not feel like second class citizens, it also avoided the ridiculous bottleneck which now takes place inside the shopping centre as fans and shoppers have one single exit to use.

A message for the West Ham United fans is seen on the LED screen inside the stadium after the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on May 14, 2017...

The decision to close off the exits before the game means a long walk, thousands of fans getting in the way of shoppers and people turning up to the game in a bad mood from the get go.

After all the Hammers fans are spending their money in and around Westfield just like anyone else and as long as they behave themselves should be treated with more respect.

There is a distinct lack of common sense being used in all aspects so far and it must be sorted for next season.

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Andy Carroll undergoing brutal training regime in bid to get fit for West Ham
The striker has missed far too much time injured but is making a comeback - again
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
07:00, 8 AUG 2017

Andy Carroll is reportedly undergoing gruelling double sessions of fitness work to get him back into shape ahead of the new Premier League season, according to reports.

Under the watchful new West Ham of new head of medical services Gary Lewin, the injury-plagued frontman - who won't be fit for the start of the season - is undergoing a tough regime, pushing him to the absolute maximum with double training, fitness sessions and "punishing gym work" which is hoped will discover where he injury problems are coming from.

Carroll struggled with knee, groin and adductor problems and that was just last season as he missed a lot of game time which often led to an exasperated manager in Slaven Bilic.

The striker found some form at the end of last year and the turn of the year and that led to calls of a potential England call-up but he got injured before Gareth Southgate was due to watch him at home to West Brom and that was that.

Carroll isn't the only striker undergoing a return to fitness as Diafra Sakho is on his way back as well, having featured for the U23s in a behind-closed-doors game against Spurs, which West Ham won 3-2.

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Who is Sead Haksabanovic? Everything you need to know about West Ham's new wonderkid
The Hammers have confirmed the signing the Swedish-born wonderkid
Football London
BYADAM JONES
21:43, 7 AUG 2017

West Ham have confirmed a deal to bring Montengro international Sead Haksabanovic to the London Stadium this evening. The 18-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Hammers for an officially undisclosed fee - but the price is reportedly around the £3m mark.

ESPN broke the rumours earlier today that West Ham were close to bringing the attacking midfielder to East London - with is performances this season attracting attention from a number of clubs. But, if you're not a regular watcher of Swedish football, you might not have ever heard of Sead Haksabanovic.

In that case, we're done all the research so you don't have to:

Background

Sead Haksabanovic has been a one-club man throughout his career - even at youth level. Born in Sweden, but now taking Montenegrin nationality thanks to his father, the attacking midfielder has represented Halmstads BK throughout his football career so far. Capable of playing both through the middle and on the left, he was handed his debut in the Swedish second division in 2015, but had to wait until 2016 for his first goal with the club. However, the 2016 season was a brilliant one for the midfielder - bagging eight goals in 30 league appearances to help Halmstads BK earn promotion to the first division.

Last season

Sweden are currently in the midst of the season - with most clubs already having played either 17 or 18 of their 30 games so far. Haksabanovic has been an ever-present so far for Halmstads BK - bagging four goals in the process and averaging an impressive 2.8 shots per game. Not bad for an 18-year-old.

Is he an international?

Despite only being 18 years old, Haksabanovic is indeed a full international. After representing Sweden at both U17 and U19 level, the midfielder has now chosen to represent Montenegro at national level. His one international appearance to date came in June 2017 - coming on as an 84th minute substitute during a 4-1 World Cup qualifying win over Albania.

How likely is a move?

Well, according to the reports from EPSPN, the deal has already been agreed to see Sead Haksabanovic join West Ham for £2.7 million. And, on the face of it, you'd have to assume that a move to a Premier League club would be highly tempting for someone in that stage of their career.

Is anyone else interested?

Well, it doesn't look like. These reports are in their early stages - but it seems that West Ham as as clear a run at Haksabanovic as they're ever going to get. Do the deal quickly lads if it's serious!

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