Daily WHUFC News - 12th July 2017

The hard work gets underway for the Hammers in Austria
WHUFC.com

Despite an early start and the best part of the day spent travelling, West Ham United's players were straight on to the training pitch following their arrival in Austria on Monday afternoon. After a light meal at the team hotel, Slaven Bilic and his squad made the short journey to their working base in Bad Waltersdorf for a 90-minute work-out, consisting of light running at intervals, stretching exercises and keep-ball sessions. First team coach Edin Terzic oversaw the session and afterwards explained the benefit of making an immediate start to the training programme. "It was important for the players to stretch their legs after a long day of travelling," said Edin. "Manuel Lanzini came straight from Argentina, so it had been a long journey for him, and it was very important for him to get the stiffness out of his legs. "And of course, important for the lads to touch the ball, and be together on the pitch and not only in the dressing room."

For the players who represented their countries on international duty during the summer, the session was their first time back on the pitch with their team-mates since the end of last season, "We haven't seen each other for five or six weeks," he said, "so it's very important to be together as a group again, to build a bond and prepare well for the friendly games. "We have obviously only just arrived, so haven't had time yet to get used to the facilities, but first impressions are very good – the pitch, the hotel, the food – everything is great. "We now have a couple of weeks of hard work in front of us, and the aim is just to improve and get stronger every day."

With a double session planned for today – gym and fitness drills this morning followed by football work this afternoon – the hard work is well and truly underway in Austria…

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9 reasons why Tony Cottee is a West Ham legend
WHUFC.com

West Ham United great Tony Cottee celebrates his 52nd birthday today. The pint-sized striker and lifelong Hammer netted 146 goals over two spells in the 1980s and 1990s, endearing himself to the Claret and Blue Army forevermore. Here, we give you nine reasons why Cottee is a true West Ham legend. Happy birthday TC!

His debut goal. Tony Cottee made his first-team debut for West Ham United on New Year's Day 1983, aged just 17 years and six months. He marked the occasion with the second goal in a 3-0 First Division victory at the Boleyn Ground.

His four goals against Bury. The striker was still just 18 when he scored four times in a record 10-0 League Cup second round second leg victory over Fourth Division Bury at the Boleyn Ground on 25 October 1983.

He was named Hammer of the Year at the age of 20. Tony Cottee enjoyed a prolific partnership with Frank McAvennie as the Hammers finished third in the First Division in 1985/86, scoring 20 top-flight goals.

He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year. It was not just Hammers fans who showered acclaim on Tony Cottee at the end of the 1985/86 season – his fellow professionals voted him the country's best young player, too!

His England debut. Tony Cottee won the first of his seven England caps when he replaced John Barnes in the Three Lions' 1-0 friendly defeat in Sweden on 10 September 1986.

His scissor kick. Tony Cottee scored arguably the most spectacular goal of his career in a 3-2 First Division win over Nottingham Forest at the Boleyn Ground on 21 November 1987.

He scored the Hammers' first Premier League hat-trick. Tony Cottee became the first West Ham United player to score a Premier League treble when he scored all the goals in a 3-0 Boleyn Ground victory over Manchester City on 17 December 1994.

He scored the Hammers' first Premier League hat-trick. Tony Cottee became the first West Ham United player to score a Premier League treble when he scored all the goals in a 3-0 Boleyn Ground victory over Manchester City on 17 December 1994.

He scored 146 goals for the Club. Only five players, and two in the post-war period, have scored more goals for West Ham United than Tony Cottee – Vic Watson, Geoff Hurst, Syd Puddefoot, John Dick and Jimmy Ruffell.

He is a lifelong Hammer. The striker has never made a secret of the fact he 'bleeds Claret and Blue' and never shies away from supporting the Club in his role as a broadcaster.

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Arnautovic wants to go, says agent
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th July 2017
By: Staff Writer

The brother of Marko Arnautovic has said he hopes Stoke do not block his proposed move to West Ham. As revealed on KUMB last week, the Hammers have made an official approach for the Austrian international, who has since submitted a transfer request after United's intial bid was turned down. However Daniel Arnautovic - who also doubles as his brother's agent - believes it would be wrong for The Potters to stand in his brother's way, having set his heart upon a move to the capital. "I hope the club does not stand in his way as they received an offer which is more than correct, compared to what Stoke paid for Marko," he told a tabloid newspaper. "We hope the club finally will understand how good the offer is and that they will remove and solve the final problem preventing any transfer. "What that exactly is I don't want to say – at this moment – but obviously it is a big issue which is stopping us for now. The offer Stoke has revealed is not what has been reported in the media. "The true level of the offer I will keep to myself – however Stoke is well aware of it."

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Transfer target misses US tour
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th July 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham transfer target Joe Hart has been left out of Manchester City's travelling party for their impending US tour. Hart is one of several recognised first team squad members left out of the touring party - along with Jason Deneyer, Samir Nasri, Eliaquim Mangala and another former Hammers target, Wilfried Bony.
West Ham have been keeping tabs on the situation regarding the England goalkeeper, who is available for around £20million. However United are only be interested in a season-long loan deal, at present, according to reports from elsewhere.

* In other transfer stories today, West Ham are the latest club said to have expressed an interest in Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro. According to Tuttosport, the Hammers are one of a number of Premier League clubs to have taken a look at the 24-year-old, who has also represented Italy at full senior level on four occasions. Everton have also been strongly linked in recent days.

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WEST HAM LINKED WITH STURARO MOVE
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam

West Ham are being linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro, but could face competition from Everton for his signature. The Italian giants are said to be keen to narrow down their options, with the squad becoming somewhat overcrowded. This could lead to the sale of fringe players such as Sturaro.
Once labelled as the next big thing in Italy, Sturaro hasn't quite lived up to expectations. He made just 21 appearances in Serie A last term and failed to really establish himself as a first-team regular under Max Allegri. Despite this though, he is an undoubtedly gifted player and would certainly benefit from first-team football on a consistent basis, something that Tuttosport (h/t Sport Witness) claim that West Ham will be ready to provide. The Hammers need to speed up their summer dealings and a move for Sturaro would certainly be a statement of intent as they approach the 2017/18 campaign.

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Stoke are right to take tough stance on Marko Arnautovic's West Ham move, says Charlie Adam
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Stoke City's decision to stand firm over West Ham target Marko Arnautovic's transfer request has received the backing of midfielder Charlie Adam. Arnautovic asked to leave the Bet365 Stadium after West Ham submitted a £15million bid for the Austrian international, which Stoke have since confirmed they have rejected.
That will not dissuade West Ham, who are expected to return with a second offer with Stoke insisting that they will only sell the player "if the terms are right", according to chairman Peter Coates. A tough stance will have the backing of Scottish midfielder Adam, who insisted that Stoke were entitled to make it difficult for Arnautovic to engineer an escape route. "Marko's a massive figure at the club, I'm going to say it from the players' point of view," Adam told reporters. "He's a wonderful player and he's done a great job for us but something has changed and he's made a decision. "He wants to look after his family. The club have a say in it and won't make it easy for him, which is right, you can't just turn up, hand a transfer request in and expect to leave. The club will make it difficult for him.
"He's our best player. It's a shock but the club will deal with it in the right way and the manager will deal with it in the right way." The 28-year-old forward was a target for West Ham last summer and would give Slaven Bilic the pace, power and Premier League experience he craves in the transfer market. However Stoke boss Mark Hughes is adamant that West Ham will not have it their own way. "Any comings and goings are at our discretion and it's our decision ultimately," Hughes told the Stoke Sentinel. "Players can express an opinion or a view in terms of where they see their future but at the end of the day contracted players are contracted to the club and ultimately we have the final say."

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Joe Hart to West Ham: Talks over Hammers loan collapse as Man City receive new bid
The latest West Ham transfer news sees the Hammers' hopes of a loan for Joe Hart fall apart
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
21:00, 11 JUL 2017

football.london understands that talks over Joe Hart's loan move to West Ham have broken down. The Hammers were in discussion with Manchester City over a season-long loan and were confident a deal could be done but we have learned a bid from an unnamed club has scuppered any deal for the England keeper.
Our sources tell us there is now just a 10% chance of any move to bring Hart to the London Stadium happening despite reports claiming that West Ham were closing in on a deal. News emerged earlier this afternoon that West Ham had re-ignited interest in the keeper after City were willing to loan him out rather than want just a permanent switch of around £20m. City would have subsidised the majority of Hart's wages had he moved to E20, with a permanent buy option at the end of the 2017/18 season. But that dream appears to have died as quickly as it was born, with the Hammers set to miss out again this summer.

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West Ham step up efforts to sign Joe Hart from Man City
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 11/07/17 3:03pm
SSN

West Ham are stepping up their efforts to sign England goalkeeper Joe Hart from Manchester City, according to Sky sources. Hart is expected to leave City this summer after returning from a season-long loan at Serie A side Torino and admitted in May that he was "more than likely" to move to another Premier League club. Sky Sports News HQ understands City would prefer to sanction a permanent sale of Hart, although West Ham are keen on a loan deal with an option to buy next summer. City have signed two goalkeepers since Pep Guardiola became manager last summer, with Claudio Bravo and Ederson arriving at the Etihad, leaving Hart surplus to requirements. West Ham have made only one signing this summer, with defender Pablo Zabaleta joining on a free transfer following his release from City. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is also looking to strengthen his attacking options ahead of the new Premier League season. A £15m offer for Austria winger Marko Arnautovic was turned down by Stoke, although West Ham are expected to return with an improved offer. They are also interested in former Manchester United forward Javier Hernandez as well as Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.

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West Ham's Domingos Quina wanted by Arsenal
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 11/07/17 2:21pm
SSN

West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina is being monitored by a number of top Premier League clubs including Arsenal, according to Sky sources, after a series of eye-catching performances at the U19 Euros in Georgia. The 17-year old joined West Ham from Chelsea last summer with Slaven Bilic promoting him immediately to the first- team squad, playing twice in the Hammers' Europa League qualifying campaign before the Premier League season began. Sky Sports News HQ understands Arsenal offered a contract to the teenager before he joined West Ham and remain keen on the talented youngster. Like England, Portugal have progressed to the semi-finals of the U19 Euros and face Holland tomorrow, thanks to some impressive displays by the midfielder including a man-of-the-match performance in Portugal's 2-1 win against the Czech Republic. In May 2016, he won the UEFA European U17 Championships with his international outfit. Playing for West Ham's PL2 side, Quina scored a wonder-goal against Leicester City in the Premier League Cup, lobbing the goalkeeper from the halfway line in the 2-0 away win. Injury ruled him out of the latter part of the last campaign, but his performances and development saw him awarded the prestigious Dylan Tombides Award for the outstanding player from West Ham's academy.

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Domingos Quina: Profile of West Ham youngster linked with Arsenal
By Pete Hall and Oliver Yew
Last Updated: 11/07/17 3:36pm
SSN

Could highly-rated youngster Domingos Quina be set to swap West Ham for Arsenal? West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina is being monitored by a number of top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, after a series of eye-catching performances for Portugal at the U19 Euros in Georgia. The 17-year-old joined West Ham from Chelsea last summer with Slaven Bilic promoting him immediately to the first team squad, playing twice in the Hammers' UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign before the Premier League season began. Sky Sports News HQ understands Arsenal offered a contract to the teenager before he joined West Ham and remain keen on the talented youngster.

But who is this talented teenager catching Arsene Wenger's eye? We take a look…

Factfile
Name: Domingos Quina Club: West Ham Age: 17 Place of birth: Guinea-Bassau, west Africa Position: Forward

Background
Born in Guinea-Bassau, west Africa, Quina spent most of his childhood in Portugal, where his ability was noticed by Portuguese giants Benfica. Chelsea signed 13-year-old Quina to London on scholarship terms, and had high hopes for the flamboyant forward, with plans afoot to offer him a full contract. However, with FA rules meaning youngsters cannot be tied down until they turn 17, a host of Premier League clubs were watching him in the hope of being able to snap up his services. West Ham eventually won the race for his services, tying him down to his first professional contract which runs until 2019. On joining the Hammers, Slaven Bilic promoted him immediately to the first-team squad, playing twice in the Hammers' UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign. He was also a key figure for West Ham's PL2 side until injury ruled him out of the latter part of the last campaign, but his performances and development saw him awarded the prestigious Dylan Tombides Award for the outstanding player from West Ham's academy.

International honours

Quina has also played a pivotal role on the international stage, having helped Portugal U17s top their UEFA elite-round group - with scouts from several of the Premier League's top clubs in attendance. In May 2016, he won the UEFA European U17 Championships and has helped Portugal's U19 side reach the semi-finals of this summer's European Championships. Quina has put in some impressive displays at the tournament in Georgia, including a man-of-the-match performance in Portugal's 2-1 win against the Czech Republic.

Style of play

Quina has caught the eye with his penchant for a dazzling dribble and fleet-footed skills. Deployed predominantly as a No 10, his pace and poise means he is equally adept out wide or as part of a front three. The West Ham youngster is capable of some spectacular strikes from distance, with one particular effort from a long way out for a Chelsea age-group side attracting plenty of attention on social media. Scouts were treated to another example of Quina's impressive accuracy from range, as he found the net in Portugal U17s' dominant 7-3 victory over their English counterparts at Burton Albion in August, 2015. Last season, playing for West Ham's PL2 side, Quina scored a wonder-goal against Leicester City in the Premier League Cup, lobbing the goalkeeper from the halfway line in the 2-0 away win. Such dynamism for someone so young is what has attracted so many suitors, with the spectacular goals a major plus.

What they said...

He is one of those players that you think if he doesn't make it, then which player will? He has got everything and it is now down to us and up to him how much he is going to improve and dedicate his life to achieve something that God gave him. There is no doubt he has something exceptional. - Slaven Bilic

What now?

Quina is being tracked by a number of top Premier League clubs after a series of eye-catching performances for Portugal at the U19 Euros in Georgia. But it's Arsenal who appear to be front runners for his signature, will they make another move this summer?

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Stoke winger Marko Arnautovic suffers suspected knee injury
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 11/07/17 8:45am
SSN

Stoke winger Marko Arnautovic could face a spell on the sidelines with a suspected knee injury - just hours after handing in a transfer request. Sky Sports News HQ revealed on Monday that the 28-year-old had expressed a desire to leave the Potters and was the subject of a £15m bid from Premier League rivals West Ham.
Stoke rejected the offer from Hammers and, despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Arnautovic started the club's pre-season victory over Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax. But Arnautovic was forced off shortly before half-time after falling awkwardly in the penalty area when attempting to complete a cross. The Austria international received medical treatment on the pitch and was assisted off by the Stoke physio. West Ham had been expected to return with an improved offer, but may be forced to look elsewhere if Arnautovic has sustained a serious injury.

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West Ham's McAvennie: Hammers won't stay at the London Stadium
PUBLISHED: 12:01 11 July 2017 | UPDATED: 12:29 11 July 2017 Dave Evans and Lee Power
Newham Recorder

West Ham legend Frank McAvennie believes that the club may not be at the London Stadium in five years time. The Scotland international striker, who formed such a devastating partnership with Tony Cottee back in the mid-eighties, paid the London Stadium a visit on Friday and praised the supporters for selling out the club's season-ticket allocation, but added a warning. "West Ham fans have done it again," he said. "They've gone and bought out all the season tickets which is incredible considering they've not bought anyone. "But I don't think they will be in that stadium in five years time. I would lilke somebody to come and if Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan want out, to sell to one of the big boys. West Ham United's Frank McAvennie scoring West Ham's 2nd goal against Oxford United at Upton Park. West Ham United's Frank McAvennie scoring West Ham's 2nd goal against Oxford United at Upton Park. "I like Tottenham, they're doing the right thing building a stadium next to White Hart Lane, that's what we should have done at Upton Park. I don't think West Ham will stay there, I have a feeling it's not forever."

McAvennie, who was a hero of Upton Park, said that the atmosphere needs to improve at the stadium too. "I would probably give it a five or six," he said. "It was good at times, the best being against Tottenham with the atmosphere, which shows to me that there can be atmosphere in that ground. "But say you've got to stay there for three years, then you have to build a football stadium. If you ask West Ham to do something they can't do it, because they've got to go and ask somebody. "That's not right. A Premier League club that is earning hundreds of millions of pounds, come on?!"

McAvennie, who scored 57 goals in 186 appearances in claret and blue over two spells, is a Hammer at heart, and he wants the club to succeed at the new stadium, but he thinks that has to be down to the players. "The problem is the players," he said. "At Upton Park it was the fans who created the atmosphere, they started it, whereas the players have got to do it in the new stadium because it's a long way from the pitch. "That dictates what happens on the pitch, which is very sad, but it's down to the players to do it. Football pitches are all the same, they're all about the same size, but the players have to create the atmosphere, it's a catch-22 situation, but I'm hopeful that it turns round."

McAvennie was shown round the stadium on Friday, but admitted it was not the best moment for a tour. "It's the wrong time for me to come down because they're turning it into an athletics stadium," said the Scotsman. "But it doesn't matter what way you wrap it up, it's an athletics venue. "I'm old school and I think most of the fans are too, but the kids like it over here, they love it, so it's a new generation. And the players coming in who are not used to playing at Upton Park anyway, they don't remember it so that will enjoy the new stadium."

McAvennie was speaking at the launch party of the new German Doner Kebab (GDK) restaurant in Stratford.

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ARSENAL KEEPING TABS ON DOMINGOS QUINA
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam

West Ham were able to persuade Domingos Quina to snub a number of bigger clubs in order to pen a contract with the club last summer, but they could be facing a fight to keep hold of him a year on. Sky Sports understand that Arsenal are monitoring the teenager's progress at this summer's U19 European Championships where Quina is playing a starring role for Portugal. Quina came through the Benfica academy before leaving to join Chelsea in 2012, but West Ham were able to persuade him to make the move to East London last summer and he quickly signed his first professional contract shortly after. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder is held in high regard within the club and Slaven Bilic gave him his professional debut during the Europa League qualifiers last season. Arsenal offered Quina a contract last summer before he joined West Ham and they're understood to still be holding interest in signing the player.

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WEST BROM PLOTTING CHADLI-AYEW SWAP DEAL
MICHAEL OLIVER
ReadWestHam

Andre Ayew had a rather stop-start debut campaign with West Ham last season.

Following his club-record £20.5m arrival from Swansea in August, the Ghanaian suffered a torn thigh on debut away at Chelsea in the opening game of the season, and injury which sidelined him for nearly three months.

Ayew was working his way back to something close to his best form during the winter, scoring in a convincing 4-1 win away at former club Swansea as the Hammers began to climb the table – before jetting off to the African Cup of Nations.

In the final three months of the season, Ayew scored five goals (taking his season's tally to six) and provided three assists, giving fans hope that he can be a key contributor next season, but another Premier League club is eyeing the former Marseille man.

The Independent report that West Brom are interested in signing Ayew this summer and Tony Pulis has always been an admirer of him.

To get the deal done, Pulis is ready to offer versatile attacker Nacer Chadli in a part-exchange.

Pulis has fallen out with the Belgium international and it's likely that the former Tottenham forward will leave the Hawthorns this summer. Whether West Ham are interested in such a deal remains to be seen.

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West Ham in discussions with Man City over loan move for Joe Hart with option to buy
Reports are circulating that West Ham want to bring Joe Hart to the London Stadium
Football London
BYSAM INKERSOLE
15:37, 11 JUL 2017

football.london understands discussions are taking place with Manchester City for West Ham to sign Joe Hart on loan for the 2017/18 Premier League season.
The England stopper is down the pecking order at the Etihad and spent the last season on loan at Torino. Pep Guardiola has since brought in Ederson from Benfica this summer to be City's number one for the next season, with Claudio Bravo also staying put as the number two. The Hammers have been linked with Hart for a while this summer but it seemed that with City only wanting a permanent switch for around £20m, any deal was off. But we have learned that City are now willing to allow Hart to leave on loan for the season and that has alerted the Hammers again, who are now involved in discussions over making a move for Hart.
His arrival would likely spell the end of the road at the club for Darren Randolph or Adrian, with both players vying for the number one spot having had indifferent campaigns last time out. football.london understands that there will be an option for the Hammers to purchase Hart at the end of the loan deal and during his temporary stay, City will be paying the majority of his £110,000 a week wages.

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West Ham stars take the plunge as they prepare for Premier League season on training camp in Austria
Slaven Bilic's side will be looking to improve on last season's 11th place finish
Summer signing Pablo Zabaleta took part in the training session in Hartberg
A number of players recovered from the session by taking an ice bath
By Amitai Winehouse For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 12:58, 11 July 2017 | UPDATED: 13:03, 11 July 2017

West Ham continued their pre-season preparations with a session in Austria on Tuesday morning. The Hammers are ramping up for the start of the Premier League season with a training camp in Hartberg, in the south-east of the country, as they look to improve on last season. Slaven Bilic's side came 11th in the English top flight after initially struggling to settle in the London Stadium following their summer move. But after time to adjust they can hope for a better campaign this time out, and the players were put through their paces on Tuesday as they look to ready themselves in the ideal manner. Reece Burke, Aaron Cresswell and James Collins could be seen taking the plunge in an ice bucket while Adrian and Arthur Masuaku worked with resistance bands. Midfielder and club captain Mark Noble skipped and took part in a running drill involving obstacles. And forwards Robert Snodgrass, Manuel Lanzini and Andre Ayew could be seen jogging. Summer addition Pablo Zabaleta was also involved in the session as he stretched, while Pedro Obiang worked with a medicine ball. And West Ham's fitness coach Miljenko Rak was also involved as he made the players stretch out as one of the exercises. Cheikhou Kouyate could also seen the fun side of an icy dip as he raised a thumb to the camera. Burke, who has returned to West Ham after a loan spell at Wigan Athletic, is keen to impress Bilic during the training camp. 'I'm buzzing to be here,' he said. 'I was going to go on loan, but that has been put on hold as the manager has told me he wants me to do pre-season here with the first team, so it's a good opportunity for me to get back in with the lads, as I've been away for a while now. 'I spoke with the gaffer and he wants me to stay here, so it's a good opportunity for me to work hard and show him what I've got, because obviously I haven't seen him for a while. 'I need to stay fit and have a good pre-season here, that's my target.'

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Reece Burke future in limbo as Slaven Bilic calls on youngsters to prove their worth in pre-season
HITC
Damien Lucas

Highly-rated young West Ham United defender Reece Burke does not know where his immediate future lies. Centre-back Burke looked set for another loan move to Bolton Wanderers having previously played under their manager Phil Parkinson while on loan at Bradford City. It was during his time at Valley Parade where Burke really established himself as a player who could potentially graduate from the Hammers' famous Academy to the first team as he where he won no less than seven awards, including player of the year. However, Slaven Bilic - who was criticised by supporters last season for failing to bring through any of the club's promising young players - has put a block on Burke leaving on loan for the time being. And while the 20-year-old welcomes the prospect of being back in the mix at West Ham, he admitted in an interview with the club's official site he does not know what the immediate future holds. "I'm buzzing to be here, I was going to go on loan, but that has been put on hold as the manager has told me he wants me to do pre-season here with the first team, so it's a good opportunity for me to get back in with the lads, as I've been away for a while now," Burke told whufc.com. "I spoke with the gaffer and he wants me to stay here, so it's a good opportunity for me to work hard and show him what I've got, because obviously I haven't seen him for a while. "I need to stay fit and have a good pre-season here, that's my target. "My ambition is to play in the Premier League and to do that you have to go on loan and get experience and, if I have to do that to develop, that's what I'll do."

Burke's comments come after a well-placed West Ham source on Twitter ExWHUEmployee revealed the club is using pre-season to give their exciting crop of youngsters the chance to impress and prove their worth to the first team.

ExWHUemployee @ExWHUemployee
Bilic has said to a number of the youngsters to prove themselves over preseason and this has been an unexpected boost
9:38 PM - 10 Jul 2017

Should they fail to do that they will be sent out on loan. The likes of Josh Cullen, Martin Samuelsen, Marcus Browne, Toni Martinez, Declan Rice and Domingos Quina are all in the same boat as Burke and could follow in Reece Oxford's footsteps after he was sent on loan to Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach for the season.

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West Ham hope to complete statement signing in Man City goalkeeper Joe Hart
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham remain hopeful of sealing a deal for Joe Hart in the next few days, with Slaven Bilic keen on the Manchester City and England goalkeeper. Hart has been told he can leave Man City and West Ham are favourites to sign the 30-year-old, who has won 71 senior caps for his country. City are said to want a permanent deal and value Hart at around £20million, but West Ham would prefer a one-year loan. Bilic is keen to get the deal done and believes a signing of Hart's stature would make a significant statement about the club's ambitions. The pursuit of Hart comes as the Hammers look to step up their summer transfer window activity with a deal for Stoke striker Marko Arnautovic. The east London club look certain to return to Premier League rivals Stoke with an improved offer after having an initial bid of £15 million rejected for the Austrian international.

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WEST HAM READY TO OFFER BARCELONA €10M FOR MUNIR
DANIEL EMERY @DanielEmeryRS
ReadWestHam

West Ham are ready to offer Barcelona up to €10m to sign winger Munir El Haddadi. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, via Sport Witness, Southampton, West Ham and Crystal Palace are all prepared to offer between €8-10m for Munir's signature. Barcelona are looking for a fee closer to €14m, which has already been sent to them by Russian side Zenit. Although, that move appears to be a non-starter as Munir is not keen on a move to Russia this summer. The report also claims that Barcelona are keen to sell Munir, which plays into the hands of West Ham – who can haggle the price down to €10m. Munir looks set to leave Barcelona after six years at the club, playing for the B team and the first-team. The Spaniard has played 45 games for the first-team, scoring ten goals, but was sent on loan to Valencia last season. Munir scored seven goals in 36 games for Valencia in all competitions.

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West Ham to step up Marko Arnautovic transfer after Stoke reject £15m offer
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham are closing in on Stoke striker Marko Arnautovic as the Hammers step up their summer transfer window activity. The east London club look certain to return to Premier League rivals Stoke with an improved offer after having an initial bid of £15 million rejected for the Austrian international. Arnautovic, 28, who joined Stoke from Werder Bremen four seasons ago for £2 million, has submitted an official transfer request. The Potters, while reluctant to sell, are prepared to allow the striker to leave - but at the right price. "We have received a bid from West Ham for Marko and it was turned down," confirmed club chairman Peter Coates. "Mark Hughes is planning to meet with the player and hopefully he can find a positive resolution, as he did last year. We will only sell Marko if the terms are right but he's not a player we want to lose." Arnautovic signed a new four-year contract just 12 months ago but now wants to move on. Bilic has prioritised pace and power in his quest for new players this summer, and believes the player - who has won 62 caps for Austria - would be an ideal acquisition. Arnautovic limped off at half-time of Stoke's pre-season friendly against Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax with a knee problem but the injury is not thought to be serious.

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WHY NDIAYE COULD BE A GREAT SIGNING FOR WEST HAM
By stevek
WTID

I haven't written on here for several months, sorry about that…

According to a handful of reports, we're about to get the deal done on the Senegalese midfielder Papa Alioune Ndiaye (apparently, according to whoscored.com and goal.com) from Turkish outfit Osmanlispor for around 8-9m. Yep. I don't think I'd heard of them either, my avid following of the Turkish Super League has waned of late. Sky Sports also leading on the rumour of the deal, which of course means its going to happen…

However, if this is true, we might be in for another solid competition for places in midfield. Not the marquee signings we've all been promised – I'd agree somewhat with Hamburg Hammers post there, although I still hold out hope for a massive striker signing…

Lets look at Ndiaye then.

26 years old. Excellent and solid pass rate (80% success rate last season), 47% shot accuracy – doesn't sound amazing, but compare him with some of our recent campaign stats…

Andy Carroll – 50% shot accuracy
Manuel Lanzini – 39%
Andre Ayew – 50%
Jonny Calleri (God bless him) – 33% (yes I was surprised too, although I think he only had 3 shots, one was that tap in)
Michail Antonio – 41%

And even Kouyate is only on 24% shot accuracy – who looking at how Ndiaye plays (only going on YouTube) he feels a similar player to me, drives forwards, fast, not afraid of running at players. Looks a potential good signing.

Not one to want to bring up sore wounds, but Ndiaye's stats bear a slight resemblance to he who shall not be named before he left for Marseille…
Both 80% pass accuracy rate, both 47% shot accuracy, both got 17m average pass distance (one of the largest in the team last year) 56% duels won for Papa, only 47% for DP.

So clearly this lad can pick a pass…

But its more that just shot accuracy and pass rate.

In comparison to some of our other players – the excellent Antonio, and the Jewel… lets take a look…

stats source: squawka.com
As you can see – even compared to two of our most attacking midfielders his stats stands up.

One to watch… he might fit in well…

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