Preview - Manchester City
WHUFC.com
When and where?
West Ham United v Manchester City
Emirates FA Cup third round
Friday 6 January 2017, 7.55pm GMT
London Stadium
What's the story?
West Ham United host Emirates FA Cup football at London Stadium for the first time on Friday night when Manchester City come to town.
It is a meeting of two teams with a proud Cup tradition – as they have lifted the famous trophy eight times between them.
The Hammers have three of those FA Cup wins to their name – in 1964, 1975 and 1980, while City's last triumph came in 2011.
Manchester City are under Pep Guardiola's management this season, after the Spaniard left Bayern Munich last summer to move to England.
He appeared to arrive with the midas touch, as City won all of their first ten competitive matches under his stewardship. However, their form has not held up so well since and they currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Chelsea.
Since losing 4-2 to Leicester in early December, however, they have won four of their last five to set them up for the start of their Cup campaign.
West Ham, meanwhile, were unfortunate to lose their two New Year's fixtures – 1-0 and 2-0 to Leicester and Manchester United respectively.
Slaven Bilic's men are in 13th, with 22 points from their 20 games to date.
Team news
West Ham United have Sofiane Feghouli available for the visit of City, after his ban for a sending off against Manchester United was overturned.
Andre Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate are unavailable after linking up with Ghana and Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Diafra Sakho, Arthur Masuaku, Alvaro Arbeloa and James Collins are all out injured.
Fernandinho is suspended for Manchester City after an appeal of their own was rejected by the FA this week.
Defender Vincent Kompany is also out.
Player head-to-head
Head-to-head
Any links between the two?
The Hammers have already met Manchester City in the league tbis season, with Guardiola's team managing a 3-1 victory at Etihad Stadium in August.
In the last meeting in London, West Ham and City played out a 2-2 Boleyn Ground draw. Enner Valencia was on target twice for the Hammers, while Sergio Aguero replied with a brace too.
How do I get to the game?
Click here for everything you need to know on London Stadium.
Once again, walking routes to the Stadium will be affected by Gas Works. Click here for full info.
Supporters should note that this game is all-ticket and paper tickets will be used to enter the Stadium. Click here for more info.
Click here for the latest news on the Tubes, London Overground and TfL Rail services, and the roads.
Click here for the latest news on National Rail services.
How can I watch the game?
The match is being broadcast live in the UK on BBC One. You can also follow all the action as it happens on the whufc.com Match Centre, with live audio commentary, social media updates, in-running stats, photos and more. Join the conversation on social using #WHUMCI
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Bilic - We are dreaming about trophies
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic wants to bring silverware back to West Ham United
The Hammers boss plans to name a strong line-up in Friday's Emirates FA Cup third-round tie
The manager feels his side are good enough to beat Manchester City at London Stadium
Slaven Bilic says he would love to bring silverware back to West Ham and plans to name a strong team for the Emirates FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester City on Friday night. Despite the Hammers facing two games in three days against Leicester and Manchester United last weekend, Bilic feels his players have had enough time to recuperate and is hoping to record another big cup victory at London Stadium. The Hammers have not been handed the easiest of knockout draws this season following the recent EFL Cup ties against Chelsea and Manchester United, but the boss feels his players have the quality to compete against the big teams.
Bilic has always a big fan of the FA Cup and knows what it would mean to the supporters if the team could reach another major final at Wembley.Bilic said: "The Premier League is the priority, but we are also dreaming about trophies. "It is definitely more likely we are closer to a trophy in the cups than the league, like most of the clubs. It is a big ambition for us. We have a very difficult draw.
"We had tough ones in the EFL Cup with Chelsea and Manchester United. Manchester City will approach this cup very seriously but we are positive because our form is good now."
The manager confirmed he will make a few changes to the team following the disappointing home defeat against Manchester United, but still plans to name a strong starting line-up good enough to beat Pep Guardiola's side. Bilic added: "There was more rotation with the game with United because we had two games in three games, now there is a gap. "I am not saying there won't be changes, but from Monday to Friday there is a normal gap and we then have a game next Saturday against Palace. "Considering we are playing in the FA Cup, where we have big ambitions, we play at home against Manchester City, a big club, so we play a very strong side."
A limited number of tickets remain available for Friday's 7.55pm and can be bought via the Ticket Exchange.
For those unable to make it to east London in person, the tie will be screened live on BBC 1.
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From the Terraces
WHUFC.com
Fan blogger Joe Difford looks back at the game against Manchester United...
What began as a potentially thrilling clash between West Ham and Manchester United was spoiled within the opening fifteen minutes due to the most appalling refereeing decision of the season. The back pages were littered with news of the outrageous sending off and offside goal to seal the away win, and it is another week where poor decisions are more prominent than what happened on the pitch.
Slaven Bilic's men looked good value in the opening exchanges, pushing forward and keeping United from entering the home penalty area. But the game changing decision came when Sofiane Feghouli and Phil Jones both went in for a 50/50 challenge, clattering into each other as the ball was knocked away.
The West Ham man got back up but Jones stayed down, appearing to have been badly hurt, and Mike Dean showed the man in Claret and Blue the red card. A yellow card would have been harsh considering that the tackle was low, with studs down and no excessive force.
It is easy to say not to dwell on the decision, but it completely changed the game, forcing Michail Antonio out wide and leaving us with no out and out striker. Regardless, we pushed on, and did ourselves proud being a man down. Manual Lanzini came close from distance but saw David de Gea push his effort round the post.
Darren Randolph made a fine save of his own, stopping the ball on the goalline after it bounced back off the post, falling to Jesse Lingard just a few yards out. After the break, Juan Mata came on with Marcus Rashford and the duo combined well for the opener. Rashford moved down out left, where Feghouli would have been, and pulled it back for Mata to fire home.
A 1-0 loss would have been tough to take, but the goal hurt even more as Antonio missed the chance to put us ahead with a one-on-one just sixty seconds earlier. Zlatan Ibrahimovic then wrapped up all three points, scoring from an offside position when our defence pushed up fantastically.
At the end of the day, no amount of complaining will change the result and Feghouli's sending off was rescinded. But it is difficult to accept the fact that a poor refereeing decision just 15 minutes in, spoiled what could have been a fantastic, even game of football.
Slaven Bilic's men did superbly well considering, and should go into the next game against Manchester City in the FA Cup with plenty of confidence.
For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
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The Insider
WHUFC.com
The Insider returns with the latest news on speculation surrounding West Ham United - in association with TransferMate...
Happy New Year everyone,
The January transfer window is now open and, as has been the case with seemingly every previous window in recent memory, West Ham United are being linked to player after player. With a number of first-team players injured and two more heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations in Andre Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate, the Board and the manager have made no secret of their desire to strengthen the squad this month.
The recent run of wins in the Premier League has given the team some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three, as well as some welcome confidence, but I am told the Club's ambitions are to finish in the top ten as a minimum. My understanding is that the Board are committed to giving the Club the best-possible chance of achieving that target, and have allocated significant funds to bolstering the squad.
To that end, a bid of £20m – a figure close to the Club's all-time transfer record – was submitted for a player from Scotland. Meanwhile, an £8m bid was made for a player who currently plies his trade in the Championship, and a £6m bid for a current Premier League player.
It is my understanding that the Club understand that January is a difficult time to buy and sell players, as many other clubs are reluctant to do business in what is a very competitive market. That said, it is my further understanding that the Board will do their best to bring their selected targets to London Stadium, if at all possible.
With all of the above in mind, it should be remembered that transfers are very complicated business deals involving a number of hurdles which need to be overcome before the final contracts are signed. There has also been some speculation about Michail Antonio leaving this month for one of the Premier League's top six, but my understanding is that the Club will not sell their leading goalscorer.
Antonio signed a new contract last summer and will be offered an improved deal at the end of the season if the outstanding form he has shown in the first half of this season continues.
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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com
We are preparing for one of the biggest weekends in the football calendar – the Emirates FA Cup Third Round and I am looking forward to another big night under the lights at London Stadium when we host Manchester City.
Every general admission ticket has been sold and this is a wonderful achievement for a TV game on a Friday night. I want to thank all the supporters for attending.
We were determined to lower the prices and having our kids for a quid pricing strategy showed our ongoing commitment to affordable family football.
After reaching the quarter-final stage of the competition last season I know how disappointed Slaven and the players felt that they were unable to reach Wembley and we would love to make amends for that.
Having played Chelsea and Manchester United in the EFL Cup earlier in the season, we are certainly not getting the kindest of draws.
But we do not fear anyone in the top flight and having recorded a memorable double over Manchester City last season, I am hoping to see another famous victory on Friday night.
We have most of our key players back from injury and on our day we are good enough to beat any team.
Slaven showed last season what this competition means to him and he understands the history of the FA Cup.
He will have to make some changes as two of our players have now departed for the Africa Cup of Nations, but on a positive note it was great to see Pedro Obiang back in the team and he had another outstanding display against Manchester United in the last game.
I have been a big fan of Pedro since the day he arrived at the club and he is proving to be a fantastic signing. He is a terrific athlete and I would now love to see him get on the scoresheet.
Slaven and the players will be keen to get back to winning ways following the disappointing home defeat on Monday.
The game was of course severely affected by the early dismissal of Sofiane Feghouli and everybody could see it was not a sending off. Thankfully the decision has been overturned and he will be available for the City game.
I don't blame the referees as they are under so much pressure and face the most difficult job in football. But I strongly believe that the introduction of video technology would avoid a situation like this occurring and it would help our top officials make the right decision.
We could have gone on to win if Sofiane had stayed on the pitch, but I thought the players still produced an amazing display against the odds.
I hope we can have more luck on Friday and we can enjoy another magical night under the lights.
Enjoy the game.
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Bilic - Guardiola will always have a strong philosophy
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic is relishing the chance to come up against Pep Guardiola and has no doubts the Spanish coach will stick to his principles as he looks to win major silverware once again this season.
Guardiola has a proven track record as a manager following his memorable spell in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
With six league titles and two Champions League winners' medals to name among a host of other trophies, there is no question that the 45-year-old coach enjoys winning at the highest level and he will look forward to the world famous FA Cup for the first time this season.
Guardiola started the season in electric fashion winning his opening ten games, but his side then suffered a dip in form and they have come under fire in recent weeks despite winning four of their last five league games.
Bilic has no doubts that the City manager will get things right and is expecting another tough encounter when the two teams meet at London Stadium on Friday night.
Bilic said: "He knew the intensity of the English league, he was well prepared for a difficult season. He didn't expect anything less that he is getting or has faced so far.
"He believes so strongly in the way he wants his teams to play football and he doesn't want to change it because at the moment it doesn't look so fluent on the pitch.
"He knew it would be hard. He was prepared for the Premier League, it goes for all the big men.
"They had a brilliant start to the season and then they slowed down a little bit. All the big teams hit form like Chelsea. This is a big game for us and big game for them, it is the FA Cup and it is big for the spectators and the fans.
"They will put out a very strong team because it is a big chance for them to get a trophy. Maybe after the great start they made, maybe some fans, pundits or football people expected them to cruise in the league, especially with Guardiola, especially after that start.
"But it is never easy in any league, especially here. They are not struggling but for their standards, to be seven points from the top is probably not what they expected. But in the beginning, they said they had a long term plan with Guardiola."
BilicThe Hammers manager was asked once again about potential moves for new signings in the January transfer window, but he refused to single out individuals and said if the right player becomes available the Club will look to some business in the January transfer window.
Bilic added: "We have a couple of positions that I discussed with the chairman but I believe in this squad that we have. That is my squad, a squad with enough quality, strength and character to finish the season good.
"Of course, always extra quality would be good to add to the team. In the league it is very likely we will miss some players in these 20 games through injury or suspension. But the core of the squad is really good and I believe in them."
One player who looks set to be leaving the Hammers is Simone Zaza.
Bilic has no doubts that the Italy international has the quality to compete at the highest level and feels he needed more time to showcase his talents in the Premier League following his move from Juventus last summer.
"He is definitely a good player and we had a big expectation of him but it wasn't to be because of the clause in his contract.
"With many players, they need a few months or even a year to adjust to the Premier League.
"Unfortunately he came in at a time when the team didn't play good. After the first international break, when we played those few games, against Watford at home and West Brom, unfortunately we had to judge him on six, seven, eight games which is not a big pattern to judge a player in general.
"He is definitely a good player but like many times in football, it just didn't happen."
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Pedro's Pep-talk ahead of City clash
WHUFC.om
Pedro Obiang has always been a big admirer of Pep Guardiola but he would love the chance to put one over his Spanish compatriot on Friday and play his first ever game at Wembley this season.
The Hammers midfielder is relishing the chance to come up against Guardiola's Manchester City side in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round tie and feels his team-mates will want to put on a show in front of the televised cameras at London Stadium.
Obiang grew up watching the famous Barcelona side that Pep put together and feels he will be a fantastic addition to the Premier League.
But the 24-year-old is determined to have a good run in the FA Cup and after visiting Wembley earlier in the season, he would love to help his team go all the way in the competition and bring some silverware back to the east London Club.
Obiang said: "I followed Pep when he played for Barcelona and then he played in Italy. It is easy to follow him because he is such a big manager and everyone knows about him.
"He lives and eats football! I am happy that he is a Spanish manager and I was pleased to see him come into the Premier League because he did such a good job managing in Spain and Germany.
"I have never played against him before and when I played against Barcelona he was manager of Bayern Munich.
"I went to Wembley to watch the recent friendly between England and Spain and thought it was amazing there.
"I would love to play there and hopefully this season could be the year we get to the final!
"This is the only cup competition we are left in and we want to play a good game on Friday. We seem to play well against the big teams and last season we had a lot of difficult games but we managed to reach the quarter-finals.
"I think we are a lot better this season and now we are trying to change something. If we play well in this game I think we could go on to win the cup."
Obiang has been quietly going about his business at the heart of the West Ham midfield, but he has been one of the star performers this season.
With Cheikhou Kouyate departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, Obiang knows there will be even more responsibility on his shoulders, but he welcomes the pressure and says it would be a dream way for him to start 2017 if he can finally score his first goal for the Club.
Obiang added; "At the moment I need to continue this kind of form and I want to get even better. I need to score my first goal for West Ham because that it is important for any player.
"I have come close but that is not good enough! I want to get on the scoresheet. Once I score my first goal hopefully I can score a lot more.
"I don't feel any more pressure with Cheikhou going away, but maybe I am lucky that I will get the chance to play. Last season I was on the bench and I needed to be ready every time I was called upon. Now I have my chance and I want to make the most of it.
"You need to feel confident when you are playing. It is not easy when you are not in the side, but when you are playing everything changes and you feel the confidence.
"I set the bar quite high and this is good for the mentality and all the players need this.
"When Cheikhou comes back he will make the team even stronger, but now we have to cope without him. It was the same last season when Manuel Lanzini was missing through injury and we needed to be stronger together and continue in the league."
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West Ham United v Manchester City
FRI, 06 JAN 2017FA CUP - THIRD ROUND
19:55
Venue: London Stadium
BBC.co.uk
How to follow:
Live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
TEAM NEWS
Sofiane Feghouli is available for West Ham after winning an appeal against his sending off versus Manchester United.
Fellow midfielder Mark Noble may return after suffering a knock at Leicester, but Cheikhou Kouyate and Andre Ayew are away on international duty.
Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho begins a four-game ban after failing to overturn his red card against Burnley.
Ilkay Gundogan, Vincent Kompany and Leroy Sane are injured and Fernando could miss out because of a knock.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Guy Mowbray: "1964, 1975 and 1980. West Ham's FA Cup-winning years remain the club's finest achievements* and bring misty-eyed memories to those old enough to remember.
"All before Slaven Bilic - but as someone whose Hammers association began 21 years ago this week, he understands the competition's importance to the club.
"City boast five FA Cup triumphs, with their latest in 2011 proving the catalyst for their Premier League title win the following year.
"Moreover, Pep Guardiola showed how much he values success in the knockout competitions by consistently selecting strong sides in leading Bayern Munich to victory in the German Cup twice.
"Both are in it to win it. Only one can. Magic."
*NB: Yes, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 was special but they couldn't have won it without the FA Cup!
Twitter: @Guymowbray
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "They [City] had a brilliant start to the season and then they slowed down a little bit.
"This is a big game for us and big game for them, it is the FA Cup and it is big for the fans.
"They will put out a very strong team because it is a big chance for them to get a trophy. Maybe after the great start they made, maybe some fans, pundits or football people expected them to cruise in the league, especially with [Pep] Guardiola, especially after that start.
"But it is never easy in any league, especially here. They are not struggling but, for their standards, to be seven points from the top is probably not what they expected."
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "I am not going to be training when I am 60 years old. But guys, I am 45! I am not going to retire in two or three years.
"I love my job and am in the perfect place to do my job, especially here in England... maybe it was inappropriate to say I am starting to say goodbye to my career, but I know what I am thinking about when I am going to retire.
"When I said compare history and titles with United and Liverpool, Barcelona and Madrid, that kind of club, we are behind. If people don't understand that, I am sorry. In terms of just titles, we are behind other clubs in the last 20 years.
"In the last five or six years Manchester City have been the best club. They are the club who have achieved the most. In terms of targets of getting better, of growing, of achieving the most, they are the best in the world, by far."
Mark Noble
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have won only two of their last 15 league and cup games against Manchester City (D3, L10).
The last time the Hammers beat City in the FA Cup was in 2006 - when they went on to reach the final. They won 2-1 in a quarter-final at the Etihad thanks to a Dean Ashton brace.
The sides have only been paired together in the FA Cup three times before. West Ham claimed 2-1 away wins in 1998 and 2006, while City beat them 1-0 in a replay at the Etihad Stadium in 2008.
West Ham United
The Hammers have only lost one of their previous eight FA Cup games on home turf - that defeat coming against Manchester United last season.
The last time they lost a game at home in the FA Cup third round was in 2010 - a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal.
The Irons are three-time FA Cup winners (1964, 1975, 1980) and were runners-up in 1923 and 2006.
Dimitri Payet has had a hand in five goals in six appearances for the Hammers in this competition (three goals and two assists).
Manchester City
City's 5-1 loss at Chelsea in the fifth round last season was their heaviest defeat in the FA Cup since 1960, when they lost by the same scoreline against Southampton.
They have progressed past the third round in six of the last seven seasons - the only exception being their defeat to Manchester United in 2012.
This is the fourth time in a row City have been drawn away against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup (they travelled to Norwich, Aston Villa and Chelsea last season).
City won the trophy for the fifth time when they beat Stoke in 2011. They have been runners-up on five occasions - most recently against Wigan in 2013.
Sergio Aguero needs one goal to become the third highest scorer in City's history. He is tied with Colin Bell on 153 goals. Only Tommy Johnson (166) and Eric Brook (178) have more.
Khelechi Iheanacho has four goals and one assist in his three previous FA Cup appearances.
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MY OPINIONS ON THE TRANSFER WINDOW BY AARON LEE
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 5 JANUARY 2017 AT 8:56PM
The WestHamWay.co.uk
This is written by 6_aaronlee
A little bit about me to start off with, I've been a season ticket holder for 17 years. I sat in the east stand upper at the Boleyn ground and now I sit in the east stand lower block 139 at the London Stadium. I was born and raised a stones throw away from the ground under the shadows of the magical lights of the Boleyn that we all loved so much. My Grandad took me to my first ever West Ham game when I was 18 months old and from that point on, I fell in love with our special club. My great Grandad had a hand in setting up the West Ham supporters club so West Ham has always been a big part of my family like I'm sure it has with many others…anyway enough about me and on to more important things.
The January transfer has officially opened which means we will be linked with anyone with two legs who can kick a football. I think the key areas for us that need addressing as I'm sure you all know are right back and a striker. I would also like to see us bring in a ball playing midfielder who can spread the play quickly from deep to our wide players and full backs. The problem in January is not many clubs will want to sell their in-form players and the fee will be inflated massively as the window is so short and clubs will be looking to replace players who could potentially leave.
In terms of right backs, I see we have been linked with the returns of Glenn Johnson and Carl Jenkinson.I thought Jenkinson was great in his first season with the club, but unfortunately things didn't work out so well on his return. A loss of confidence and a serious injury seems to have stopped him from building on his first season at West Ham. Glenn Johnson would be the cheaper option in terms of transfer fee's due to his contract expiring at the end of the season although Stoke do have the option for a further year should they wish to activate it. If we did manage to bring back Johnson, I think his return could be a benefit to Sam Byram who I still think could become a great player for us in the future. Another player is Kieran Trippier who would be my first choice but it would not be easy to get him from Spurs because let's be honest we all know how difficult they can be to do business with.
Now on to the position that West Ham fans have been calling out for to be addressed the most: a striker. We have been linked with Scott Hogan of Brentford who I have seen quite a few times. I like Hogan he works hard, pesters defenders and he has a very good goal scoring record at Brentford. Britt Assombalonga of Nottingham Forest is another player we have been linked with in the past, he returned the back end of last season from a serious injury but I think he could make the step up to the Premier League. He also worked well with our current top scorer Michail Antonio in their time together at Forest. I think Assombalonga is in a similar stature to Marlon Harewood who was the last striker to score over 12 goals for us in the Premier League. We also have an interest in bringing Daniel Sturridge and Michy Batshuayi in on loan. Personally I'd be pleased with either of these if we could manage to get a deal done. There are questions about Sturridge being able to stay fit but no one can take away from him that he has goals in him and could be great for us. There is also one more player linked with us that's Jermain Defoe I'm not sure how many of you remember Defoe as he departed the club quietly without much fuss (that was a joke by the way 😉). You know you will get goals with Defoe. It is a transfer that has split the supporters also at the age of 34 he hasn't got many years ahead of him and Sunderland would be hoping for a big fee for a player who is their biggest chance of survival. No doubt he would be on a high wage at Sunderland and would command a similar wage to return. Personally I'm on the fence with this transfer taking in to account all these factors but we need a goal scorer and that is something which Defoe has specialised in through out his career.
Fingers crossed we have a happy transfer window and we can bring in the quality we have lacked at times this season and we are able to kick on in the second half of the season.
Happy new year to all
Come On You Irons
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WEST HAM LODGE £20M BID FOR CELTIC STRIKER MOUSSA DEMBELE
BY 337HAMMER ON 5 JANUARY 2017 AT 4:39PM
TheWestHamWay.o.uk
The 20-year-old French youth international only arrived at Parkhead in June, signing a four year contract after interest from a host of top European clubs, but has proven himself to be a top performer in the Champions League, where he scored twice against Manchester City.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has said that he does not intend to lose Dembele in January, though he acknowledges the Scottish champions will not be able to keep hold of their star striker indefinitely.
"It won't be January for Moussa," Rodgers said. "You know at Celtic that if you get a really talented player, then the cycle at best is a couple of years, like Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk and Ki Sung-yueng.
"If they have that quality, then it's a great platform for them to demonstrate that and then they know there's a better financial situation down south."
However a bid of £20m may well test Rodgers' resolve and shows the esteem in which Dembele is held by West Ham, against whom the youngster made his Premier League debut in 2013. The fee would nearly match the Hammers' club record, which they paid to bring Andre Ayew from Swansea last summer. www.standard.co.uk
So that is 3 bids made for 3 strikers in the first few days of the transfer window. Seems we are after a striker then 😉
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Jenas: Defoe would rather be at West Ham than Sunderland
BBC.co.uk
Jermaine Jenas says former team-mate Jermain Defoe would 'undo all of the good work' he's done at Sunderland if he were to leave the club in the current transfer window, but admits the striker would 'probably rather be back in London'. Defoe has been linked with a move away from Wearside this month, and his club rejected a £6m offer from his former side West Ham. The pair played together for Tottenham Hotspur and England, and Jenas thinks the Irons are a more attractive proposition for the p layer. "You look at who's progressing more as a club, you'd say West Ham. I'm pretty sure he'd rather probably be back in London and being a part of what West Ham are trying to do", he said. This clip first appeared on 5 live Sport on Wednesday 4th January 2016.
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Zaza story over, confirms Bilic
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 5th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Simone Zaza is unlikely to ever feature for West Ham again. The on-loan Italian international managed just eight games in a claret and blue shirt without scoring a single goal and has been told he can find another club immediately, despite being contracted to West Ham until the end of the season. However Bilic refused to criticise the out-of-luck striker, who he insisted that, given time, could have been a success in the Premier League. "Zaza came to West Ham as we wanted him and he wanted to come," said Bilic, is response to quotes from Zaza's agent father who claimed that his son wanted to remain in Italy last summer.
"Maybe his wish was to stay in Italy or whatever, but because of his contract I can say that his story with West Ham is finished.
"He's still our player until the moment he goes somewhere else, but mainly because of the situation with his contract that's it with West Ham, basically. "Those kind of things happen in football. He's definitely a good player and we had big expectations for him but it just wasn't to be. The story with Zaza and West Ham is basically over. "Because of the contract situation it had top happen straight away [for him] with a big impact. Other players need a year to adjust to the Premier League; unfortunately he came in at the time when we weren't playing well at the beginnning of the season. "Unfortunately we had to judge him on six, seven, eight games which is not a big pattern to judge a player in general. What I'm trying to say is that he's definitely a good player but like sometimes happens in football, it just didn't happen for him or for us."
Bilic also revealed that despite stories linking fellow striker Jonathan Calleri with a move to Las Palmas in La Liga, he may yet have a part to play in the second half of the current campaign. "I wouldn't say that Calleri has necessarily played his last game for us," he stated. "Calleri has a different contract. Both of the players are on loan for one season but with Calleri, there aren't any conditions in the loan so it's different."
However he did refute suggestions that Enner Valencia could be recalled from his season-long loan at Everton. "Valencia? No. We didn't think about it," said Bilic.
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West Ham launch £20m striker bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 5th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have lodged a bid worth £20million with Scottish Premiership front-runners Celtic for Moussa Dembele.
The French forward - not to be confused with Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele - has been in sensational form at Parkhead since moving from Fulham on a free transfer last summer and is understood to be the target of the eight-figure bid by the Hammers, who are desperately seeking additional firepower.
However the Hammers are up against some serious competition for the 20-year-old's signature, with Manchester City just one of several fellow top-tier clubs said to be actively monitoring his progress.
Dembele, who has represented his country at all levels from Under 16 to Under 21, began his career with local junior club US Cergy Clos berfore joining Paris St Germain in 2004 when he was just eight years old.
At the age of 16 he left France to join then Premiership-sdide Fulham, for whom he made his first team debut in a 3-0 defeat against West Ham at the Boleyn Ground in November 2013.
After racking up 64 appearances and scoring 19 goals for the south west London side, Dembele moved to Parkhead on a free transfer last June having failed to agree terms with Fulham.
Since then, he has scored 19 times in just 36 appearances - including a hat-trick against fierce rivals Rangers back in September.
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New deal for Antonio
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 5th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Michail Antonio is set to be offered a new contract at the end of the season in order to keep him at West Ham.
Should he continue his excellent form of 2016, the flying winger - who was linked with a move to Chelsea earlier this week - is set to be offered a second new contract inside 12 months according to an article on the club's website.
"There has been some speculation about Michail Antonio leaving this month for one of the Premier League's top six, but my understanding is that the Club will not sell their leading goalscorer," said whufc.com.
"Antonio signed a new contract last summer and will be offered an improved deal at the end of the season if the outstanding form he has shown in the first half of this season continues."
The former Nottingham Forest man has scored eight goals for the Hammers already during the current campaign, to add to the nine he grabbed in his first season at the club.
He signed a new deal at the start of the season after being informed by Slaven Bilic that he would be employed in various roles when required.
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West Ham v Man City preview: Sofiane Feghouli avaliable but Fernandinho suspended
Last Updated: 05/01/17 2:56pm
SSN
Sofiane Feghouli will be available as West Ham welcome Man City in the FA Cup on Friday evening, but the visitors will be without Fernandinho. The Hammers forward had his red card from Monday's clash with Manchester United rescinded by the FA and will be available for selection. However, Fernandinho's sending off earlier that day stands and after being sent off against Chelsea at the start of December, it has been extended to four domestic fixtures, including the cup trip to the London Stadium. It will also be Pep Guardiola's first taste of FA Cup football, and the Catalan confessed he was looking forward to enjoying the "magic of the cup". "In the Bundesliga, the cup tradition is special. What I hear here is that the cup is special because the low teams can beat the big teams - that's why it's fascinating. I'm looking forward to it," he said.
The Hammers reached the quarter-finals of last season's competition, but were knocked out to eventual champions Manchester United after a replay.
Team news
West Ham duo Cheikhou Kouyate and Andre Ayew have left for Africa Nations Cup duty while Diafra Sakho, James Collins, Arthur Masuaku, Alvaro Arbeloa and Gokhan Tore are still injured. However, defenders Sam Byram and Reece Oxford are back in training following spells out and are in contention for places in the squad.
City captain Vincent Kompany is back in training, but the trip to London will come too soon as Guardiola confirmed he would not be available for selection.
The manager also said it would be unlikely for him to rotate his squad too much given the calibre of their Premier League opposition, but could bring in Willy Caballero for Claudio Bravo between the sticks.
Match stats
These two sides have not met in the FA Cup since a third-round clash in 2008, with City eventually winning 1-0 in a replay at the Etihad.
City have only lost two of the last 15 games in all competitions against the Hammers (W10 D3), although they've failed to win their last two away games against them (D1 L1).
West Ham have lost only one of their last eight FA Cup games at home (W5 D2), however that game was a quarter-final replay against Manchester United last season.
The Citizens have progressed past the third round in six of their last seven seasons, losing out to United in 2012.
Dimitri Payet has had a hand in five goals in six appearances for the Hammers in this competition (three goals, two assists).
Kelechi Iheanacho has appeared three times for Manchester City in the FA Cup, scoring four goals and assisting another.
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No West Ham offer for Celtic forward Moussa Dembele
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 05/01/17 9:50pm
SSN
West Ham have not made a £20m bid for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele, according to Sky sources. A senior source at the club says reports of an offer for the striker are wrong and inaccurate. The 20-year-old Dembele joined Celtic in the summer on a four-year deal and has made a very positive impression, scoring 19 goals for the Hoops. West Ham are definitely in the market for a striker, and have had a £6m offer rejected for Sunderland's Jermain Defoe. The Hammers are also interested in Brentford forward Scott Hogan, but have had a bid of £10m turned down.
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West Ham keen on signing Stoke defender Glen Johnson, Sky sources understand
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 05/01/17 12:37pm
SSN
West Ham are interested in signing Stoke City defender Glen Johnson, Sky sources understand. The 32-year-old began his career with the Hammers before joining Chelsea in a £6m deal in July 2003, winning the Premier League and League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge. A permanent move to Portsmouth followed in 2007 and with it, FA Cup glory before he joined Liverpool for £18m less than two years later, where he was again part of a League Cup-winning team. Stoke then signed him on a free transfer 18 months ago and he has been a consistent performer in his time at the club, making 42 appearances for Mark Hughes' side. Johnson was a regular starter for Stoke last season until he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 3-1 win at Bournemouth on February 13 2016. Despite West Ham's interest, Stoke are understood to be reluctant to let the former England international leave the Bet365 Stadium and could now face a battle with their Premier League rivals to keep hold of the right-back.
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Slaven Bilic praises Jermain Defoe and Scott Hogan
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 05/01/17 11:43am
SSN
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic talks about Sunderland's Jermain Defoe and Brentford's Scott Hogan after bidding for both players
Slaven Bilic has praised the ability of Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe and confirmed he is an admirer of Brentford's Scott Hogan.
The Hammers have had a £6m bid for Defoe rejected by the struggling Black Cats, and a £10m bid for Hogan has been knocked back by Championship side Brentford, according to Sky sources. The West Ham boss also confirmed that Italian striker Simone Zaza will not play for the club again, with the Hammers unwilling to activate the clause in his contract which dictates they must buy him permanently from Juventus after he has played a certain amount of games. "We are not going to discuss the players that are not ours at the moment," Bilic said. "The chairman is trying really hard to get some players, in a position that we need. But I am not going to talk about names here in public."
He did, however, expand on Defoe and Hogan. On the Sunderland striker, Bilic said: "I said last time that he does the things that are the most important in football; score goals. "He did that last year and he was probably the main reason Sunderland stayed up. He is doing it again this season, but he is also making chances and making them into goals."
Hogan, 24, has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances this season and Bilic said: "Scott is a good player. I watched him a few times.
"He is, again, scoring goals. He is very sharp, quick. A good finisher - doing it in the Championship, young and a good prospect."
Zaza has failed to score in his five Premier League appearances this season and Bilic confirmed West Ham will be looking to offload the Italy international. "Zaza came to West Ham," he added. "We wanted him and he wanted to come. Maybe his wish was to stay in Italy but because of his contract, I can say that his story with West Ham has finished. "He is still our player until he goes somewhere, but mainly because of the situation with his contract he is finished here. Nobody knows what happens in football. He is definitely a good player. It just wasn't to be. "Unfortunately we had to judge him on six, seven games, which is not big amount to judge a player in general."
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The 31 different strikers West Ham have been linked with in the last six months
The Hammers love being linked with a forward, and as Moussa Dembele becomes the latest name tipped with a move to the London Stadium, who remembers all of these?
COMMENTS
BYMARK JONES
17:42, 5 JAN 2017UPDATED17:44, 5 JAN 2017
The Mirror
Celtic's Moussa Dembele is the target of a £20m bid from West Ham United, whose big book of random strikers lies open on the page with the Celtic forward's face on it. Slaven Bilic's side are desperate to add some more firepower as they seek to turn around a fairly up-and-down season, during which they have been no stranger to the gossip columns as they've been linked with several forwards - both big names and not so big. And - just so you don't have to - we've counted no fewer than 31 of those forwards who have been linked with the Hammers in the last six months.
Not even Slaven's Superman impression could convince these lads to join (Photo: Ian Walton)
Are you ready?
Eyes down...
Moussa Dembele (obviously)
Jermain Defoe
Scott Hogan
Alexandre Lacazette
Christian Benteke
Marcus Rashford
Anthony Martial
Lucas Pratto
Shane Long
Michy Batshuayi
Carlos Tevez
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Theo Walcott
Jamie Vardy
Callum Wilson
Daniel Sturridge
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Wilfried Bony
Carlos Bacca
Martin Braithwaite
Andre-Pierre Gignac
Eder
Mario Gomez
David Selke
Vincent Janssen
Enner Valencia (their own striker, who has been linked with a loan return from Everton)
Gregoire Defrel
Nikola Kalinic
Jese Rodriguez
Mario Mandzukic
Ademola Lookman
Phew, that's all of them.
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Slaven Bilic talks up Jermain Defoe and Scott Hogan's talent as Simone Zaza's time runs out at West Ham
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Simone Zaza has played his last game for West Ham but he refused to speculate on potential moves for Jermain Defoe or Scott Hogan. Zaza joined on a season's loan from Juventus but a clause meant West Ham were committed to signing him for £20million once he had played 14 matches. The striker failed to score in his 11 games for the Hammers and Bilic said today: "We wanted Simone and he wanted to come but because of his contract, his story at West Ham is finished. These things happen in football. He's definitely a good player but it just wasn't to be. With players it takes a few months or a year to adjust to the Premier League but we had to judge him on seven or eight games."
West Ham have been linked with Sunderland striker Defoe and Brentford's Hogan during the transfer window. Manager Bilic said: "We're not going to discuss players that are not ours at the moment. The chairman is trying really hard to get some players in positions we need but we're not going to mention names. "All I would say is that Jermain Defoe is maybe or probably the main reason why Sunderland stayed up and in every game, even if he doesn't score, he is making chances. He's an excellent player. As for Scott Hogan, he is an excellent player and again he's scoring goals."
Sofiane Feghouli's red card against Manchester United was over-turned by the FA yesterday, the fourth time out of five that West Ham have successfully appealed against a sending-off. "First I was happy when I heard but four times must be a kind of a record," he said.
"If you add on top of that, a couple of times when players were retrospectively punished after we played them, it is six times."
West Ham kick off the third round of the FA Cup tomorrow night when they host Manchester City, who have struggled in recent weeks.
Bilic said: "They had a brilliant start to the season but have slowed down a little. It is a big game for them and us and I am sure they will put out a strong team tomorrow because it is a big chance for them to win a trophy."
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WEST HAM TO LAUNCH BID FOR BEGOVIC
THOMAS BORE
readWestHam
West Ham will launch a bid for Chelsea's back-up goalkeeper Asmir Begovic this week, according to Croatian source Vecernji List.
The decline of West Ham's first-choice stopper Adrian San Miguel has seen Darren Randolph recalled to the first-team by Slaven Bilic. And, even though Randolph's performances since replacing the Spaniard have been adequate to say the least, Bilic is still in the market for a new number one.
Begovic could be tempted by the lure of first-team football at West Ham, having made just 28 appearances for the Blues since signing from Stoke in 2015 – of which, only three having come under current boss Antonio Conte. Not to mention the Bosnian would not be required to relocate, with the Olympic Stadium less than ten miles from Stamford Bridge.
A return to Stoke City on loan is also on the cards for Begovic, according to the Mirror, as Mark Hughes in need of a temporary replacement for the injured Jack Butland.
Whether Chelsea will allow Begovic to leave on loan is yet to be seen, but, without European football, the 29-year-old's game-time is likely to be very limited – unless the Blues' first choice Thibaut Courtois sustains an injury
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic confirms interest in Brentford striker Scott Hogan - "He's a good prospect"
The Hammers failed with a £10million bid for the 24-year-old hotshot on Wednesday night, but Bilic is still keen
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
12:01, 5 JAN 2017
Slaven Bilic has confirmed his interest in Brentford striker Scott Hogan. The West Ham boss, still keen on Sunderland's Jermain Defoe , has been impressed by 24-year-old Hogan for whom the Irons have had a £10million rejected. Brentford want £15million but West Ham are unwilling to go that far and prefer a structured deal. Hogan, who has 18 months on his contract remaining, has scored 14 goals in the Championship this season. Watford have also made an enquiry but the Hammers are the favourites to clinch Hogan's signature. Bilic said: "He's a good player. I watched him a few times. "He is very sharp, quick – a good finisher, doing it in Championship. He's young and a good prospect." Bilic has reiterated his admiration for Defoe after seeing a £6million bid for the 34-year-old marksman rejected this week. The former West Ham striker has scored 11 league goals for struggling Sunderland this season. Billie added: "He has the things that are the most important in a football games - that's goals. "He scored them last season, maybe or probably the main reason they stayed up, and then he continues to do the same this season, scoring again. A couple in the last game. "In every game he is having chances and most of the chances he is converting them into goals. He is an excellent player of course."
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: This is the real reason why I want Jermain Defoe to return
SLAVEN BILIC has outlined exactly why he wants Jermain Defoe to return to West Ham.
By JON WEST
PUBLISHED: 11:26, Thu, Jan 5, 2017 | UPDATED: 12:11, Thu, Jan 5, 2017
Express.co.uk
Sunderland have rejected a £6million bid for the former England striker, 34, but are bracing themselves for a follow-up. Defoe left the Hammers for Tottenham in controversial circumstances in 2003 when he handed in a transfer request 24 hours after relegation.
Many Hammers fans have not forgiven him but Bilic was only interested in his goal-poaching abilities. He said: "He has the things that are the most important in a football games - that's goals. He scored them last season, maybe or probably the main reason they stayed up, and then he continues to do the same this season, scoring again. A couple in the last game. In every game he is having chances and most of the chances he is converting them into goals. He is an excellent player of course."
West Ham have also seen a £10million offer for striker Scott Hogan knocked back by Brentford. Bilic added: "Scott is a good player, I watched him a few times. He is scoring goals, very sharp, very quick, really good finisher, does it in the Championship. He is really young, a really good prospect."
Meanwhile, Bilic has confirmed flop striker Simone Zaza won't kick a ball again for the Hammers. The Italy international has been put in mothballs to avoid his loan from Juventus turning into a £20million permanent deal. Zaza failed to score a single goal for the Hammers - and his agent, who is also his dad, revealed he didn't want to be there in the first place. Now the Hammers have given up on him, opening the door for a loan exit to another club. Bilic said: "I can say that his story with West Ham is finished. He is still our player until the moment he goes somewhere but mainly because of the situation with his contract, that's it with West Ham."
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West Ham eyeing unlikely move for Tottenham ace: This could impact transfer
WEST HAM are reportedly looking at Tottenham defender Kieran Trippier.
By JACK STAPLEHURST
PUBLISHED: 05:14, Thu, Jan 5, 2017 | UPDATED: 05:52, Thu, Jan 5, 2017
Express.co.uk
Spurs' 26-year-old has struggled for regular game time at White Hart Lane since signing for £3.5m from Burnley. Kyle Walker rarely misses a match for Tottenham, meaning Trippier has been restricted. His ability hasn't gone unnoticed though, with the former England Under-21 international on West Ham's radar, according to The Telegraph. Slaven Bilic wants a new addition at right-back with summer signing Alvaro Arbeloa having struggled at the London Stadium. Sam Byram has also had injury problems and is still deemed inexperienced, meaning a senior arrival is required. Stoke's Glen Johnson and Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson have also been linked to West Ham. But Trippier would be seen as a long-term solution on their right flank to complement Aaron Cresswell on the opposite side.
However, it is said Spurs' participation in the Europa League will make a deal difficult for the Hammers. Trippier's appearances are often in cup competitions, while he also impressed at Watford in the Premier League last week when Walker was suspended. West Ham's rivalry with Tottenham would be an issue in agreeing a transfer, with the north London club not openly looking to sell Trippier.
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic opens up about Sofiane Feghouli's successful red card appeal
SLAVEN BILIC has welcomed the decision to overturn the red card shown to Sofiane Feghouli against Manchester United – but is frustrated that it is now six of his games in charge of the club that could have been ruined by the on-field official.
By MATTHEW DUNN
PUBLISHED: 11:55, Thu, Jan 5, 2017 | UPDATED: 12:10, Thu, Jan 5, 2017
Express.co.uk
Incredibly, four of the last five West Ham players to be sent off have won their appeals – and on top of that twice last season video panels issued retrospective bans against opposition players who should have been given their marching orders at the time. "I was happy yesterday when I heard the news but then it is four times - it is kind of a record," he said. "It's good that the committee that it wasn't a red card, very happy about it, but it is four games when a decision was clearly against us. "When you add on top of that a couple of times minimum when the players were punished after the game or banned - like Bastian Schweinsteiger against Manchester United last season or Sergio Aguero this season against Manchester City – that is six games basically. "It is a lot. But at least we've got Feghouli available for the games."
SIX OF THE WORST
Matches in which it was subsequently PROVED Bilic's West Ham were hard done by:
Jan 2017: Premier League - Manchester United (h) 15th minute
Sofiane Feghouli wrongly sent off. Score at time: drawing 0-0. Final score L 0-2
August 2016: Premier League – Manchester City (a) 76th minute
Sergio Aguero elbow missed – subsequent 3 game ban. Score at time: losing 1-2. Final score: L 1-3
April 2016: Premier League – Crystal Palace (a) 65th minute
Cheikh Kouyate wrongly sent off. Score at time: winning 2-1. Final score D 2-2
Feb 2016: FA Cup - Blackburn (a) 75th minute
Cheikh Kouyate wrongly sent off. Score at time: winning 3-1. Final score W 5-1
Dec 2015: Premier League – Manchester United (a) 40th minute
Bastien Schweinsteiger elbow missed – subsequent 3 match ban. Score at time: drawing 0-0. Final score: 0-0.
Aug 2015: Premier League – Liverpool (a) 78th minute
Mark Noble wrongly sent off. Score at time: winning 2-0. Final score W 3-0
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Hammer Time For Hogan – Or Will Bunfight Go To The Wire?
beesotted.co.uk
I'm not sure we've ever seen a bun fight on the scale of the one that is emerging for the signature of Scott Hogan in the history of our football club – there's a plethora of top flight clubs in England and across Europe contemplating bids for the Brentford hot-shot striker this transfer window – and it shows no sign of abating.
Of course, we have had in-demand players before – Andy Sinton and Dean Holdsworth spring to mind – and in more recent years, some big-buck transfer fees have exchanged for our brightest talent as they left for pastures new, but I can't recall as much media coverage and rumour for one single player as we are witnessing right now for Hogan.
West Ham are emerging as the early front runner, with Sky reporting a £10m offer having been rejected by Brentford just five days into the window, so with more than three weeks to go, and the club seemingly in no mad rush to offload the striker, we could realistically see the final purchase price rise to anywhere between £10-£15 million, depending on which Premier League club want to secure the goals that could keep them up. That is a realistic expectation.
Whether we see Hogan in a Bees shirt until his fate is sealed, or not, is another matter though, and if we have resigned ourself to the inevitable, mothballing Hogan to ensure he's not injured may be a price we have to endure as fans if we want to guarantee any windfall is used to restock the squad in several key areas. The loss of Alan Judge last season shows that any player is one nasty tackle away from ruin – a leg break that has arguably cost our club over £5m.
We may also have to take a plunge into the transfer market ourselves and pre-empt the loss of Hogan – admittedly its all cloak and dagger manoeuvring during a situation like this, and timing is key, but it does highlight how disruptive the January window can be for a selling club such as ours, and how clubs who we are enquiring about for players will be inflating the numbers with Hogan on their minds too.
But 21 goals in just 33 games is an incredible record, it's no surprise there is a clamour for the former Rochdale ace, I just wonder how long Brentford will hold their nerve on this before accepting an offer… or will this go to the wire?
Dave Lane
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Slaven Bilic heaps praise on 'excellent' Jermain Defoe as West Ham consider a second bid for the Sunderland striker
West Ham saw their £6million bid rejected by Sunderland earlier this week
The Black Cats are determined to keep hold of Defoe as they fight relegation
Brentford have also turned down a £10m bid from the Hammers for Scott Hogan
Slaven Bilic confirmed Simone Zaza will not play for the club again this season
West Ham host Manchester City in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday night
By Adam Shergold for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 12:11, 5 January 2017 | UPDATED: 12:11, 5 January 2017
Slaven Bilic has described January transfer target Jermain Defoe as an 'excellent player' as West Ham ponder whether to up their rejected £6million offer for the Sunderland striker. The Hammers are very keen to strengthen up front this month and a return for their former striker, 34, is one of the names in the frame. But Sunderland, who are once again embroiled in a Premier League relegation scrap, will dig in their heels in a bid to keep hold of a striker who has scored 11 times in 21 appearances this season.
Speaking ahead of West Ham's FA Cup tie against Manchester City on Friday night, Bilic said: 'He has the things that are the most important in football games - that's goals. 'He scored them last season - maybe or probably the main reason they stayed up - and then he continues to do the same this season, scoring again. 'In every game he is having chances and most of the chances he is converting them into goals. He is an excellent player, of course.'
Another potential target is Brentford's Scott Hogan and the Championship side have already turned down a £10million bid from West Ham as they hold out for £15million. Prolific Hogan, 24, has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances for the Bees this season and has attracted attention from a number of Premier League clubs. Bilic said: 'Scott is a good player, I watched him a few times. He is scoring goals, he is very sharp, very quick, a really good finishers, he does it in the Championship. He is a really young, a really good prospect.'
One striker who won't be staying at the Hammers is Italian flop Simone Zaza, with Bilic saying his 'story with West Ham is finished'.
Zaza has failed to find the net in any of his 11 appearances for the club and there is no possibility that West Ham will pay the £20million to sign him permanently from Juventus. Though Zaza may remain with the club until someone else comes in for him, he won't feature in any games. Bilic said: 'I can say that his story with West Ham is finished. He is still our player until the moment he goes somewhere mainly because of the situation with his contract, that's it with West Ham basically. 'He is definitely a good player and we had a big expectation of him but it just wasn't to be. Because of that clause in his contract, the story of Zaza at West Ham is basically over. 'With many players, they need a few months or even a year to adjust to the Premiership. Unfortunately he came in at a time when the team didn't play good.'
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Red Bull deny claims of £650m West Ham takeover approach
cityam.com
Joe Hall
West Ham United are not the target of a Red Bull takeover, according to the company's global head of football. The Hammers were reported to have turned down a bid from the energy drink company who own football clubs in America, Germany, Brazil and their native Austria, fuelling fears amongst some fans the club would be rebranded as "RB London".
All of Red Bull's clubs play under the "RB" moniker and wear the same colours, including RB Leipzig who are challenging for the Bundesliga title in their first ever season in the division. Jack Sullivan, son of West Ham co-chairman David, said last month that Red Bull had a £650m takeover offer for the Hammers rejected by the Premier League club. But the group's global head of football Oliver Mintzlaff has flatly denied any suggestion in West Ham and said Red Bull are not currently looking to add to its portfolio of football clubs. "I should really know about this in my function because I'd be actively involved in it," Mintzlaff told German magazine Kicker. "But I am not involved. Thus, I can completely rule it out. We continue to focus on our investments at our current clubs."
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has said he and partner David Gold, who together own a controlling stage in the club, have no desire to sell. "We, the current owners, have no desire to sell the club unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia who can take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach," said Sullivan last year.
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SLAVEN BILIC CONFIRMS SIMONE ZAZA IS 'FINISHED' AT WEST HAM
MICHAEL OLIVER
ReadWestHam
Slaven Bilic has confirmed to the media that on-loan striker Simone Zaza's time with West Ham has 'finished' due to the clauses in his contract. Desperate for a big name striker at the end of the summer transfer window, West Ham paid Juventus £5m to take Italian international striker Simone Zaza on loan until the end of the season. Built into the deal was a clause that if he made 14 appearances for the club during his loan spell then the move would become permanent for a fee of £20m. Through 12 appearances, Zaza is yet to score and has been a huge disappointment. Speaking today at his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow night's FA Cup 3rd Round clash with Manchester City, Bilic confirmed that Zaza's time with the club is finished due to the contractual situation.
"His [Zaza's] story with West Ham has finished because of the situation with his contract," he told reporters. Presumably, West Ham will not feature Zaza in a game for the rest of the season and hope to negotiate a deal with Juventus to terminate the loan contract.
The Serie A giants are unwilling to take him back so soon, so there's a stand-off right now as both clubs wait for a third party to make their interest know but one things for sure, Simone Zaza will not play for West Ham again.
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Ravel Morrison training with Wigan - Sky sources
Last Updated: 05/01/17 10:23am
SSN
Former Manchester United and West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison is training with Wigan, according to Sky Sources. He has been invited to train with his former coach Warren Joyce, who was in charge of the United reserve team when Morrison first came to attention.
The 23-year-old moved to Italy just under a year ago but has not made an appearance for Lazio this season and is seeking a return to England. Morrison was tipped for a bright future in the game when he turned professional at Old Trafford at the age of 17 in February 2010. But in January 2012 the player was sold by United to West Ham, who were then in the Championship, for an undisclosed fee. During his three-year stint at Upton Park, Morrison was loaned to Birmingham, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff.
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Diarra linked as speculation continues over Payet and Defoe
By London Football News 04/01/2017
Marseille could offer Lassana Diarra to West Ham as part of a deal to take Dimitri Payet back to the French club, L'Equipe claim.
The French publication say former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Diarra, 31, has been earmarked as a possible bargaining chip. It follows recent reports that Marseille, who sold Payet to West Ham in 2015, are keen to re-sign him. Meanwhile, The Sun say Jermain Defoe is keen to return to West Ham and make amends for the circumstances in which he left the club. Sunderland's former England striker, 34, has been an unpopular figure among Hammers fans since demanding a transfer straight after the club's relegation in 2003.
The Sun quotes 'a source close to the player' as saying: "Jermain still feels terrible about the whole thing. He was badly advised at the time, when he was just a kid. He accepts that. "He loves Sunderland and is doing his best for them and will continue to do so. But there is an emotional attachment to West Ham. "If a deal is done and Jermain gets the chance to go back there and score the goals which make sure they stay up and move up the league it would help him heal some old wounds which still hurt him."
And the Daily Star reports that Simone Zaza's father Antonio, who also acts as his agent, has said that the striker did not want to join West Ham. Zaza, 25, has failed to impress since arriving on loan from Juventus and is expected to return to Italy during this month's transfer window. His father was quoted in the Italian press as saying: "We're trying to bring Simone back to Italy because he loves this country. We didn't choose West Ham. "No-one forced us, but Simone never wanted to go abroad, he loves Italy and Serie A.
"A series of circumstances led to him going to the Premier League."
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Premier League transfer news and rumours: 'West Ham willing to pay £15 million for Jermain Defoe'
Telegraph Sport
5 JANUARY 2017 • 9:00AM
West Ham are willing to pay £15 million to sign Jermain Defoe, according to The Sunderland Echo. The Hammers have already had a £6 million bid rejected and have been told by David Moyes that Defoe is not for sale at any price. However, talk eminating from the London press of the 34-year-old former England striker making an emotional return to his first club, where he began his career at 16, is refusing to die down and the Hammers apparently believe a £15 million bid will be enough.
Jermaine Jenas, a former team-mate of Defoe's at Tottenham, believes the forward would "probably rather be back in London". "You look at who's progressing more as a club, you'd say West Ham. I'm pretty sure he'd rather probably be back in London and being a part of what West Ham are trying to do", he told BBC Radio 5 Live. Celtic, meanwhile, will reject any interest in Moussa Dembele from West Ham, claims The Daily Mail. Slaven Bilic is scouring the market for a striker just in case the Defoe chase comes to nothing. Rumours linking Dimitri Payet away from the London Stadium have grown louder following reports his former club Marseille want to ring the France international back. According to L'Equipe, 31-year-old former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Lassana Diarra will be a used as a bargaining chip for Marseille to acquire Payet. Chelsea are reportedly planning a bid for Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, reveals The Mail. We are told the 22 year-old has also been discussed by fellow Premier League side Manchester United. The Mail adds that Chelsea also remain in talks to sign Franck Kessie from Atalanta, who is currently away with Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations However, they are reluctant to pay the £30 million asking price for a 20 year-old. Chelsea are prepared to let Ruben Loftus-Cheek leave on loan this month, with Brighton emerging as favourites, says The London Evening Standard. West Ham are also, apparently, in the running.
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Sassuolo plot move to re-sign West Ham outcast Simone Zaza
HITC
Dan Coombs
A solution to West Ham's problem striker could be on the horizon. West Ham's summer move to sign Simone Zaza has not worked out to be a success, and a solution to the problem may be on the horizon. Italian website Tuttomercatoweb report Zaza's former club Sassuolo are planning to make a move to re-sign the Italy international. Zaza, 25, spent two years at the Serie A side between 2013 and 2015, before Juventus activated their initial right of sale by invoking a clause to re-sign him. The striker was loaned to West Ham this season, with an option to buy if Zaza played a minimum number of games, which he is currently short of. With no goals scored at all, West Ham are not keen on signing him permanently, and do not want to play him, even though he could potentially come good, because they would be on the hook if he does not. Sassuolo are not the only side reported to be interested, but their desire to sign the striker could be significant, as his time spent with the club could prove tempting as the forward plots his next career move.
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Phil Jones writhing on the floor was a big factor in Sofiane Feghouli being sent off - GRAHAM POLL
West Ham's Sofiane Feghouli was sent off for a challenge on Phil Jones
His red card was rescinded on Wednesday but the case isn't closed there
Jones exaggerated and that helped to make up referee Mike Dean's mind
By Graham Poll for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 00:43, 5 January 2017 | UPDATED: 02:46, 5 January 2017
West Ham's Sofiane Feghouli has been spared a three-match ban after the Football Association overturned his controversial red card against Manchester United. Feghouli was dismissed just 15 minutes into the clash at the London Stadium on Monday by referee Mike Dean following a collision with United defender Phil Jones. Here, Sportsmail's Graham Poll gives his verdict after the card was rescinded.
Common sense prevailed as the FA overturned Dean's dismissal of West Ham's Feghouli for his challenge on Jones. If I had the angles afforded by TV cameras, I would have awarded Manchester United a free-kick and spoken to both players about taking more care when going into challenges. No cards and no controversy. And once I had established that Jones was not badly injured I would have asked him not to react in such an exaggerated manner. He does not come out of this with any credit. Dean has been heavily criticised but Jones's theatrical turns and twists on the floor may have influenced his decision. West Ham have now had four of their last five red cards rescinded. No wonder they feel aggrieved.
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Karren Brady sets record straight and delivers comprehensive stadium update on Twitter
HITC
Damien Lucas
Much-maligned West Ham United vice-chairman has gone on something of a Twitter marathon, providing a number of updates on the Olympic Stadium. A woeful start to life at their new Olympic Stadium has left a large section of Hammers fans despondent. Fighting among supporters marred early matches as did safety fears for away fans over segregation and insufficient policing and stewarding.
A perceived lack of the famous intimidating Hammers atmosphere from Upton Park has seen the stadium switch cited by many as a reason for the club's contrast in fortunes compared to their fantastic campaign last term. The Hammers had picked up of late until harsh back-to-back defeats against Leicester City and Manchester United. But the club's biggest problems are off the pitch where the stadium issues have driven a wedge between factions of supporters and the club's owners. Vice-chairman Brady has bore the brunt of disgruntled fans' frustrations and was allegedly spat at during this season's 4-2 home defeat to Watford.
A number of issues continue to irk the Hammers faithful, 52,000 of whom signed up for season tickets at the Olympic Stadium this season - second to only Manchester United. The move has been beset by problems but Brady has come out fighting to set the record straight in a series of Twitter posts.
Stadium name
The stadium naming rights were out to tender by the E20 company West Ham lease the ground from ahead of the big move and reports suggested Indian technology company Mahindra were set to win the deal. West Ham only make money on anything agreed over £4 million for naming rights. That did not materialise, though, and instead the ground was named London Stadium. It was put to Brady that it was 'embarrassing' the club still did not have a naming rights partner on Twitter. "These rights are not ours to sell as they belong to E20 who are in charge of selling them, but the stadium is called London Stadium," Brady said. "We have the right to approve the deal but not conclude it."
Free stadium WiFi for fans
West Ham fans were promised free WiFi in the stadium ahead of the move. It was not available when the season started and the club said it would be in place by the end of the year but it now appears they will have to wait until next season. "Yes there has been a delay was linked to naming rights and as you know this has not been concluded E20 and (stadium operators) LS185 promise us will be in next season."
Stewarding
From ejecting and banning supporters for standing up during games to accusations of ineptitude, the stewarding at the new stadium has been nothing short of farcical. But Brady has pledged to fix the problem. "I promise you resolving supporters issues with stewards is our number one priority," she said. "We call out to all previous Upton Park stewards to come and work at the London Stadium and are looking to make West Ham United supporters ambassadors in the ground to bridge the gap." On suggestions Upton Park stewards were 'sacked' ahead of the move. "Utter rubbish. Every single one was offered a chance to move, and encouraged to do so."
Access to the stadium
Fans have generally felt unwelcome in their new surroundings with Westfield even erecting walls to keep them out despite supporters spending millions in their shops, bars and restaurants every match day. Access to the stadium has improved somewhat of late with nearby Westfield re-opening one of the walled off access points for supporters to get to games from the shopping area. Recently one of the main paths towards the stadium has been closed due to problems with a gas supply in the area. Conspiracy theorists claim the club is being economical with the truth but Brady has flatly denied such accusations, saying: "Why on earth would we lie about a gas leak!"
Capacity
Due to the ugly scenes which marred many of the early matches at the stadium, particularly Watford and Chelsea, West Ham were forced to cap their 60,000 capacity to just 57,000 by Newham Council's Safety Advisory Group. That has meant only 2,000 or less tickets were available to non-season ticket holders after away fans' allocation was taken into account this season. The club wants to operate a 66,000 capacity from next season but Brady - who clarified the club had always been up front over the capacity issue - hopes they will soon be up to the full 60,000 with a meeting planned for next week. "We are applying for the 60k capacity at the next SAG (meeting) and those supporters on the waiting list will be contacted and given first option to buy," Brady said. "What lies have we told about the capacity? We currently have 57k, moving to 60k and we hope to get to 66k for next season? "It is a safety license and EVERY club in the country - Premier League or otherwise - has to have one by law to operate a stadium. "We will apply Monday at the SAG If successful our first act will be to invite the supporters moved to block 127 the chance to move back to 114."
And empty seats...
One major bug bear for the supporters has been the sight of empty seats dotted around at games which have sold out. Some are season ticket holders who, for whatever reason, have not attended and not sold their ticket on through the club's ticket trader service.
But Brady says there is a simple explanation for empty seats. "Yes there are (empty seats) and that is because there are 66,000 seats in the ground and we only have a license to sell 57,000 - all 57k sold out," she said.
The 50,000 waiting list
Brady has publicly celebrated the fact the club has a waiting list of 50,000 supporters in addition to the 52,000 season tickets holders. Some fans are sceptical about the claims, particularly after the EFL Cup home game against Chelsea - the first game of real note against an established rival at the London Stadium - failed to sell out. But Brady reiterated the waiting list claim and blamed the licence issue with the SAG for the Chelsea match falling some 10,000 below capacity. "You're right it (the waiting list) is not 50k, it is 52k," she said. "SAG only allowed us to sell tickets for that game (vs Chelsea) to supporters with a purchase history, hence the issue."
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West Ham vs Manchester City: Prediction, team news, line-ups, start time, live coverage, TV, head to head, betting odds - FA Cup preview
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard
West Ham have very little time to dwell on their league loss to Manchester United as Slaven Bilic's men host Manchester City in the FA Cup on Friday. The Hammers suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to United at the London Stadium on Monday, in a game that saw Sofiane Feghouli wrongfully sent off in the 14th minute. But the east Londoners can pick themselves back up with a victory over Pep Guardiola's stuttering side. City have endured a mixed set of results this season, but they bounced back from a 1-0 loss to Liverpool on New Year's Eve by beating Burnley 2-1 on Monday.
START TIME
West Ham host Manchester City at the London Stadium on Friday 6 January. Kick-off is at 7.55pm.
LIVE COVERAGE
The game will be shown live on BBC One from 7.30pm, but Standard Sport will bring you team news and all the build-up from 6.55pm. Insert your email below to receive an update of our coverage.
TEAM NEWS
Bilic will be buoyed by the FA's decision to reverse Feghouli's red card against United, meaning he will be eligible to play against City.
However, the West Ham manager still has several players out injured, which includes Diafra Sakho, Arthur Masuaku, Gokhan Tore, James Collins and Alvaro Arbeloa. Reece Oxford could return from an ankle injury, though.
Guardiola, meanwhile, has four players missing through injury in Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan, Vincent Kompany and Fabian Delph.
The Spanish coach will also have to do without Fernandinho after his claim for wrongful dismissal was rejected by the FA. It means the midfielder
will not be available for the trip to the London Stadium as he sits out City's next four matches.
POSSIBLE STARTING LINE-UPS
West Ham (4-3-3): Randolph, Nordtveit, Ogbonna, Reid, Cresswell, Lanzini, Noble, Kouyate, Payet, Feghouli, Antonio.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Bravo, Sagna, Otamendi, Kolarov, Clichy, Toure, Fernando, Navas, De Bruyne, Sterling, Aguero.
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Football transfer rumours: Lassana Diarra to West Ham or Manchester United?
Gregg Bakowski
Thursday 5 January 2017 08.10 GMT Last modified on Thursday 5 January 2017 08.12 GMT
The Guardian
West Ham are determined to keep hold of their star man and will not let him go even if Marseille come knocking with a fist full of notes to the tune of £30m. Now you might think I'm talking about Pedro Obiang, a giant of a centre-back who's gradually growing into the club's most steady performer, but no, I'm on about Dimitri Payet. It says here that with Marseille convinced the player wants to return to the club he left just over 18 months ago for £12m, they're willing to throw in France's Lassana Diarra as part of the deal. But whoah, hang on! Who's this apparently ready to steam over the hill waving a nice little late-career contract in the direction of the Marseille midfielder? It's José Mourinho, the man who once thought Diarra so useful he flogged him to Portsmouth for £2m in 2007. And any potential transfer to Manchester United might see Morgan Schneiderlin – Mourinho's Diarra de jour – end up at the Stade Vélodrome blinking in wild confusion while wondering whatever happened to 2016. It would almost certainly torpedo Marseille's chances of getting Payet too. Cheers José.
Meanwhile, David Moyes has batted West Ham's £6m bid for Jermain Defoe out into the North Sea, a dark, cold and depressing place similar to the one where Sunderland will inevitably end up if they do fail to hold on to their one good thing this season. Stoke will also tell West Ham to do one if they come knocking with £1m and the offer of a one-way ticket to London for Glen Johnson. While Brentford have already told West Ham where to go after they dangled £10m outside the Griffin Park office windows in the hope of tempting the club into parting with striker Scott Hogan.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, January 6
Thursday, January 5
Daily WHUFC News - 5th January 2017
Palace Ticket Exchange open now
WHUFC.com
The Ticket Exchange for the London derby against Crystal Palace on Saturday 14 January is open now - with Claret Members able to purchase exclusively until 4pm on Friday 6 January.
Big Sam will be bringing his Palace team to London Stadium for the first time, with the Hammers looking to register their first league success of the New Year.
Season Ticket Holders who are unable to attend can relist their seats online, giving other West Ham fans the opportunity to purchase their seat for the fixture. Season Ticket Holders will not only give another supporter the chance to be at the game, but they will also earn money back to redeem against your Season Ticket renewal.
Tickets start at £31, and are available to all Claret Members now.
On the Ticket Exchange, once a Season Ticket Holder's ticket has been exchanged, his or her Season Card will be disabled for the game, while the buyer's Claret Membership Card will be activated. If you are not a Claret Member, you will be able to print your ticket at home.
The credit for the ticket sale will be made available in the seller's Season Ticket Holder account, minus a 10% administrative charge.
For full details of how to release your seat to the Ticket Exchange, and for terms and conditions, please click here to view our helpful User Guide.
Season Ticket Holder seats which become available on the Ticket Exchange will be available to purchase online here.
If you are a Season Ticket Holder unable to attend this game, please relist your ticket to allow another fan to experience the Hammers at London Stadium and you will benefit with ticket credit in your account which you can use towards a future game.
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The Big Interview - Jackson Wray
WHUFC.com
Saracens star and West Ham United fan Jackson Wray was delighted to make his London Stadium debut for Monday's Premier League clash with Manchester United.
The Essex-born Number Eight has been one of the standout performers in English rugby union this season, and has been tipped for international honours.
The reigning Aviva Premiership and European Champions Cup winners are enjoying another strong season, sitting second in the Premiership table and top of their Champions Cup group. With Saracens earning a hard-earned win at Leicester Tigers on New Year's Day, Wray joined fellow Hammer and backs coach Kevin Sorrell on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Jackson, what's the story behind you being a Hammer?
"Growing up I loved football and West Ham was my local-ish team in the Premier League, so it started there really. Obviously there have been plenty of highs and plenty of lows along the way, but I wouldn't have had it any other way and to see us here now is brilliant. We've come a long way."
This is your first visit to London Stadium, so what do you think?
"It's a big place. I've heard it's really impressive and walking in from the outside was definitely a sight, so it's fantastic to be able to get down and see it in person.
"It's a really impressive arena and in terms of size it's definitely up there with the likes of Twickenham and Wembley, where we've played and to have a full one of those is great. It would be nice to play here one day and I've no doubt it would be great."
What can this move do for the Club in the future?
"I was at the Play-Off final in 2012 and the support we took to fill half of Wembley was unbelievable and you can see the numbers we have here is up there. Hopefully now we can go from strength to strength. We've picked up recently and I am looking forward to seeing us improve and build on last year.
"I think this is what we needed, in terms of the size, where the Club wants to go, the players we want to sign, it's definitely a massive step in the right direction. To have this as a home in a massive part of London, it could bring in all sorts of new fans, and that's what we need to get to where we want to be."
Who are your favourite players?
"To be honest, I like Winston Reid. He is solid and has been linked with some of the top teams and that's the sort of player he is. To have kept him over the last few years, when he has been unbelievable, he's a massive part of the defence and a really, really good player.
"It's good to see Andy Carroll back. He really causes problems and it will be nice to see him up there, bringing the ball down and doing what he does."
As a fellow sportsman, can you sense the team spirit among the Hammers?
"Yes, you can see the way the manager is with his players and the atmosphere at the training ground, it seems to be a really good place to be and it's nice to see the results coming.
"Injuries play a massive part in any sport and I think we've probably hit the worst this year. Hopefully now we've got those guys back and it will be good to see them out there and it will be interesting to see if they can put some performances together."
How about you guys? How is Saracens' season panning out?
"Not too bad. We started off pretty well and are sitting a point off top spot at the minute and we've won four out of four in Europe, so we're ticking along nicely but we don't want to peak too early.
"Obviously last year was unbelievable to win the double and it would be good to do that again."
Reports suggest you aren't far off the England squad, so is that a goal for you?
"As with any young guy, I want to play for England. I'm 26 and have some development still to go which I'm going to work on and hopefully I can break into that set-up.
"It's a very difficult set-up to break into because they've been incredibly successful. They were unbeaten all year [in 2016], which was a fantastic achievement, but it's what I want to do and I know I need to work hard to get there."
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Extra motivation for Fletcher in City Cup clash
WHUFC.com
Ashley Fletcher says he will be feeling extra motivated facing Manchester City on Friday
The young forward left West Ham's opponents' fierce rivals Manchester United during the summer
The 21-year-old will be hoping to play a part having scored in the Hammers' last Cup tie
West Ham United forward Ashley Fletcher admitted he will be feeling extra motivated going into Friday's FA Cup tie against Manchester City having signed from the visitors' fierce rivals during the summer. Fletcher traded Manchester United for the Hammers before the Club's big move to London Stadium and could face the Citizens there in the FA Cup on Friday night. The striker, who started the Hammers' last cup tie, scoring against his former club at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup, will be hoping to get some more minutes in football's oldest competition this week. Ahead of the third round clash, the 21-year-old, who scored two goals in as many U21 matches against the Sky Blues for his former club, declared he is always excited to face Manchester City. "I'm a Manchester lad and coming from round there, I know what it's like as an ex-Man United player to play against City," he said. "It will offer me a little bit more in terms of the game but we just have to treat it as a cup tie and look to go through. "It's going to be a tough game against them. They're obviously one of the best teams in the league so we're expecting a tough match. They'll be bang at it. "But it's a cup tie and a cup tie can go either way and league form doesn't really matter. It's about who really wants it more on the day and hopefully we will want it more. League form goes out the window and it will be a good game to watch."
Fletcher last played from the start in Claret and Blue in West Ham's home defeat by Arsenal back in early December, but the return to full fitness of fellow forward Andy Carroll has forced the youngster to be patient. But the Keighley-born attacker is delighted to have his teammate back alongside him in training, competing for a spot in Slaven Bilic's starting XI. "Obviously we didn't have Andy with us for a big period and he's part of the way we play," he continued. "Now we have him back in, he offers us a different style.
"I think people have seen, we look more dangerous with him. It's a huge positive to have him and other players back. "On Friday, we want to get a result because I think a cup run can give you confidence in the league so if we get a good result that can help us in the league as well. "We had the Chelsea game in the EFL Cup under the lights and the atmosphere there was great. Hopefully we can create that same kind of feeling and hopefully we'll get the win."
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#WHUAREYA - Nathan Trott
WHUFC.com
It's been quite a year for Academy goalkeeper Nathan Trott. In January 2016, the stopper signed for the Hammers on a two-and-a-half-year deal before, in early December, putting pen to paper on his first professional contract having impressed so much in action for the Club's junior sides. The Bermudan-born 18-year-old has made nine appearances so far this campaign for the Premier League 2 side, despite missing a large chunk of the first half of the season through injury. He has also turned out for the U18s twice.
In this week's #WHUAREYA, the youngster talks his best attributes, his favourite music, and why he is unstoppable on FIFA at the Academy of Football.
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Feghouli red card rescinded
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that a Football Association Regulatory Commission has upheld the Club's claim for wrongful dismissal in respect of the red card shown to Sofiane Feghouli against Manchester United. The midfielder was sent-off during the first half of the Hammers' 2-0 Premier League defeat by the Red Devils at London Stadium on Monday 2 January, with the game goalless at the time.
However, the Club's successful claim means Feghouli's three-match suspension is withdrawn. The Algerian is therefore eligible to play against Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Friday evening and in the following Premier League fixtures with Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough.
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Cole - I would love to have played at London Stadium
WHUFC.com
Joe Cole is a big fan of London Stadium and would love to have played there
Cole believes the Hammers can bring Champions League football to their new home
The former fans favourite believes Slaven Bilic will achieve even more success
Former West Ham midfielder and fans favourite Joe Cole says he would have loved the chance to play at London Stadium and sees no reason why the Club cannot compete in the Champions League over the next few years. Cole made his first visit to the Hammers new home last month when he saw the team record a 1-0 win over Hull and was taken aback by the size and magnitude of the new Stadium. The 35-year-old progressed through the Academy with the east London Club and always knew the Club had the fan base to compete with the biggest teams in the country.
With the Hammers making a historic move into London Stadium during the summer and attracting nearly 60,000 fans every home game, Cole sees no reason why they cannot challenge the elite clubs in the top flight and secure European football on a regular basis. Cole said: "I think it is an amazing Stadium and it looks immense. I was getting an itch just looking out at the pitch and would love to have been out there playing. "When you come to a new Stadium you are going to have some little problems, but this is forward thinking by West Ham United and this is 100 per cent the right thing to do. With a few more good results I am sure it will begin to feel like home. "It is amazing that West Ham are playing at such a big venue like London Stadium. It was amazing for me to play at Upton Park and it was special in it's own right. But time waits for no-one and West Ham have now got the capabilities to compete with the biggest teams in the world. "It is exciting times for the Club and West Ham can now compete with the top teams financially. "You can see Champions League football being played at London Stadium. If you are honest, you probably couldn't see that happening at Upton Park. "But with the stature of this new Stadium, you can see it happening. If you are trying to sign a top player in Europe and you bring them down to see this venue I am sure they will be queuing up to play here."
Cole, who made his debut for West Ham back in January 1999 and went on to make over 150 appearances during a memorable career, believes Slaven Bilic will continue to do a good job at the Hammers and feels they have turned a major corner in recent weeks. Cole added: "You can see the progress and the plan that the Club have got. This is where it is happening and I can see where West Ham are heading. "People have questioned if the Club would be able to fill it, but West Ham have a massive fan base. You go all over the world and you see West Ham fans. That will only grow. The Premier League is still the most eye catching league in Europe so it will get even bigger. "I am confident that Slaven will turn things around. He did a great job last season. There were always going to be teething problems coming into a new Stadium, but he has had a few good results and he is definitely the right man for the job. Cole says he would love to make a return to London Stadium in 2017, but is now preparing for another year in the North American Soccer League as he looks to team up with the Tampa Bay Rowdies once again. "I have had a great time out in the States and am staying out there for another year. I have played every minute of every game and feel great out in the sun playing. It is a new adventure. "I know it sounds silly but the sun makes your body feel better when you are playing. I have played over 600 games during my career and there is a lot of wear and tear from a young age so having the sun is a massive help. I feel I can go on for a few more years yet.
"I am looking forward to coming back to London Stadium and watching Champions League football in the future. The fans will love that."
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BRENTFORD REJECT £10M BID FROM WEST HAM FOR SCOTT HOGAN.
BY 337HAMMER ON 4 JANUARY 2017 AT 8:53PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham have failed with a bid to sign Scott Hogan from Brentford. Brentford have turned down a £10m bid from West Ham for striker Scott Hogan, according to Sky sources.
Hogan has 18 months left on his current contract at Brentford and is willing to leave in January in order to secure Premier League football.
The 24-year-old is valued at around £15m by the Sky Bet Championship club and Sky sources revealed on Monday that Bundesliga side RB Leipzig were also interested in signing him.
Hogan, who joined Brentford from Rochdale in a £750,000 deal in 2014, has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances this season. www.skysports.com
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IF I OWNED WEST HAM: AN INTERESTING ITK/OPINION PIECE ON OUR TRANSFER WINDOW
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 3 JANUARY 2017 AT 5:40PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This is a feature which we ran in the Summer Transfer Window. The article is anonymous and is written by someone who is very in the know in the football world. I (ExWHUEmployee) have approved and verified his sources and they are top draw. Whilst this is an opinion piece it is based alongside news that they know and I bring. I hope that you enjoy it. Let us know your thoughts.
It's an interesting time for West Ham, should we go for it in the transfer window? Or should we not? And the question on everyone's lips is "Will we go for anyone?" We have already been linked with almost every name under the sun, however West Ham Way's finest Ex, has given us a few front runners like Defoe, Batshuayi, Iorfa, and Smalling. From that list it looks like we are looking for a striker, a Centre back and a right back all three of which I think we don't have to get and we will stay up and be safe without! They are however the three positions that we do need to improve in the long run.
I think the priority in January is a striker and right back and those are the two positions I think also need strengthening the most! However I, like lots of West Ham fans, personally do not think Defoe is the answer!! Defoe is 34 and has got 11 goals this year, which for someone of that age is very impressive. He has also not missed a match which for me is equally impressive HOWEVER he has got 11 goals this season in the Premier League five of which are penalties, which bring his total to 6 in open play! 6 goals in 20 games in almost a 1 in 4 striker. The reason I don't count the penalties is we already have a penalty taker in Mark Noble and even Lanzini who has scored 2 penalty so far this season, therefore Defoe wouldn't get a chance to get them! The next reason I wouldn't take Defoe is he's on about £75k – £85k a week at Sunderland and I can only see him coming to us for similar or more, this would be the same with the length of his contract which ends in the summer of 2019! Therefore we could have a player on £85k a week who is 36 and has lost his legs, which I think we would all agree would be a disaster. A player on £85k a week should be making a serious contradiction. My last point on Defoe is he is in a team that is solely relying on him, therefore he gets most of the chance (even though Sunderland don't create many). Another problem with Sunderland relying on him so much is they won't want to sell. Therefore they will be asking for top dollar for him along with his massive wages, as if they sell him they are basically throwing in the towel! Moyes has already said the owners have said he has no money to spend in January and you are never going to find a replacement for a proven Premier League goalscorer for £10million. Therefore I can only see them selling him in January for £15million, which I think is far too much for a 34 year old, who has a one in four goal radio this season in open play. As he gets older you can only see this rate going down! I think he's a great player and was a great player however for £15million and £80k a week I would struggle to buy him! A point that many have forgotten is he also left us when we were in an awful state and for me that would be the end of him at our great club!
Batshuayi on the other hand is someone I would take on a loan deal with an option to buy! The lad is 23 years old and someone we fancied in the summer after he got 17 goals and 9 assists at a very poor Marseille side last year! He's also a big powerful boy and someone who would fit into our style of play well. With Chelsea only having two strikers at the club I can't really see them letting him go however I'm sure he is getting increasingly angry with the lack of game time and there may be a deal to be done and I hope there can be! He's only played a total of 76 minutes for Chelsea this year in the league and if I was him I would be gutted and doing everything I could to get a move away. Surely West Ham would be a perfect fit for both parties!
Other possible more interesting options are Hogan at Brentford. He's got 13 goals this year at Brentford and we do love a Championship player as the ones that we have bought have all done very well! He also got 7 in 7 last year after his Cruciate Ligament Rupture. His only 24 and for me could show real promise and worth doing if we could get a good deal. Maybe £7million with a million after 20 Premier League starts and a million after so many goals it could a good buy for us! His wages would also be low and he would be seriously hungry. I know a Brentfood fan and he calls him Shane Long that gets goals, as his work rate is top class!!
Another interesting option is we don't do anything, as we have Carroll, Ayew (not for the next month), Fletcher, Sakho and Antonio. The first 20 minutes of yesterday's game Antonio played so well as a target man before Feghouli got sent off and the system had to be changed pushing out to the wing. Every game I see him play up front he seems to improve. His pace and power and pure rawness will scare centre backs as he is so unpredictable. The best example of this was at Liverpool, where one of the defenders was subbed off at half time. This would be a bold move as it's clear to see we lack that top striker like most Premier League clubs. Carroll and Sakho are two people we need to be careful with as both get injured a lot. I'm also not convinced Ayew is a lone striker however I think he is a real quality player and Fletcher probably needs a Championship loan! If we don't sign anyone for the next month we will only have Carroll and Fletcher as our recognised strikers as Calleri is injured along with Sakho and I can't see Zaza making it to the end of the window and I'm not convinced he knows where or what a goal is! There's also other interest in Sturridge and Rashford but both players I cant see being loaned out by their clubs and also I don't think we need anymore injury prone players such as Sturridge.
Our final and possibly most interesting option is if we go for it and spend next year's summer money on someone. I can't really see this happening however if we sign a goal scorer now it wouldn't be the end of the world!! And would save us a job in the summer. The names I would suggest are ones like Origi, Giroud or Modeste. Three fantastic players. Giroud is a goalscorer and always has been. He consistently got above 15 goals at Arsenal and in the summer will be on his last year of his contract and with almost being second choice at Arsenal he may feel it's the right time to move!
Origi is also second or third choice at Liverpool and at only 21 could be our striker for years and years! For me he is an unbelievable player; he's an all-round athlete and someone who could be perfect for us, he's also like Sakho but better. He's very intelligent with the ball with great link up play. I can't speak more highly of the boy and someone I would go all out to go and buy! He's a superstar in the making. However with these first two, the summer may be a better time to buy as the big English teams do prefer to wait to the summer to sell! However with Modeste I can see Koln cashing in now, the German clubs, apart from the top ones are normally run like a business and sell their players if they get decent money. His whole time in Germany he has been a goal in two games striker and he is a big powerful man. In Germany they play a very similar style to us in England and most players do come over and adapt very fast. He scores all types of goals and there's no doubt he knows where the goals is. I have a German friend and also watch a fare bit of German football and we both love him.
The other position we are looking at is a Right back. The name Iorfa has come up a lot. I've heard he has had a poor year at Wolves however he is English and played very well against us in the FA cup tie last year! The young boy has got talent, no doubt, however for me this is all about price!
Another player I hear about a lot is a return for Jenko on loan. For me this would be a bad move he was shocking for us last season and really low on confidence and has been really dropped completely from the Arsenal set up. He was so good for us in his first season but sadly for me I question his mentality. As when the West Ham fans last year got on his back he crumbled and he has done the same at Arsenal this year.
The only real option for me that just stands out is Tripper at Spurs, he must want more first team football and is never going to get ahead of walker at Spurs! However Spurs are awful to deal with and will want a large sum to let him go! I would like this position sorted as Nordtveit hasn't got the pace to play at rb and Bryam for me still looks a bit raw however he would be a fantastic back up!! If we could get him for anything less than £8 million this would be something I would get on and do.
People are also crying out for a Centre back however it now looks like we are going back to four at the back (thank god)! Therefore we only need two each game so I believe we have enough cover until the end of the season. As Reid, Ogbonna, Collins, Oxford, Kouyate and Nordtviet can all play there! Oxford has signed a new deal and at some point has to show us what he's got!! He is now on decent money and has to start to earn it for me! Bilic has to trust him.
Anyway I hope you enjoy my views on what we should do this transfer window. I will do one maybe later on this week about the out goings I would do if I owned the club! Let me know in the comments if you liked it or tell Ex! Also make sure you go to the West Ham way's Pre Match Event.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE'S TRANSFER UPDATE: DIFFICULT DEALS AND LOAN MOVERS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 1 JANUARY 2017 AT 9:19PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Firstly I would like to wish all our readers and followers across our various platforms a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2016 was our first year as a site and we have achieved quite a few things but all of the team want to make 2017 even more successful. If you would like to be a part of the team as a regular writer, YouTube contributor or an advertiser please get in touch.
The Leicester game was a strange one. I agreed with Bilic in keeping an unchanged side from Swansea although that was harsh on Obiang who I think has been brilliant but you cannot change a side that has won 4-1. What was odd about the game was that we dominated possession 60%-40% and we had double the amount of chances than they did yet we couldn't win. This to be highlighted the need for us to buy a goalscorer in the window, as well as a right back too.
The forward situation is a tricky one. Bilic has made it very clear that Jermain Defoe is his number one target. He likes the fact that he is a proven goalscorer and this is proven no matter what the level, club or competition. He has also came very highly recommended to Bilic by Luca Modric who played with the forward at Spurs and is obviously a friend of Bilic's through the Croatian national team. Modric has stated that he is one of the best forwards that he has played with because of his movement and Bilic thinks that Defoe would be able to exploit the creativity of Payet and Lanzini that less mobile forwards haven't done for us. Defoe is in a tricky situation because he is loved up at Sunderland as was seen by his interactions with young hero Bradley Lowery and he also has a relegation release clause in his contract too. It would be in his interests in some ways to stay at the Black Cats but he has made it clear he would like to return to West Ham (a club he still cares about and feels he owes) and be back in London. For the transfer to happen we will have to pay a significant fee for a 34 year old and he would have to ask to leave-which would deny him significant bonuses.
Another key target is Chelsea forward Batshuayi but we find ourselves in another similar position as to Defoe. He really doesn't look like he is going to get much game time for Chelsea and this has apparently made him frustrated and seeking a loan move to prove himself in the Premier League. We were very keen on the player but he doesn't want to rock the boat by demanding to leave and Chelsea do not really want to loan him. So we need them to either sign another forward or for Batshuayi to insist he is allowed to move for first team football.
There are other alternatives that we have enquired about as well. Sturridge has been well documented although his injury record is a concern for the club. Shane Long is another that we have admired for a while because of his work rate but with him now starting for Southampton due to their injury problems this transfer is probably a lot harder to conclude now. According to two other ITKS on another site we are interested in former forward Demba Ba too. Demba Ba suffered a horrific leg break in June and wouldn't be fit until at least March and then we do not know whether he will be able to recover from this injury. Apparently according to them the Chinese club will allow him to come to us and would foot all of the costs involved. When Demba was at the club there was also major concerns around an ongoing knee problem so to me it does seem unlikely that this transfer will happen. The Sullivan's really rate Demba and have obviously signed him before and they always say he was one of their best signings here however this signing does seem a bit bizarre and personally I cannot see it. I will of course credit the other two or change my stance should I hear otherwise.
Beharino is somebody who we could take a gamble on from WBA. His contract is up in the summer and he will be a lot more affordable than he was two years ago when Spurs launched a number of bids. Whilst the club have question marks over his ability and attitude, a move could be made depending on other transfers falling through or not being great deals. Beharino has the same agent as Reece Oxford who has recently signed a new deal for the club so this could be a persuasive factor in him potentially joining us.
We have some interest in Scott Hogan of Brentford but this isn't likely to a deal we look at until the summer. Dembele of Celtic is someone who we have tried to sign on two other occasions. When he joined Celtic we were looking at him, Fulham turned down an offer from us and took it to a tribunal where they received a lot less than what we had offered. Braithwaite's agent is someone we have dealt with regularly before and he was a player we looked at in the summer but Bilic now wants proven domestic players and this can also be said for Bacca. They may emerge as targets if the domestic ones fail but for now they are back up plans.
We are also in the market for a right back. Arbeloa is expected to leave on a free either by joining a Spanish club or having his contract mutually terminated. It is fair to say that Bilic and the Spanish right back never really repaired their early disagreements. Glen Johnson is the number one target and his contract is also up in the summer. Again, he fits the criteria of having an abundance of Premier League experience and he would also fit well into our system. Whilst he played for Stoke at the weekend, the club could be prepared to cash in on him before his deal runs out.
Carl Jenkinson is also being made available this window and he is someone that we could consider bringing back for the third time. Again he ticks a lot of boxes and I think he would fit better into the system we play now as well. There are other right backs who I have mentioned being targets in previous columns such as Iorfa or Flanaghan but these are plan bs.
I have spoken of interest in various Manchester United players in the past and it does appear that it is unlikely that Manchester United will offer any loan deals out of the club. This has meant a number of our potential targets are no longer targets. I doubt that we would move for some of these players on permanent deals at this stage.
We have looked at Sakho from Liverpool and some foreign alternatives as well but the aim to buy domestically.
I mentioned on the radio show that we would like to sign a big name keeper in the summer in the mode of Hart or Begovic. Although both would be hard to pull off we hope that someone of their stature could be persuaded to join. I found this news rather odd because I think Randolph has done very well since he came into the team and Adrian is a very good alternative keeper to have. It is thought that Adrian maybe allowed to leave if a club should come in for him and his contract situation is currently unresolved.
Gordon has joined Newport and Samuelsen has re-joined Peterborough and these will not be the only loan moves completed soon for our development squad. Hendrie will return from Blackburn and be loaned out again I would imagine. Marcus Browne could be moving to Coventry on loan in the next few weeks and players such as: Rice, Pike, Quina and Sam Howes could also make moves.
We go into the Manchester United game with Kouyate and Ayew having been granted special leave from their African Nations call up to play in the game. This will be their last for a while. Feghouli has not been called up for Algeria and whilst that is good news that we have an extra player available it shows how disappointing he has been. Now that he isn't in this squad it could mean that other clubs are more tempted to approach him. We would be prepared to let him go if the right offer comes in.
Good news is that Byram, Oxford and Collins are all back in training or will be in the next week so that will give us a lot more options. Noble picked up a knee injury in the Leicester City game but whether that will keep him out of tomorrow's match it has not been confirmed.
Tomorrow we host out third West Ham Way event. I am really excited and hope to meet some more of you then. Alvin Martin is a hero of mine and when I first started going to West Ham I remember him being brilliant and singing "He has got no hair but we don't care Alvin, Alvin Martin". Both he and our host Mark Ward were key players in our best ever season. Alvin also lifted the FA Cup in 1980, played for England and played for us well into the Premier League era. We have a number of West Ham celebrity fans in attendance as well as the Hammerettes. For £25 you get all you can drink lager and bitter, coach travel to the game (or you can watch it at the club if you do not have a ticket), a West Ham atmosphere, a quality raffle and the chance to mingle and meet two West Ham legends. The feedback we have received has been great so far and we hope you will come along and try it out for yourself. You only have a few hours left to buy your tickets in advance! They go up by £5 tomorrow. Get your tickets here: http://bit.ly/TWHWTICKET3
We are aiming to bring daily transfer stories as they break through out the window and I will try to be a little bit more regular with my columns as well, so you will not need to look anywhere else other than the www.thewesthamway.co.uk for your transfer information. There will be times when there isn't much to report or much that I haven't said before (a bit like this column) and there will be some who like to point this out as a criticism of the site, however we will not make up news just to get new hits which some seem to want. What we report is as we know the situation to be, which I hope the majority appreciate.
I hope you all enjoy your bank holiday which will hopefully be made a lot better by our result against Manchester United.
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JAANAI GORDON JOINS NEWPORT COUNTY ON LOAN.
BY 337HAMMER ON 1 JANUARY 2017 AT 5:00PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Newport County AFC are pleased to announce the loan signing of forward Jaanai Gordon who joins the club from West Ham United. The twenty one year old striker joins the Exiles in time for tomorrow's Sky Bet League two encounter with Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park. The Northampton born forward was signed by West Ham in 2014 after two years at Peterborough. He has been out on loan at Chelmsford, Nuneaton and Sligo Rovers.
Speaking after the loan deal had been agreed manager Graham Westley said "My main priority in this window is to strengthen our back 4 and defensive midfield options. It is obvious that we need to be better at both ends of the pitch and we all know that Rhys is off back to Cardiff. Jaanai is a player with the potential to change games. It is a good start to building a momentum and winning team in the second half of the season." The loan deal will run to the end of the season. www.newport-county.co.uk
Jaanai has been with West Ham for 3 years now. When we got him the club seemed very excited about him. He is now 21 and not a player we hear about so much. According to WHUFC.com he has had a lot of loans to date.
2014/15
Loaned to Vanarama South club Chelmsford City in December 2014, scoring on his debut against Ebbsfleet United on Boxing Day.
Scored five goals in ten appearances for Chelmsford City.
Loaned to Conference Premier side Nuneaton Town in March 2015.
2015/16
Played his first U21 game of the season on 28 August against Arsenal. Scored for Terry Westley's men against West Bromwich Albion on 7 December.
Played with the U21s into January before joining League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers on loan in March.Scored against Wexford Youths on 7 May for Rovers
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ANTONIO CONTE TO MAKE SENSATIONAL MOVE FOR MICHAIL ANTONIO.
BY 337HAMMER ON 3 JANUARY 2017 AT 9:06PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Antonio Conte is on the trail of West Ham powerhouse Michail Antonio. Chelsea's boss has made the versatile Hammers' star a surprise inclusion on his wish-list for the January transfer window. Conte witnessed first hand winger Antonio's talents when he helped run Chelsea ragged the last time they lost a match – in the EFL Cup back in October. Antonio has played as a centre forward, wing back and right back for The Hammers this season as one of the few shining lights in a frustrating season for the club.
Antonio, 26, is West Ham's top scorer with eight goals this season and after a difficult start to the season under boss Slaven Bilic the pair have warmed to each other more. The Londoner is also extremely popular with the fans.
Conte will find it tough trying to prise the former Nottingham Forest winger out of the London Stadium – he earned his first England call up this season with West Ham and is enjoying life there. But Conte wants to up the energy levels in his team this month and has already admitted Chelsea 'are trying to do something' in this transfer window. Conte also already has his eye on next season's Champions League with his team five points clear at the top of the Premier League and Londoner Antonio's British heritage would be a boost for the squad where eight of the 25-strong players must be homegrown. www.thesun.co.uk
Please no, don't be true! I would hate to see Antonio leave. He is such a strong, versatile player (although I prefer him attacking rather than defending) and he always gives 100%.
What do you think? How would you feel about Antonio leaving? What about a swap deal with Batshuayi coming to us? Would you sell if the price was right?
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Hammers tempted by Selke
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are being linked with a move for young German striker Davie Selke after their attempts to sign Jermain Defoe stalled. Sunderland rejected a bid reported to be worth around £5million for Defoe on Tuesday, forcing the Hammers to cast their net a little wider in search of a goalscorer with the ability to hit the ground running. And 21-year-old Selke, who features for German side Red Bull Leipzig is said to be under consideration by the Board, who are said to face competition from the likes of Everton and Swansea.
Selke, who hit double figures for RB in the German second tier last season has barely featured for the first team during their excellent opening half of the current Bundesliga campaign and is potentially available on loan. Although linked with the likes of Real Madrid prior to joining the Bundesliga front-runners, Selke became the second division's most expensive signing ever when moving from Werder Bremen for €8million in July 2015 Eligible to feature for both Ethiopia (via his father) and the Czech Republic (mother), the 6'3" German-born forward had made just 10 appearances, mostly as substitute, for Leipzig so far this season.
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Defoe 'priceless', say Sunderland
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sunderland have rejected a £5million offer from West Ham for Jermain Defoe, according to reports.
United's bid to recapture the striker - who left West Ham in controversial circumstances 13 years ago - was immediately rebuffed by the Black Cats, for whom Defoe has scored 11 of their 19 Premier League goals this season.
And despite being just nine months away from his 35th birthday, Sunderland boss David Moyes described the former England international as "priceless" when asked about the possibility of allowing Defoe to return to London.
"I don't think there's any price [we'd accept[ because we know that Jermain's goals are priceless to us," he said.
Whilst every player has his price, regardless of Moyes' words, that is unlikely to be one considered worth paying by West Ham's Board, who are desperately seeking a replacement for Simone Zaza, Jonathan Calleri and the regularly-injured Diafra Sakho.
Of rather more immediate concern however could be the slew of stories continuing to link Dimitri Payet with a return to France, to former club Marseille.
Today it was suggested that L'OM are considering a player-plus-cash package for the 29-year-old including winger Romain Alessandrini, 27, or Guinean midfielder Bouna Sarr, 24 plus up to €40million.
West Ham insist they will refuse to entertain any such offers for Payet.
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Van Der Elst in critical condition
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United striker Francois Van der Elst is in a critical condition after suffering a suspected heart attack. The 62-year-old was rushed to hospital earlier today after collapsing and is currently being held in intensive care., where he is currently in a controlled coma. "Francois is suffering from heart rhythm disorders," his brother Leo told Het Laatste Nieuws.
"On New Year's Eve, Francois had a heart attack as we had a glass of champagne at my mother's home. It took thirty minutes to resuscitate him. "Doctors are monitoring his situation and he is still having plenty of tests. We are continually kept up to date."
Van Der Elst signed for John Lyall's West Ham United side in 1981 - just five years after his brace helped condemn the Hammers to defeat against Anderlecht in the 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup Final. During a glittering career, Van Der Elst also represented New York Cosmos in addition to winning 44 caps for his country between 1973 and 1983.
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Zaza left high and dry
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Simone Zaza is facing the propect of being without a club for the second half of the season after a move to Valencia fell through.
The Italian international failed to score a single goal for West Ham during his four months at the club and was keen on joining the La Liga outfit for the second half of the current campaign, having agreed to cut short his season-long loan with the Hammers. However Zaza has been left in the lurch by the resignation of head coach Cesare Prandelli, who walked out of Valencia after just ten games in charge as a result of the club failing to land key targets such as the former Juve man. "We still do not know anything, we still have no official news," said Zaza's father Antonio, who also acts as his agent. "We'll have to wait to see what happens. "Simone has a great desire to return to Italy, we just have to choose a destination more suitable for him and Juventus. He will not stay at Juve because it would be counter-productive for both the club and especially for us."
Prandelli walked out of Valencia after accusing the club of being run by "numbers people". "I felt undermined," he told SER Deportivos Valencia. "I arrived at a big project and left with a poor impression. "Why is Zaza not here? I do not know. But on the 28th, the president told me I had 24 hours to choose between a striker and a midfielder and that for me was not a progressive move."
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Brentford reject £10m bid from West Ham for Scott Hogan
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 04/01/17 8:56pm
SSN
Brentford have turned down a £10m bid from West Ham for striker Scott Hogan, according to Sky sources. Hogan has 18 months left on his current contract at Brentford and is willing to leave in January in order to secure Premier League football. The 24-year-old is valued at around £15m by the Sky Bet Championship club and Sky sources revealed on Monday that Bundesliga side RB Leipzig were also interested in signing him. Hogan, who joined Brentford from Rochdale in a £750,000 deal in 2014, has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances this season. West Ham are also hoping to re-sign Jermain Defoe, despite having their first offer of £6m rejected by Sunderland. The 34-year-old started his professional career with West Ham and scored 41 goals before leaving for Tottenham in February 2004. Sky sources understand the Hammers will return with a revised offer as they look to strike a deal to bring Defoe back to east London.
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West Ham not interested in selling Michail Antonio – Sky sources
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 03/01/17 9:01pm
SSN
West Ham have had no approach for Michail Antonio and the club have no intention of selling the winger, Sky Sports News HQ understands.
A report in The Sun on Tuesday claimed Premier League leaders Chelsea were lining up a bid for the in-form 26-year-old, who has scored eight goals so far this season. Antonio signed a new four-year contract at West Ham last July and Sky sources understand he will be offered an improved deal next summer if his good form continues into the second half of the season. He joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest in September 2015 for £7m and enjoyed a superb debut season in the Premier League, scoring eight goals in 26 matches as the Hammers finished in seventh place and secured qualification for the Europa League. Antonio received his first England call up in September, but did not feature in Sam Allardyce's one, and only, match in charge of the national team - a 1-0 victory away at Slovakia. He retained his place in the national set-up for the matches against Malta and Slovenia, under then-interim boss Gareth Southgate, but once again did not manage to make an appearance.
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West Ham inquire what price Sunderland will sell Jermain Defoe for
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 04/01/17 2:30pm
SSN
West Ham have asked Sunderland at what price they will sell striker Jermain Defoe, Sky sources understand. Sky Sports News HQ reported earlier on Wednesday that the Hammers had been rebuffed in a £6m offer for the 34-year-old. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is keen to add a striker to his squad in January with midfielder Michail Antonio their leading Premier League scorer by some distance on eight goals. Hopes that Simone Zaza would provide goals to boost West Ham proved wide of the mark, with the Italy international appearing to be on his way out of the club in January. Andre Ayew and Andy Carroll have both struggled with injury, combining for only three goals, leaving the Hammers scoring at only just over a goal a game. Sunderland have struggled even more in front of goal with Defoe providing 11 of their 19 goals in the Premier League. Defoe started his professional career with West Ham and scored 41 goals before leaving for Tottenham in February 2004.
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Brentford want £15million for Scott Hogan as West Ham's £10m striker bid is rebuffed
The Bees are holding out for £15m plus add-ons for the 24-year-old hotshot
The Mirror
BYJACOB MURTAGH
20:07, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED20:07, 4 JAN 2017
Brentford have rejected a £10million offer from West Ham for star striker Scott Hogan. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is keen to add more firepower this month and has also targeted Sunderland's Jermain Defoe . Watford, West Brom, Newcastle and Reading have also expressed an interest in Hogan, who has smashed 14 goals in 25 games this season. The former Rochdale frontman still has 18 months remaining on his contract at Griffin Park, and the Bees are holding out for £15m plus add-ons for the 24-year-old hotshot. Hogan signed for Brentford in 2014 for £750,000 from Dale, who are entitled to a percentage of the transfer fee.
If the Hammers bring in a new striker this month, it could see young forward Ashley Fletcher leave the club on loan. Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds are leading the chase to land the ex-Manchester United youngster.
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Will West Ham recall Enner Valencia? Everton loanee may be solution to Hammers' striker crisis
The Ecuadorian was a surprise mover on deadline day as he made the switch to Goodison Park and he has impressed boss Ronald Koeman in recent weeks
BYDAVID PRENTICE
17:45, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED17:45, 4 JAN 2017
The Mirror
West Ham could be forced into trying to recall Enner Valencia from his loan at Everton. The Ecuadorian was a surprise mover on deadline day as he made the switch to Goodison Park. He has started three of his side's last five matches and came off the bench to score in the win over Southampton on Monday. And with his side suffering a striker crisis, Slaven Bilic could attempt to recall Valencia, reports the Liverpool Echo. Andre Ayew has jetted off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, Diafra Sakho is out injured until March, while on-loan Jonathan Calleri, Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza are all struggling and set to have their season-long loans cancelled. That leaves Bilic with only injury-hit Andy Carroll and raw youngster Ashley Fletcher as his sole striking options. Koeman had initially selected teenage striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of Valencia against the Saints, but said afterwards: "He (Valencia) can play a lot of different attacking positions and give the manager a lot of possibilities to change systems. "It is too early to make a final decision about his future but it was a good signing for us."
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have already pledged to add 'quality reinforcements' to the Hammers squad this month. But should they draw a blank in the transfer market - and they have already been rebuffed in a move for Sunderland's Jermain Defoe - Bilic could be left with little choice but to ask for Valencia's return.
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Juventus don't want Simone Zaza back - the West Ham flop must find another club
The on-loan Italy striker failed to score in 11 appearances for the Irons – and will not play again to stop the activation of a £20m sell-on clause in the contract
The Mirror
BYNEIL MCLEMAN
13:32, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED13:33, 4 JAN 2017
Juventus don't want Simone Zaza back and the West Ham misfit must find another club in Serie A. The on-loan Italy striker failed to score in 11 appearances for the Irons – and will not play again to stop the activation of a £20m sell-on clause in the contract. But Juventus' sporting director Beppe Marotta said: "Zaza is on loan at West Ham for the whole season. The club has has indicated their intention not to pick him again and together we are sounding out the market to see the options. For now he is with them. He will not return to us in January – we already have a problem of having too many players." It has been a rollercoaster year for Zaza, 25, who scored the crucial winning goal for Juventus against Napoli in February but then comically missed a penalty against Germany at Euro 2016.
And his father and agent Antonio Zaza told Gazzetta dello Sport the striker never wanted to leave Italy. "We did not chose the blessed West Ham," he claimed. "Nobody forced us go but he would never have gone abroad. We want to take him back to Italy given his love for his country. A return to Juventus would be counterproductive because he would not get a game there." Fiorentina, Genoa and Milan are all interested in taking up Zaza's loan till the end of the season.
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West Ham step up audacious bid to bring Jermain Defoe back to the club
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard
West Ham have lodged an official bid for Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe. Standard Sport understands the Hammers are interested in re-signing the 34-year-old striker, who played for the club between 1999 and 2004, as Slaven Bilic looks to add to his attacking options this month. Defoe has been in fine form for relegation-battlers Sunderland this season, and has scored 11 goals in 20 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats, including two penalties in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Monday. His two goals against Jurgen Klopp's men resulted in Defoe becoming just the fourth player to score more than 10 goals in 10 different Premier League seasons after Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard. Such has been his form this term that Hammers manager Bilic expressed his admiration for the striker last week, but refused to confirm whether West Ham would make an official offer for the 34-year-old. "He's a very good player," Bilic said. "Defoe is scoring goals and that is important. "I have a few midfielders from different countries telling me his movement is the best of the strikers they have played with. "But he's someone else's player so I don't want to talk about it."
West Ham's pursuit of Defoe will be made difficult by Sunderland's precarious position in the Premier League table, with the club currently sitting in 18th place and battling to avoid the drop. In addition, Defoe's history with West Ham's London rivals Tottenham, the club he left the Hammers for in 2004, could be bittersweet for some fans. The striker handed in a transfer request following West Ham's relegation from the Premier League in 2003 before sealing a £7million switch to Spurs. He went on to play for the north London club two times, scoring 142 goals in 363 games across two spells, but later admitted he made a "massive mistake" forcing through a move from West Ham to Spurs.
West Ham's interest in Defoe comes as the club's on-loan striker Simone Zaza is set to return to Italy this month. The 25-year-old arrived from Juventus on a season-long loan in the summer, with West Ham having the option of making the move permanent should the forward make an agreed number of appearances at the club. But after failing to score in eight Premier League appearances for the east Londoners, his agent confirmed Zaza will go back to Serie A during this transfer window.
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Sofiane Feghouli has Manchester United red card overturned and could face Manchester City on Friday night
The Algerian winger's first Premier League start lasted just 14 minutes but he has now had his three-game ban quashed
The Independent Online
Sofiane Feghouli has had the red card awarded to him in West Ham's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United overturned, and is now available to play against United's cross-town rivals Manchester City in Friday night's FA Cup third round tie. The Algerian winger was harshly dismissed just 14 minutes into his first Premier League start when he went in for a 50-50 tackle with Phil Jones. But the Hammers appealed his punishment and, after consulting television replays, the three-game ban was overturned. While they will be able to count on Feghouli again, it doesn't change the result against United which West Ham manager Slaven Bilic feels was swayed by the early decision. "I was very surprised," Bilic said of the decision. "You know me, I'm the first one who says [referees] have a difficult job, and every time we look at a slow motion I go: 'Yeah, they don't have that in real time.' But I said it then – I wouldn't have been happy with a yellow. I said it to the fourth official and to [José] Mourinho, it's not a yellow. If it was yellow I'd be asking: 'Why a yellow so early in the game for basically nothing?' And you have to know it's Feghouli – he very rarely makes a foul."
Bilic did not see a replay of the incident until after full-time and even went as far as to suggest that Jones, who writhed in pain, appearing to be hurt by the tackle, was attempting to deflect attention from his own misjudgment. "After the game, when I saw it, it gave me proof that I'm right," Bilic said. "The more times I've seen it, it's the other way round. It was Jones who made a more dangerous tackle than Feghouli, like a scissor. He got the ball, OK, but that was dangerous. Maybe his reaction was to save himself, but definitely not a red card."
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West Ham tipped to sign Ahmed Elmohamady from Hull
HITC
Vincent Ralph
The Hull City defender has been linked with a move to West Ham United. According to the Telegraph, West Ham United is a potential destination for Hull City player Ahmed Elmohamady this month. The 29-year-old right-back has played 203 matches for the Tigers, including 23 this season, and the struggling side will be desperate to keep the Egypt international at least for the rest of the campaign. That said, West Ham are in desperate need of a new right-sided defender of their own and they are being tipped to make a move for the experienced, and versatile, player. There is one big stumbling block that will make or break any potential deal, and that is the Africa Cup of Nations, for which Elmohamady will be starring for his country. If the wide man returns to Hull in January, which would mean Egypt are eliminated prior to the semi-final stage, there is a chance, however slim, that he could move on. But if he helps his country into the last-four or beyond, this is one rumour that will remain just that. West Ham will be searching for sensible additions in the coming weeks and Elmohamady is certainly that, meaning the link makes sense. But the AFCON could affect targets as well as some of the Hammers' current stars.
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BESIKTAS REACH AGREEMENT OVER CALLERI LOAN MOVE
THOMAS BORE
ReadWestHam
Jonathan Calleri is set to call time on his West Ham nightmare as Besiktas reach an agreement with Deportivo Maldonado over a loan move with a view to permanent. Fanatik report Calleri will join the Turkish outfit on loan for the remainder of the season, before joining permanently for €4million in the summer window. Calleri signed for West Ham on loan in the summer but has struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League so far, failing to score in any of his eleven appearances for the Hammers. Slaven Bilic is now keen to offload the Argentine this window in order to free up room for another striker addition – with Brentford's Scott Hogan as a reported target. Besiktas boss Senol Gunes is in the market for a striker, after becoming frustrated at the lack of progress in the negotiations with Antalyaspor for ex-Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o, and Calleri reportedly tops his wish-list.
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MARSEILLE OFFER LASSANA DIARRA AS PART OF PAYET BID
MICHAEL OLIVER
ReadWestHam
Marseille really are serious about bringing their former talisman Dimitri Payet back to the club this January, despite West Ham's best efforts to completely dissuade them from even making a bid.
It was claimed yesterday that the Ligue 1 club were willing to offer either Romain Alessandrini or Bouna Sarr, both wingers, in addition to their €40m offer for Payet in January to help sweeten the pot for the Hammers.
Twitter: Breaking | Olympique de Marseille could include Lassana Diarra in a deal with West Ham for Dimitri Payet, according to tomorrow's L'Équipe. (@GFFN)
Now, according to Wednesday's print edition of L'Equipe (h/t Eurosport), Marseille are now also willing to chuck Lassana Diarra into the deal in another bid to get the deal over the line.
The former Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder joined Marseille on a free transfer after he left Lokomotiv Moscow in a dispute which resulted in him being charged with a €10m fine he had to repay the Russian club and a 15-month ban from playing professional football.
During that time, Diarra came on trial with the Hammers with a view to signing for them on a free transfer under Sam Allardyce, but his FIFA-imposed ban put an end to any chance of him joining.
West Ham remain adamant that Payet is not for sale at any price in January, no matter who Marseille are willing to offer as part of the deal.
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Oh dear, West Ham: Zaza 'didn't choose' Hammers
Date published: Wednesday 4th January 2017 10:33
Football365
Simone Zaza's move to West Ham descended into further farce when his agent revealed the player "didn't choose" the club. Zaza joined the Hammers in a season-long loan deal from Juventus in the summer, with the club agreeing a £24million deal to make the move permanent if he impressed sufficiently. But the Italian has been an undoubted failure, failing to score or assist a single goal in eight Premier League games. He has not played in the Premier League since November 19 as any further appearances could activate a clause which means West Ham would sign him permanently. The 25-year-old is now looking for another club to join in the winter transfer window, but agent, father Antonio, says he never wanted to move to London in the first place.
"We'll have to see what happens," he told JuveNews. "Simone has a great desire to return to play in Italian football, and we have to choose the most suitable destination for him and for Juventus. "He won't stay at Juventus, because that would be counter-productive. For them, but especially for us because he wouldn't find much space. "Is he disappointed that Juve didn't trust him? Look, don't make me answer that… it's too delicate a question. "Now we're trying to bring Simone back to Italy because he loves this country. We didn't choose West Ham. "No-one forced us, but Simone never wanted to go abroad, he loves Italy and Serie A. A series of circumstances led to him going to the Premier League…Now he's gone and we look to the future."
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SUNDERLAND TURN DOWN WEST HAM APPROACH FOR JERMAIN DEFOE
MICHAEL OLIVER
readWestHam
It's common knowledge that West Ham are after a striker this month and their search has led them down a familiar path. Targeting a move for Jermain Defoe, the Hammers are hopeful of bringing their former striker back to East London during the transfer window.
However, Sunderland will prove to be stubborn negotiators for their invaluable striker. The Mirror are reporting that West Ham have had a bid turned down for the 34-year-old striker, believed to be worth in the region of £5m.
The approach was immediately turned down by the Black Cats who are battling against relegation with Defoe's 11 goals already this season their sole beacon of hope in what looks like a lost cause.
West Ham believe Defoe is interested in a move back to London and are willing to go in with another offer, but Sam Allardyce and Crystal Palace are also keeping tabs on the situation.
With Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri expected to have their respective season-long loan deals terminated this month, Slaven Bilic is eager to bring in at least one striker this month and given Defoe's pedigree at this level he would prove to be a savvy acquisition.
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Leeds set to bid £1.5 million for Premier League forward 0
BY TOM CARNDUFF ON JAN 4, 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP, FEATURED, LEEDS UNITED, NEWS, TRANSFERS
Leeds United are set to bid £1.5 million for West Ham United forward Ashley Fletcher, according to the Guardian. The 21-year-old was a target for The Whites in the summer, but instead made the move to West Ham from Premier League rivals Manchester United. Fletcher has featured in 11 Premier League games so far this season but failed to find the net. His only goal has come in the 4-1 EFL Cup defeat to his former club Manchester United. The forward has had better luck playing in Premier League 2, scoring two and assisting another in four appearances in the reserve competition.
Now The Guardian reports that Leeds are set to make an offer of £1.5 million to bring the striker to Elland Road.
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Could Everton be forced to give Enner Valencia back to West Ham?
Valencia came to Goodison as a last minute transfer deadline-day acquisition, after the Blues bid for Moussa Sissoko collapsed
BYDAVID PRENTICE
10:19, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED10:44, 4 JAN 2017
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic may be forced to go cap in hand to Everton and plead for Enner Valencia's season-long loan deal to be cut short. The Hammers have a striker crisis at present. Andre Ayew has jetted off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, Diafra Sakho is out injured until March, while on-loan Jonathan Calleri, Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza are all struggling and set to have their season-long loans cancelled. That leaves Bilic with only injury-hit Andy Carroll and raw youngster Ashley Fletcher as his sole striking options. Valencia came to Goodison as a last minute transfer deadline-day acquisition, after the Blues bid for Moussa Sissoko collapsed. But after failing to start a single Premier League match before December. Valencia started back to back matches against Arsenal and Liverpool before Christmas, started against Hull on December 30 and stepped off the subs bench to score his first Everton goal against Southampton on Monday. Koeman had initially selected teenage striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of Valencia against the Saints, but said afterwards: "He (Valencia) can play a lot of different attacking positions and give the manager a lot of possibilities to change systems. "It is too early to make a final decision about his future but it was a good signing for us."
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have already pledged to add 'quality reinforcements' to the Hammers squad this month.
But should they draw a blank in the transfer market - and they have already been rebuffed in a move for Sunderland's Jermain Defoe - Bilic could be left with little choice but to ask for Valencia's return.
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Bookmaker lists West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion among favourites to sign Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson
HITC
Aiden Cusick
West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion are listed among the favourites to sign Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in January, with bookmaker Bet Victor. Neither club have been formally linked with the Icaland star in recent months, but feature behind only Everton (3/1) with odds of 4/1 and 5/1 respectively. Despite Swansea's collective failings, Sigurdsson has once again proved the Welsh side's standout performer - scoring five goals and creating another six in 20 Premier League outings this season.
And with West Ham and West Brom both thought to be in the market for midfielders this month, the pair could look to take advantage of the Swans precarious position at the bottom end of the table. West Ham have been linked with moves for Nemanja Maksimovic, Luka Milivojevic and Taulant Xhaka in recent weeks, however, Sigurdsson is perhaps a more desirable target given his experience in England's top flight. The Iceland star would not come cheap for that reason, although it is unlikely that either the Hammers or West Brom - who are said to be in the running for £20-million-rated Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin - would struggle to meet Swansea's demands.
Middlesbrough (5/1), Roma and Stoke City (both 6/1) are the other main contenders, according to Bet Victor.
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HAMMERS ENTER DISCUSSIONS WITH MONTPELLIER OVER SANSON
THOMAS BORE
ReadWestHam
West Ham United have held discussions with HSC Montpellier regarding the availability of Borussia Dortmund target Morgan Sanson, the Daily Mail report. Sanson is no stranger to Premier League interest, having previously been tracked by Newcastle United when identifying replacements for his fellow countryman Yohan Cabaye. Fellow Premier League sides AFC Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion have also joined West Ham in the race for Sanson's signature, but it is Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Marseille who currently lead the chase, as per France Football (via GFFN). Sanson's representatives are expected to meet with a delegation from Marseille in the coming hours, if not tomorrow. Montpellier are keen on retaining Sanson's services for the rest of the season but would find it difficult to turn down an offer in the region of €10million (approximately £8.5million) due to his recent injury history – coupled with his contract expiring next year.
Sanson, who boasts three goals and seven assists this season, spent the majority of last season on the sidelines after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury late in the 2014/15 season. Sanson did return to action briefly midway through last season, before suffering another lengthy injury lay-off just weeks after returning.
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Chelsea monitoring West Ham's Michail Antonio? Transfer news and gossip from Wednesday's papers
PLUS: Marseille join the list of clubs interested in Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin
BYFOOTBALL SPY
West Ham's Michail Antonio has caught the eye of Antonio Conte with the Chelsea boss pondering an approach, claims ESPN FC. The versatile Englishman has impressed in Slaven Bilic's struggling side this campaign across the park, from right-back to centre forward, and has scored eight goals. Following the departure of Oscar to the Chinese Super League, Conte is looking to boost is attacking options. And ESPN say sources close to the player tell them the Blues are monitoring Antonio's progress. The Sun also reported Chelsea's interest in Antonio, however Sky Sports claim West Ham have had no approach for him and no intention to sell.
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Watford and West Ham track Scott Hogan but are yet to make a formal bid for the Brentford striker
Scott Hogan has scored 14 goals in 25 Championship appearances
Brentford are 14th in English football's second tier on 33 points
They have already rebuffed Reading with a £7million proposal last week
By Simon Jones for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 00:10, 4 January 2017 | UPDATED: 00:10, 4 January 2017
Watford and West Ham have interest in Brentford striker Scott Hogan but have yet to make formal offers for the 24-year-old. Reading were rebuffed with a £7million proposal last week as Brentford want £15m. Both the Hornets and the Hammers are keen to strengthen their attacking line and Hogan is seen as a player who can do that. Watford manager Walter Mazzari wants to boost the numbers he has in attack after watching his side score 23 goals in 19 Premier League matches. The former Rochdale striker is the Championship's third highest goalscorer with 14 goals in 25 appearances. He also scored in Brentford's 3-1 away victory over Birmingham City on Bank Holiday Monday. Reports have recently suggested that the west London club won't sell the player for less than £15million. Manager Dean Smith is keen on losing Hogan but he may not be left with a choice.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The Ticket Exchange for the London derby against Crystal Palace on Saturday 14 January is open now - with Claret Members able to purchase exclusively until 4pm on Friday 6 January.
Big Sam will be bringing his Palace team to London Stadium for the first time, with the Hammers looking to register their first league success of the New Year.
Season Ticket Holders who are unable to attend can relist their seats online, giving other West Ham fans the opportunity to purchase their seat for the fixture. Season Ticket Holders will not only give another supporter the chance to be at the game, but they will also earn money back to redeem against your Season Ticket renewal.
Tickets start at £31, and are available to all Claret Members now.
On the Ticket Exchange, once a Season Ticket Holder's ticket has been exchanged, his or her Season Card will be disabled for the game, while the buyer's Claret Membership Card will be activated. If you are not a Claret Member, you will be able to print your ticket at home.
The credit for the ticket sale will be made available in the seller's Season Ticket Holder account, minus a 10% administrative charge.
For full details of how to release your seat to the Ticket Exchange, and for terms and conditions, please click here to view our helpful User Guide.
Season Ticket Holder seats which become available on the Ticket Exchange will be available to purchase online here.
If you are a Season Ticket Holder unable to attend this game, please relist your ticket to allow another fan to experience the Hammers at London Stadium and you will benefit with ticket credit in your account which you can use towards a future game.
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The Big Interview - Jackson Wray
WHUFC.com
Saracens star and West Ham United fan Jackson Wray was delighted to make his London Stadium debut for Monday's Premier League clash with Manchester United.
The Essex-born Number Eight has been one of the standout performers in English rugby union this season, and has been tipped for international honours.
The reigning Aviva Premiership and European Champions Cup winners are enjoying another strong season, sitting second in the Premiership table and top of their Champions Cup group. With Saracens earning a hard-earned win at Leicester Tigers on New Year's Day, Wray joined fellow Hammer and backs coach Kevin Sorrell on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Jackson, what's the story behind you being a Hammer?
"Growing up I loved football and West Ham was my local-ish team in the Premier League, so it started there really. Obviously there have been plenty of highs and plenty of lows along the way, but I wouldn't have had it any other way and to see us here now is brilliant. We've come a long way."
This is your first visit to London Stadium, so what do you think?
"It's a big place. I've heard it's really impressive and walking in from the outside was definitely a sight, so it's fantastic to be able to get down and see it in person.
"It's a really impressive arena and in terms of size it's definitely up there with the likes of Twickenham and Wembley, where we've played and to have a full one of those is great. It would be nice to play here one day and I've no doubt it would be great."
What can this move do for the Club in the future?
"I was at the Play-Off final in 2012 and the support we took to fill half of Wembley was unbelievable and you can see the numbers we have here is up there. Hopefully now we can go from strength to strength. We've picked up recently and I am looking forward to seeing us improve and build on last year.
"I think this is what we needed, in terms of the size, where the Club wants to go, the players we want to sign, it's definitely a massive step in the right direction. To have this as a home in a massive part of London, it could bring in all sorts of new fans, and that's what we need to get to where we want to be."
Who are your favourite players?
"To be honest, I like Winston Reid. He is solid and has been linked with some of the top teams and that's the sort of player he is. To have kept him over the last few years, when he has been unbelievable, he's a massive part of the defence and a really, really good player.
"It's good to see Andy Carroll back. He really causes problems and it will be nice to see him up there, bringing the ball down and doing what he does."
As a fellow sportsman, can you sense the team spirit among the Hammers?
"Yes, you can see the way the manager is with his players and the atmosphere at the training ground, it seems to be a really good place to be and it's nice to see the results coming.
"Injuries play a massive part in any sport and I think we've probably hit the worst this year. Hopefully now we've got those guys back and it will be good to see them out there and it will be interesting to see if they can put some performances together."
How about you guys? How is Saracens' season panning out?
"Not too bad. We started off pretty well and are sitting a point off top spot at the minute and we've won four out of four in Europe, so we're ticking along nicely but we don't want to peak too early.
"Obviously last year was unbelievable to win the double and it would be good to do that again."
Reports suggest you aren't far off the England squad, so is that a goal for you?
"As with any young guy, I want to play for England. I'm 26 and have some development still to go which I'm going to work on and hopefully I can break into that set-up.
"It's a very difficult set-up to break into because they've been incredibly successful. They were unbeaten all year [in 2016], which was a fantastic achievement, but it's what I want to do and I know I need to work hard to get there."
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Extra motivation for Fletcher in City Cup clash
WHUFC.com
Ashley Fletcher says he will be feeling extra motivated facing Manchester City on Friday
The young forward left West Ham's opponents' fierce rivals Manchester United during the summer
The 21-year-old will be hoping to play a part having scored in the Hammers' last Cup tie
West Ham United forward Ashley Fletcher admitted he will be feeling extra motivated going into Friday's FA Cup tie against Manchester City having signed from the visitors' fierce rivals during the summer. Fletcher traded Manchester United for the Hammers before the Club's big move to London Stadium and could face the Citizens there in the FA Cup on Friday night. The striker, who started the Hammers' last cup tie, scoring against his former club at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup, will be hoping to get some more minutes in football's oldest competition this week. Ahead of the third round clash, the 21-year-old, who scored two goals in as many U21 matches against the Sky Blues for his former club, declared he is always excited to face Manchester City. "I'm a Manchester lad and coming from round there, I know what it's like as an ex-Man United player to play against City," he said. "It will offer me a little bit more in terms of the game but we just have to treat it as a cup tie and look to go through. "It's going to be a tough game against them. They're obviously one of the best teams in the league so we're expecting a tough match. They'll be bang at it. "But it's a cup tie and a cup tie can go either way and league form doesn't really matter. It's about who really wants it more on the day and hopefully we will want it more. League form goes out the window and it will be a good game to watch."
Fletcher last played from the start in Claret and Blue in West Ham's home defeat by Arsenal back in early December, but the return to full fitness of fellow forward Andy Carroll has forced the youngster to be patient. But the Keighley-born attacker is delighted to have his teammate back alongside him in training, competing for a spot in Slaven Bilic's starting XI. "Obviously we didn't have Andy with us for a big period and he's part of the way we play," he continued. "Now we have him back in, he offers us a different style.
"I think people have seen, we look more dangerous with him. It's a huge positive to have him and other players back. "On Friday, we want to get a result because I think a cup run can give you confidence in the league so if we get a good result that can help us in the league as well. "We had the Chelsea game in the EFL Cup under the lights and the atmosphere there was great. Hopefully we can create that same kind of feeling and hopefully we'll get the win."
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#WHUAREYA - Nathan Trott
WHUFC.com
It's been quite a year for Academy goalkeeper Nathan Trott. In January 2016, the stopper signed for the Hammers on a two-and-a-half-year deal before, in early December, putting pen to paper on his first professional contract having impressed so much in action for the Club's junior sides. The Bermudan-born 18-year-old has made nine appearances so far this campaign for the Premier League 2 side, despite missing a large chunk of the first half of the season through injury. He has also turned out for the U18s twice.
In this week's #WHUAREYA, the youngster talks his best attributes, his favourite music, and why he is unstoppable on FIFA at the Academy of Football.
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Feghouli red card rescinded
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that a Football Association Regulatory Commission has upheld the Club's claim for wrongful dismissal in respect of the red card shown to Sofiane Feghouli against Manchester United. The midfielder was sent-off during the first half of the Hammers' 2-0 Premier League defeat by the Red Devils at London Stadium on Monday 2 January, with the game goalless at the time.
However, the Club's successful claim means Feghouli's three-match suspension is withdrawn. The Algerian is therefore eligible to play against Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Friday evening and in the following Premier League fixtures with Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough.
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Cole - I would love to have played at London Stadium
WHUFC.com
Joe Cole is a big fan of London Stadium and would love to have played there
Cole believes the Hammers can bring Champions League football to their new home
The former fans favourite believes Slaven Bilic will achieve even more success
Former West Ham midfielder and fans favourite Joe Cole says he would have loved the chance to play at London Stadium and sees no reason why the Club cannot compete in the Champions League over the next few years. Cole made his first visit to the Hammers new home last month when he saw the team record a 1-0 win over Hull and was taken aback by the size and magnitude of the new Stadium. The 35-year-old progressed through the Academy with the east London Club and always knew the Club had the fan base to compete with the biggest teams in the country.
With the Hammers making a historic move into London Stadium during the summer and attracting nearly 60,000 fans every home game, Cole sees no reason why they cannot challenge the elite clubs in the top flight and secure European football on a regular basis. Cole said: "I think it is an amazing Stadium and it looks immense. I was getting an itch just looking out at the pitch and would love to have been out there playing. "When you come to a new Stadium you are going to have some little problems, but this is forward thinking by West Ham United and this is 100 per cent the right thing to do. With a few more good results I am sure it will begin to feel like home. "It is amazing that West Ham are playing at such a big venue like London Stadium. It was amazing for me to play at Upton Park and it was special in it's own right. But time waits for no-one and West Ham have now got the capabilities to compete with the biggest teams in the world. "It is exciting times for the Club and West Ham can now compete with the top teams financially. "You can see Champions League football being played at London Stadium. If you are honest, you probably couldn't see that happening at Upton Park. "But with the stature of this new Stadium, you can see it happening. If you are trying to sign a top player in Europe and you bring them down to see this venue I am sure they will be queuing up to play here."
Cole, who made his debut for West Ham back in January 1999 and went on to make over 150 appearances during a memorable career, believes Slaven Bilic will continue to do a good job at the Hammers and feels they have turned a major corner in recent weeks. Cole added: "You can see the progress and the plan that the Club have got. This is where it is happening and I can see where West Ham are heading. "People have questioned if the Club would be able to fill it, but West Ham have a massive fan base. You go all over the world and you see West Ham fans. That will only grow. The Premier League is still the most eye catching league in Europe so it will get even bigger. "I am confident that Slaven will turn things around. He did a great job last season. There were always going to be teething problems coming into a new Stadium, but he has had a few good results and he is definitely the right man for the job. Cole says he would love to make a return to London Stadium in 2017, but is now preparing for another year in the North American Soccer League as he looks to team up with the Tampa Bay Rowdies once again. "I have had a great time out in the States and am staying out there for another year. I have played every minute of every game and feel great out in the sun playing. It is a new adventure. "I know it sounds silly but the sun makes your body feel better when you are playing. I have played over 600 games during my career and there is a lot of wear and tear from a young age so having the sun is a massive help. I feel I can go on for a few more years yet.
"I am looking forward to coming back to London Stadium and watching Champions League football in the future. The fans will love that."
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BRENTFORD REJECT £10M BID FROM WEST HAM FOR SCOTT HOGAN.
BY 337HAMMER ON 4 JANUARY 2017 AT 8:53PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham have failed with a bid to sign Scott Hogan from Brentford. Brentford have turned down a £10m bid from West Ham for striker Scott Hogan, according to Sky sources.
Hogan has 18 months left on his current contract at Brentford and is willing to leave in January in order to secure Premier League football.
The 24-year-old is valued at around £15m by the Sky Bet Championship club and Sky sources revealed on Monday that Bundesliga side RB Leipzig were also interested in signing him.
Hogan, who joined Brentford from Rochdale in a £750,000 deal in 2014, has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances this season. www.skysports.com
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IF I OWNED WEST HAM: AN INTERESTING ITK/OPINION PIECE ON OUR TRANSFER WINDOW
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 3 JANUARY 2017 AT 5:40PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This is a feature which we ran in the Summer Transfer Window. The article is anonymous and is written by someone who is very in the know in the football world. I (ExWHUEmployee) have approved and verified his sources and they are top draw. Whilst this is an opinion piece it is based alongside news that they know and I bring. I hope that you enjoy it. Let us know your thoughts.
It's an interesting time for West Ham, should we go for it in the transfer window? Or should we not? And the question on everyone's lips is "Will we go for anyone?" We have already been linked with almost every name under the sun, however West Ham Way's finest Ex, has given us a few front runners like Defoe, Batshuayi, Iorfa, and Smalling. From that list it looks like we are looking for a striker, a Centre back and a right back all three of which I think we don't have to get and we will stay up and be safe without! They are however the three positions that we do need to improve in the long run.
I think the priority in January is a striker and right back and those are the two positions I think also need strengthening the most! However I, like lots of West Ham fans, personally do not think Defoe is the answer!! Defoe is 34 and has got 11 goals this year, which for someone of that age is very impressive. He has also not missed a match which for me is equally impressive HOWEVER he has got 11 goals this season in the Premier League five of which are penalties, which bring his total to 6 in open play! 6 goals in 20 games in almost a 1 in 4 striker. The reason I don't count the penalties is we already have a penalty taker in Mark Noble and even Lanzini who has scored 2 penalty so far this season, therefore Defoe wouldn't get a chance to get them! The next reason I wouldn't take Defoe is he's on about £75k – £85k a week at Sunderland and I can only see him coming to us for similar or more, this would be the same with the length of his contract which ends in the summer of 2019! Therefore we could have a player on £85k a week who is 36 and has lost his legs, which I think we would all agree would be a disaster. A player on £85k a week should be making a serious contradiction. My last point on Defoe is he is in a team that is solely relying on him, therefore he gets most of the chance (even though Sunderland don't create many). Another problem with Sunderland relying on him so much is they won't want to sell. Therefore they will be asking for top dollar for him along with his massive wages, as if they sell him they are basically throwing in the towel! Moyes has already said the owners have said he has no money to spend in January and you are never going to find a replacement for a proven Premier League goalscorer for £10million. Therefore I can only see them selling him in January for £15million, which I think is far too much for a 34 year old, who has a one in four goal radio this season in open play. As he gets older you can only see this rate going down! I think he's a great player and was a great player however for £15million and £80k a week I would struggle to buy him! A point that many have forgotten is he also left us when we were in an awful state and for me that would be the end of him at our great club!
Batshuayi on the other hand is someone I would take on a loan deal with an option to buy! The lad is 23 years old and someone we fancied in the summer after he got 17 goals and 9 assists at a very poor Marseille side last year! He's also a big powerful boy and someone who would fit into our style of play well. With Chelsea only having two strikers at the club I can't really see them letting him go however I'm sure he is getting increasingly angry with the lack of game time and there may be a deal to be done and I hope there can be! He's only played a total of 76 minutes for Chelsea this year in the league and if I was him I would be gutted and doing everything I could to get a move away. Surely West Ham would be a perfect fit for both parties!
Other possible more interesting options are Hogan at Brentford. He's got 13 goals this year at Brentford and we do love a Championship player as the ones that we have bought have all done very well! He also got 7 in 7 last year after his Cruciate Ligament Rupture. His only 24 and for me could show real promise and worth doing if we could get a good deal. Maybe £7million with a million after 20 Premier League starts and a million after so many goals it could a good buy for us! His wages would also be low and he would be seriously hungry. I know a Brentfood fan and he calls him Shane Long that gets goals, as his work rate is top class!!
Another interesting option is we don't do anything, as we have Carroll, Ayew (not for the next month), Fletcher, Sakho and Antonio. The first 20 minutes of yesterday's game Antonio played so well as a target man before Feghouli got sent off and the system had to be changed pushing out to the wing. Every game I see him play up front he seems to improve. His pace and power and pure rawness will scare centre backs as he is so unpredictable. The best example of this was at Liverpool, where one of the defenders was subbed off at half time. This would be a bold move as it's clear to see we lack that top striker like most Premier League clubs. Carroll and Sakho are two people we need to be careful with as both get injured a lot. I'm also not convinced Ayew is a lone striker however I think he is a real quality player and Fletcher probably needs a Championship loan! If we don't sign anyone for the next month we will only have Carroll and Fletcher as our recognised strikers as Calleri is injured along with Sakho and I can't see Zaza making it to the end of the window and I'm not convinced he knows where or what a goal is! There's also other interest in Sturridge and Rashford but both players I cant see being loaned out by their clubs and also I don't think we need anymore injury prone players such as Sturridge.
Our final and possibly most interesting option is if we go for it and spend next year's summer money on someone. I can't really see this happening however if we sign a goal scorer now it wouldn't be the end of the world!! And would save us a job in the summer. The names I would suggest are ones like Origi, Giroud or Modeste. Three fantastic players. Giroud is a goalscorer and always has been. He consistently got above 15 goals at Arsenal and in the summer will be on his last year of his contract and with almost being second choice at Arsenal he may feel it's the right time to move!
Origi is also second or third choice at Liverpool and at only 21 could be our striker for years and years! For me he is an unbelievable player; he's an all-round athlete and someone who could be perfect for us, he's also like Sakho but better. He's very intelligent with the ball with great link up play. I can't speak more highly of the boy and someone I would go all out to go and buy! He's a superstar in the making. However with these first two, the summer may be a better time to buy as the big English teams do prefer to wait to the summer to sell! However with Modeste I can see Koln cashing in now, the German clubs, apart from the top ones are normally run like a business and sell their players if they get decent money. His whole time in Germany he has been a goal in two games striker and he is a big powerful man. In Germany they play a very similar style to us in England and most players do come over and adapt very fast. He scores all types of goals and there's no doubt he knows where the goals is. I have a German friend and also watch a fare bit of German football and we both love him.
The other position we are looking at is a Right back. The name Iorfa has come up a lot. I've heard he has had a poor year at Wolves however he is English and played very well against us in the FA cup tie last year! The young boy has got talent, no doubt, however for me this is all about price!
Another player I hear about a lot is a return for Jenko on loan. For me this would be a bad move he was shocking for us last season and really low on confidence and has been really dropped completely from the Arsenal set up. He was so good for us in his first season but sadly for me I question his mentality. As when the West Ham fans last year got on his back he crumbled and he has done the same at Arsenal this year.
The only real option for me that just stands out is Tripper at Spurs, he must want more first team football and is never going to get ahead of walker at Spurs! However Spurs are awful to deal with and will want a large sum to let him go! I would like this position sorted as Nordtveit hasn't got the pace to play at rb and Bryam for me still looks a bit raw however he would be a fantastic back up!! If we could get him for anything less than £8 million this would be something I would get on and do.
People are also crying out for a Centre back however it now looks like we are going back to four at the back (thank god)! Therefore we only need two each game so I believe we have enough cover until the end of the season. As Reid, Ogbonna, Collins, Oxford, Kouyate and Nordtviet can all play there! Oxford has signed a new deal and at some point has to show us what he's got!! He is now on decent money and has to start to earn it for me! Bilic has to trust him.
Anyway I hope you enjoy my views on what we should do this transfer window. I will do one maybe later on this week about the out goings I would do if I owned the club! Let me know in the comments if you liked it or tell Ex! Also make sure you go to the West Ham way's Pre Match Event.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE'S TRANSFER UPDATE: DIFFICULT DEALS AND LOAN MOVERS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 1 JANUARY 2017 AT 9:19PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Firstly I would like to wish all our readers and followers across our various platforms a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2016 was our first year as a site and we have achieved quite a few things but all of the team want to make 2017 even more successful. If you would like to be a part of the team as a regular writer, YouTube contributor or an advertiser please get in touch.
The Leicester game was a strange one. I agreed with Bilic in keeping an unchanged side from Swansea although that was harsh on Obiang who I think has been brilliant but you cannot change a side that has won 4-1. What was odd about the game was that we dominated possession 60%-40% and we had double the amount of chances than they did yet we couldn't win. This to be highlighted the need for us to buy a goalscorer in the window, as well as a right back too.
The forward situation is a tricky one. Bilic has made it very clear that Jermain Defoe is his number one target. He likes the fact that he is a proven goalscorer and this is proven no matter what the level, club or competition. He has also came very highly recommended to Bilic by Luca Modric who played with the forward at Spurs and is obviously a friend of Bilic's through the Croatian national team. Modric has stated that he is one of the best forwards that he has played with because of his movement and Bilic thinks that Defoe would be able to exploit the creativity of Payet and Lanzini that less mobile forwards haven't done for us. Defoe is in a tricky situation because he is loved up at Sunderland as was seen by his interactions with young hero Bradley Lowery and he also has a relegation release clause in his contract too. It would be in his interests in some ways to stay at the Black Cats but he has made it clear he would like to return to West Ham (a club he still cares about and feels he owes) and be back in London. For the transfer to happen we will have to pay a significant fee for a 34 year old and he would have to ask to leave-which would deny him significant bonuses.
Another key target is Chelsea forward Batshuayi but we find ourselves in another similar position as to Defoe. He really doesn't look like he is going to get much game time for Chelsea and this has apparently made him frustrated and seeking a loan move to prove himself in the Premier League. We were very keen on the player but he doesn't want to rock the boat by demanding to leave and Chelsea do not really want to loan him. So we need them to either sign another forward or for Batshuayi to insist he is allowed to move for first team football.
There are other alternatives that we have enquired about as well. Sturridge has been well documented although his injury record is a concern for the club. Shane Long is another that we have admired for a while because of his work rate but with him now starting for Southampton due to their injury problems this transfer is probably a lot harder to conclude now. According to two other ITKS on another site we are interested in former forward Demba Ba too. Demba Ba suffered a horrific leg break in June and wouldn't be fit until at least March and then we do not know whether he will be able to recover from this injury. Apparently according to them the Chinese club will allow him to come to us and would foot all of the costs involved. When Demba was at the club there was also major concerns around an ongoing knee problem so to me it does seem unlikely that this transfer will happen. The Sullivan's really rate Demba and have obviously signed him before and they always say he was one of their best signings here however this signing does seem a bit bizarre and personally I cannot see it. I will of course credit the other two or change my stance should I hear otherwise.
Beharino is somebody who we could take a gamble on from WBA. His contract is up in the summer and he will be a lot more affordable than he was two years ago when Spurs launched a number of bids. Whilst the club have question marks over his ability and attitude, a move could be made depending on other transfers falling through or not being great deals. Beharino has the same agent as Reece Oxford who has recently signed a new deal for the club so this could be a persuasive factor in him potentially joining us.
We have some interest in Scott Hogan of Brentford but this isn't likely to a deal we look at until the summer. Dembele of Celtic is someone who we have tried to sign on two other occasions. When he joined Celtic we were looking at him, Fulham turned down an offer from us and took it to a tribunal where they received a lot less than what we had offered. Braithwaite's agent is someone we have dealt with regularly before and he was a player we looked at in the summer but Bilic now wants proven domestic players and this can also be said for Bacca. They may emerge as targets if the domestic ones fail but for now they are back up plans.
We are also in the market for a right back. Arbeloa is expected to leave on a free either by joining a Spanish club or having his contract mutually terminated. It is fair to say that Bilic and the Spanish right back never really repaired their early disagreements. Glen Johnson is the number one target and his contract is also up in the summer. Again, he fits the criteria of having an abundance of Premier League experience and he would also fit well into our system. Whilst he played for Stoke at the weekend, the club could be prepared to cash in on him before his deal runs out.
Carl Jenkinson is also being made available this window and he is someone that we could consider bringing back for the third time. Again he ticks a lot of boxes and I think he would fit better into the system we play now as well. There are other right backs who I have mentioned being targets in previous columns such as Iorfa or Flanaghan but these are plan bs.
I have spoken of interest in various Manchester United players in the past and it does appear that it is unlikely that Manchester United will offer any loan deals out of the club. This has meant a number of our potential targets are no longer targets. I doubt that we would move for some of these players on permanent deals at this stage.
We have looked at Sakho from Liverpool and some foreign alternatives as well but the aim to buy domestically.
I mentioned on the radio show that we would like to sign a big name keeper in the summer in the mode of Hart or Begovic. Although both would be hard to pull off we hope that someone of their stature could be persuaded to join. I found this news rather odd because I think Randolph has done very well since he came into the team and Adrian is a very good alternative keeper to have. It is thought that Adrian maybe allowed to leave if a club should come in for him and his contract situation is currently unresolved.
Gordon has joined Newport and Samuelsen has re-joined Peterborough and these will not be the only loan moves completed soon for our development squad. Hendrie will return from Blackburn and be loaned out again I would imagine. Marcus Browne could be moving to Coventry on loan in the next few weeks and players such as: Rice, Pike, Quina and Sam Howes could also make moves.
We go into the Manchester United game with Kouyate and Ayew having been granted special leave from their African Nations call up to play in the game. This will be their last for a while. Feghouli has not been called up for Algeria and whilst that is good news that we have an extra player available it shows how disappointing he has been. Now that he isn't in this squad it could mean that other clubs are more tempted to approach him. We would be prepared to let him go if the right offer comes in.
Good news is that Byram, Oxford and Collins are all back in training or will be in the next week so that will give us a lot more options. Noble picked up a knee injury in the Leicester City game but whether that will keep him out of tomorrow's match it has not been confirmed.
Tomorrow we host out third West Ham Way event. I am really excited and hope to meet some more of you then. Alvin Martin is a hero of mine and when I first started going to West Ham I remember him being brilliant and singing "He has got no hair but we don't care Alvin, Alvin Martin". Both he and our host Mark Ward were key players in our best ever season. Alvin also lifted the FA Cup in 1980, played for England and played for us well into the Premier League era. We have a number of West Ham celebrity fans in attendance as well as the Hammerettes. For £25 you get all you can drink lager and bitter, coach travel to the game (or you can watch it at the club if you do not have a ticket), a West Ham atmosphere, a quality raffle and the chance to mingle and meet two West Ham legends. The feedback we have received has been great so far and we hope you will come along and try it out for yourself. You only have a few hours left to buy your tickets in advance! They go up by £5 tomorrow. Get your tickets here: http://bit.ly/TWHWTICKET3
We are aiming to bring daily transfer stories as they break through out the window and I will try to be a little bit more regular with my columns as well, so you will not need to look anywhere else other than the www.thewesthamway.co.uk for your transfer information. There will be times when there isn't much to report or much that I haven't said before (a bit like this column) and there will be some who like to point this out as a criticism of the site, however we will not make up news just to get new hits which some seem to want. What we report is as we know the situation to be, which I hope the majority appreciate.
I hope you all enjoy your bank holiday which will hopefully be made a lot better by our result against Manchester United.
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JAANAI GORDON JOINS NEWPORT COUNTY ON LOAN.
BY 337HAMMER ON 1 JANUARY 2017 AT 5:00PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Newport County AFC are pleased to announce the loan signing of forward Jaanai Gordon who joins the club from West Ham United. The twenty one year old striker joins the Exiles in time for tomorrow's Sky Bet League two encounter with Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park. The Northampton born forward was signed by West Ham in 2014 after two years at Peterborough. He has been out on loan at Chelmsford, Nuneaton and Sligo Rovers.
Speaking after the loan deal had been agreed manager Graham Westley said "My main priority in this window is to strengthen our back 4 and defensive midfield options. It is obvious that we need to be better at both ends of the pitch and we all know that Rhys is off back to Cardiff. Jaanai is a player with the potential to change games. It is a good start to building a momentum and winning team in the second half of the season." The loan deal will run to the end of the season. www.newport-county.co.uk
Jaanai has been with West Ham for 3 years now. When we got him the club seemed very excited about him. He is now 21 and not a player we hear about so much. According to WHUFC.com he has had a lot of loans to date.
2014/15
Loaned to Vanarama South club Chelmsford City in December 2014, scoring on his debut against Ebbsfleet United on Boxing Day.
Scored five goals in ten appearances for Chelmsford City.
Loaned to Conference Premier side Nuneaton Town in March 2015.
2015/16
Played his first U21 game of the season on 28 August against Arsenal. Scored for Terry Westley's men against West Bromwich Albion on 7 December.
Played with the U21s into January before joining League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers on loan in March.Scored against Wexford Youths on 7 May for Rovers
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ANTONIO CONTE TO MAKE SENSATIONAL MOVE FOR MICHAIL ANTONIO.
BY 337HAMMER ON 3 JANUARY 2017 AT 9:06PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Antonio Conte is on the trail of West Ham powerhouse Michail Antonio. Chelsea's boss has made the versatile Hammers' star a surprise inclusion on his wish-list for the January transfer window. Conte witnessed first hand winger Antonio's talents when he helped run Chelsea ragged the last time they lost a match – in the EFL Cup back in October. Antonio has played as a centre forward, wing back and right back for The Hammers this season as one of the few shining lights in a frustrating season for the club.
Antonio, 26, is West Ham's top scorer with eight goals this season and after a difficult start to the season under boss Slaven Bilic the pair have warmed to each other more. The Londoner is also extremely popular with the fans.
Conte will find it tough trying to prise the former Nottingham Forest winger out of the London Stadium – he earned his first England call up this season with West Ham and is enjoying life there. But Conte wants to up the energy levels in his team this month and has already admitted Chelsea 'are trying to do something' in this transfer window. Conte also already has his eye on next season's Champions League with his team five points clear at the top of the Premier League and Londoner Antonio's British heritage would be a boost for the squad where eight of the 25-strong players must be homegrown. www.thesun.co.uk
Please no, don't be true! I would hate to see Antonio leave. He is such a strong, versatile player (although I prefer him attacking rather than defending) and he always gives 100%.
What do you think? How would you feel about Antonio leaving? What about a swap deal with Batshuayi coming to us? Would you sell if the price was right?
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Hammers tempted by Selke
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are being linked with a move for young German striker Davie Selke after their attempts to sign Jermain Defoe stalled. Sunderland rejected a bid reported to be worth around £5million for Defoe on Tuesday, forcing the Hammers to cast their net a little wider in search of a goalscorer with the ability to hit the ground running. And 21-year-old Selke, who features for German side Red Bull Leipzig is said to be under consideration by the Board, who are said to face competition from the likes of Everton and Swansea.
Selke, who hit double figures for RB in the German second tier last season has barely featured for the first team during their excellent opening half of the current Bundesliga campaign and is potentially available on loan. Although linked with the likes of Real Madrid prior to joining the Bundesliga front-runners, Selke became the second division's most expensive signing ever when moving from Werder Bremen for €8million in July 2015 Eligible to feature for both Ethiopia (via his father) and the Czech Republic (mother), the 6'3" German-born forward had made just 10 appearances, mostly as substitute, for Leipzig so far this season.
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Defoe 'priceless', say Sunderland
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Sunderland have rejected a £5million offer from West Ham for Jermain Defoe, according to reports.
United's bid to recapture the striker - who left West Ham in controversial circumstances 13 years ago - was immediately rebuffed by the Black Cats, for whom Defoe has scored 11 of their 19 Premier League goals this season.
And despite being just nine months away from his 35th birthday, Sunderland boss David Moyes described the former England international as "priceless" when asked about the possibility of allowing Defoe to return to London.
"I don't think there's any price [we'd accept[ because we know that Jermain's goals are priceless to us," he said.
Whilst every player has his price, regardless of Moyes' words, that is unlikely to be one considered worth paying by West Ham's Board, who are desperately seeking a replacement for Simone Zaza, Jonathan Calleri and the regularly-injured Diafra Sakho.
Of rather more immediate concern however could be the slew of stories continuing to link Dimitri Payet with a return to France, to former club Marseille.
Today it was suggested that L'OM are considering a player-plus-cash package for the 29-year-old including winger Romain Alessandrini, 27, or Guinean midfielder Bouna Sarr, 24 plus up to €40million.
West Ham insist they will refuse to entertain any such offers for Payet.
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Van Der Elst in critical condition
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United striker Francois Van der Elst is in a critical condition after suffering a suspected heart attack. The 62-year-old was rushed to hospital earlier today after collapsing and is currently being held in intensive care., where he is currently in a controlled coma. "Francois is suffering from heart rhythm disorders," his brother Leo told Het Laatste Nieuws.
"On New Year's Eve, Francois had a heart attack as we had a glass of champagne at my mother's home. It took thirty minutes to resuscitate him. "Doctors are monitoring his situation and he is still having plenty of tests. We are continually kept up to date."
Van Der Elst signed for John Lyall's West Ham United side in 1981 - just five years after his brace helped condemn the Hammers to defeat against Anderlecht in the 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup Final. During a glittering career, Van Der Elst also represented New York Cosmos in addition to winning 44 caps for his country between 1973 and 1983.
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Zaza left high and dry
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th January 2017
By: Staff Writer
Simone Zaza is facing the propect of being without a club for the second half of the season after a move to Valencia fell through.
The Italian international failed to score a single goal for West Ham during his four months at the club and was keen on joining the La Liga outfit for the second half of the current campaign, having agreed to cut short his season-long loan with the Hammers. However Zaza has been left in the lurch by the resignation of head coach Cesare Prandelli, who walked out of Valencia after just ten games in charge as a result of the club failing to land key targets such as the former Juve man. "We still do not know anything, we still have no official news," said Zaza's father Antonio, who also acts as his agent. "We'll have to wait to see what happens. "Simone has a great desire to return to Italy, we just have to choose a destination more suitable for him and Juventus. He will not stay at Juve because it would be counter-productive for both the club and especially for us."
Prandelli walked out of Valencia after accusing the club of being run by "numbers people". "I felt undermined," he told SER Deportivos Valencia. "I arrived at a big project and left with a poor impression. "Why is Zaza not here? I do not know. But on the 28th, the president told me I had 24 hours to choose between a striker and a midfielder and that for me was not a progressive move."
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Brentford reject £10m bid from West Ham for Scott Hogan
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 04/01/17 8:56pm
SSN
Brentford have turned down a £10m bid from West Ham for striker Scott Hogan, according to Sky sources. Hogan has 18 months left on his current contract at Brentford and is willing to leave in January in order to secure Premier League football. The 24-year-old is valued at around £15m by the Sky Bet Championship club and Sky sources revealed on Monday that Bundesliga side RB Leipzig were also interested in signing him. Hogan, who joined Brentford from Rochdale in a £750,000 deal in 2014, has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances this season. West Ham are also hoping to re-sign Jermain Defoe, despite having their first offer of £6m rejected by Sunderland. The 34-year-old started his professional career with West Ham and scored 41 goals before leaving for Tottenham in February 2004. Sky sources understand the Hammers will return with a revised offer as they look to strike a deal to bring Defoe back to east London.
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West Ham not interested in selling Michail Antonio – Sky sources
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 03/01/17 9:01pm
SSN
West Ham have had no approach for Michail Antonio and the club have no intention of selling the winger, Sky Sports News HQ understands.
A report in The Sun on Tuesday claimed Premier League leaders Chelsea were lining up a bid for the in-form 26-year-old, who has scored eight goals so far this season. Antonio signed a new four-year contract at West Ham last July and Sky sources understand he will be offered an improved deal next summer if his good form continues into the second half of the season. He joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest in September 2015 for £7m and enjoyed a superb debut season in the Premier League, scoring eight goals in 26 matches as the Hammers finished in seventh place and secured qualification for the Europa League. Antonio received his first England call up in September, but did not feature in Sam Allardyce's one, and only, match in charge of the national team - a 1-0 victory away at Slovakia. He retained his place in the national set-up for the matches against Malta and Slovenia, under then-interim boss Gareth Southgate, but once again did not manage to make an appearance.
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West Ham inquire what price Sunderland will sell Jermain Defoe for
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 04/01/17 2:30pm
SSN
West Ham have asked Sunderland at what price they will sell striker Jermain Defoe, Sky sources understand. Sky Sports News HQ reported earlier on Wednesday that the Hammers had been rebuffed in a £6m offer for the 34-year-old. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is keen to add a striker to his squad in January with midfielder Michail Antonio their leading Premier League scorer by some distance on eight goals. Hopes that Simone Zaza would provide goals to boost West Ham proved wide of the mark, with the Italy international appearing to be on his way out of the club in January. Andre Ayew and Andy Carroll have both struggled with injury, combining for only three goals, leaving the Hammers scoring at only just over a goal a game. Sunderland have struggled even more in front of goal with Defoe providing 11 of their 19 goals in the Premier League. Defoe started his professional career with West Ham and scored 41 goals before leaving for Tottenham in February 2004.
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Brentford want £15million for Scott Hogan as West Ham's £10m striker bid is rebuffed
The Bees are holding out for £15m plus add-ons for the 24-year-old hotshot
The Mirror
BYJACOB MURTAGH
20:07, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED20:07, 4 JAN 2017
Brentford have rejected a £10million offer from West Ham for star striker Scott Hogan. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is keen to add more firepower this month and has also targeted Sunderland's Jermain Defoe . Watford, West Brom, Newcastle and Reading have also expressed an interest in Hogan, who has smashed 14 goals in 25 games this season. The former Rochdale frontman still has 18 months remaining on his contract at Griffin Park, and the Bees are holding out for £15m plus add-ons for the 24-year-old hotshot. Hogan signed for Brentford in 2014 for £750,000 from Dale, who are entitled to a percentage of the transfer fee.
If the Hammers bring in a new striker this month, it could see young forward Ashley Fletcher leave the club on loan. Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds are leading the chase to land the ex-Manchester United youngster.
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Will West Ham recall Enner Valencia? Everton loanee may be solution to Hammers' striker crisis
The Ecuadorian was a surprise mover on deadline day as he made the switch to Goodison Park and he has impressed boss Ronald Koeman in recent weeks
BYDAVID PRENTICE
17:45, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED17:45, 4 JAN 2017
The Mirror
West Ham could be forced into trying to recall Enner Valencia from his loan at Everton. The Ecuadorian was a surprise mover on deadline day as he made the switch to Goodison Park. He has started three of his side's last five matches and came off the bench to score in the win over Southampton on Monday. And with his side suffering a striker crisis, Slaven Bilic could attempt to recall Valencia, reports the Liverpool Echo. Andre Ayew has jetted off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, Diafra Sakho is out injured until March, while on-loan Jonathan Calleri, Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza are all struggling and set to have their season-long loans cancelled. That leaves Bilic with only injury-hit Andy Carroll and raw youngster Ashley Fletcher as his sole striking options. Koeman had initially selected teenage striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of Valencia against the Saints, but said afterwards: "He (Valencia) can play a lot of different attacking positions and give the manager a lot of possibilities to change systems. "It is too early to make a final decision about his future but it was a good signing for us."
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have already pledged to add 'quality reinforcements' to the Hammers squad this month. But should they draw a blank in the transfer market - and they have already been rebuffed in a move for Sunderland's Jermain Defoe - Bilic could be left with little choice but to ask for Valencia's return.
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Juventus don't want Simone Zaza back - the West Ham flop must find another club
The on-loan Italy striker failed to score in 11 appearances for the Irons – and will not play again to stop the activation of a £20m sell-on clause in the contract
The Mirror
BYNEIL MCLEMAN
13:32, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED13:33, 4 JAN 2017
Juventus don't want Simone Zaza back and the West Ham misfit must find another club in Serie A. The on-loan Italy striker failed to score in 11 appearances for the Irons – and will not play again to stop the activation of a £20m sell-on clause in the contract. But Juventus' sporting director Beppe Marotta said: "Zaza is on loan at West Ham for the whole season. The club has has indicated their intention not to pick him again and together we are sounding out the market to see the options. For now he is with them. He will not return to us in January – we already have a problem of having too many players." It has been a rollercoaster year for Zaza, 25, who scored the crucial winning goal for Juventus against Napoli in February but then comically missed a penalty against Germany at Euro 2016.
And his father and agent Antonio Zaza told Gazzetta dello Sport the striker never wanted to leave Italy. "We did not chose the blessed West Ham," he claimed. "Nobody forced us go but he would never have gone abroad. We want to take him back to Italy given his love for his country. A return to Juventus would be counterproductive because he would not get a game there." Fiorentina, Genoa and Milan are all interested in taking up Zaza's loan till the end of the season.
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West Ham step up audacious bid to bring Jermain Defoe back to the club
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard
West Ham have lodged an official bid for Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe. Standard Sport understands the Hammers are interested in re-signing the 34-year-old striker, who played for the club between 1999 and 2004, as Slaven Bilic looks to add to his attacking options this month. Defoe has been in fine form for relegation-battlers Sunderland this season, and has scored 11 goals in 20 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats, including two penalties in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Monday. His two goals against Jurgen Klopp's men resulted in Defoe becoming just the fourth player to score more than 10 goals in 10 different Premier League seasons after Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard. Such has been his form this term that Hammers manager Bilic expressed his admiration for the striker last week, but refused to confirm whether West Ham would make an official offer for the 34-year-old. "He's a very good player," Bilic said. "Defoe is scoring goals and that is important. "I have a few midfielders from different countries telling me his movement is the best of the strikers they have played with. "But he's someone else's player so I don't want to talk about it."
West Ham's pursuit of Defoe will be made difficult by Sunderland's precarious position in the Premier League table, with the club currently sitting in 18th place and battling to avoid the drop. In addition, Defoe's history with West Ham's London rivals Tottenham, the club he left the Hammers for in 2004, could be bittersweet for some fans. The striker handed in a transfer request following West Ham's relegation from the Premier League in 2003 before sealing a £7million switch to Spurs. He went on to play for the north London club two times, scoring 142 goals in 363 games across two spells, but later admitted he made a "massive mistake" forcing through a move from West Ham to Spurs.
West Ham's interest in Defoe comes as the club's on-loan striker Simone Zaza is set to return to Italy this month. The 25-year-old arrived from Juventus on a season-long loan in the summer, with West Ham having the option of making the move permanent should the forward make an agreed number of appearances at the club. But after failing to score in eight Premier League appearances for the east Londoners, his agent confirmed Zaza will go back to Serie A during this transfer window.
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Sofiane Feghouli has Manchester United red card overturned and could face Manchester City on Friday night
The Algerian winger's first Premier League start lasted just 14 minutes but he has now had his three-game ban quashed
The Independent Online
Sofiane Feghouli has had the red card awarded to him in West Ham's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United overturned, and is now available to play against United's cross-town rivals Manchester City in Friday night's FA Cup third round tie. The Algerian winger was harshly dismissed just 14 minutes into his first Premier League start when he went in for a 50-50 tackle with Phil Jones. But the Hammers appealed his punishment and, after consulting television replays, the three-game ban was overturned. While they will be able to count on Feghouli again, it doesn't change the result against United which West Ham manager Slaven Bilic feels was swayed by the early decision. "I was very surprised," Bilic said of the decision. "You know me, I'm the first one who says [referees] have a difficult job, and every time we look at a slow motion I go: 'Yeah, they don't have that in real time.' But I said it then – I wouldn't have been happy with a yellow. I said it to the fourth official and to [José] Mourinho, it's not a yellow. If it was yellow I'd be asking: 'Why a yellow so early in the game for basically nothing?' And you have to know it's Feghouli – he very rarely makes a foul."
Bilic did not see a replay of the incident until after full-time and even went as far as to suggest that Jones, who writhed in pain, appearing to be hurt by the tackle, was attempting to deflect attention from his own misjudgment. "After the game, when I saw it, it gave me proof that I'm right," Bilic said. "The more times I've seen it, it's the other way round. It was Jones who made a more dangerous tackle than Feghouli, like a scissor. He got the ball, OK, but that was dangerous. Maybe his reaction was to save himself, but definitely not a red card."
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West Ham tipped to sign Ahmed Elmohamady from Hull
HITC
Vincent Ralph
The Hull City defender has been linked with a move to West Ham United. According to the Telegraph, West Ham United is a potential destination for Hull City player Ahmed Elmohamady this month. The 29-year-old right-back has played 203 matches for the Tigers, including 23 this season, and the struggling side will be desperate to keep the Egypt international at least for the rest of the campaign. That said, West Ham are in desperate need of a new right-sided defender of their own and they are being tipped to make a move for the experienced, and versatile, player. There is one big stumbling block that will make or break any potential deal, and that is the Africa Cup of Nations, for which Elmohamady will be starring for his country. If the wide man returns to Hull in January, which would mean Egypt are eliminated prior to the semi-final stage, there is a chance, however slim, that he could move on. But if he helps his country into the last-four or beyond, this is one rumour that will remain just that. West Ham will be searching for sensible additions in the coming weeks and Elmohamady is certainly that, meaning the link makes sense. But the AFCON could affect targets as well as some of the Hammers' current stars.
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BESIKTAS REACH AGREEMENT OVER CALLERI LOAN MOVE
THOMAS BORE
ReadWestHam
Jonathan Calleri is set to call time on his West Ham nightmare as Besiktas reach an agreement with Deportivo Maldonado over a loan move with a view to permanent. Fanatik report Calleri will join the Turkish outfit on loan for the remainder of the season, before joining permanently for €4million in the summer window. Calleri signed for West Ham on loan in the summer but has struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League so far, failing to score in any of his eleven appearances for the Hammers. Slaven Bilic is now keen to offload the Argentine this window in order to free up room for another striker addition – with Brentford's Scott Hogan as a reported target. Besiktas boss Senol Gunes is in the market for a striker, after becoming frustrated at the lack of progress in the negotiations with Antalyaspor for ex-Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o, and Calleri reportedly tops his wish-list.
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MARSEILLE OFFER LASSANA DIARRA AS PART OF PAYET BID
MICHAEL OLIVER
ReadWestHam
Marseille really are serious about bringing their former talisman Dimitri Payet back to the club this January, despite West Ham's best efforts to completely dissuade them from even making a bid.
It was claimed yesterday that the Ligue 1 club were willing to offer either Romain Alessandrini or Bouna Sarr, both wingers, in addition to their €40m offer for Payet in January to help sweeten the pot for the Hammers.
Twitter: Breaking | Olympique de Marseille could include Lassana Diarra in a deal with West Ham for Dimitri Payet, according to tomorrow's L'Équipe. (@GFFN)
Now, according to Wednesday's print edition of L'Equipe (h/t Eurosport), Marseille are now also willing to chuck Lassana Diarra into the deal in another bid to get the deal over the line.
The former Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder joined Marseille on a free transfer after he left Lokomotiv Moscow in a dispute which resulted in him being charged with a €10m fine he had to repay the Russian club and a 15-month ban from playing professional football.
During that time, Diarra came on trial with the Hammers with a view to signing for them on a free transfer under Sam Allardyce, but his FIFA-imposed ban put an end to any chance of him joining.
West Ham remain adamant that Payet is not for sale at any price in January, no matter who Marseille are willing to offer as part of the deal.
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Oh dear, West Ham: Zaza 'didn't choose' Hammers
Date published: Wednesday 4th January 2017 10:33
Football365
Simone Zaza's move to West Ham descended into further farce when his agent revealed the player "didn't choose" the club. Zaza joined the Hammers in a season-long loan deal from Juventus in the summer, with the club agreeing a £24million deal to make the move permanent if he impressed sufficiently. But the Italian has been an undoubted failure, failing to score or assist a single goal in eight Premier League games. He has not played in the Premier League since November 19 as any further appearances could activate a clause which means West Ham would sign him permanently. The 25-year-old is now looking for another club to join in the winter transfer window, but agent, father Antonio, says he never wanted to move to London in the first place.
"We'll have to see what happens," he told JuveNews. "Simone has a great desire to return to play in Italian football, and we have to choose the most suitable destination for him and for Juventus. "He won't stay at Juventus, because that would be counter-productive. For them, but especially for us because he wouldn't find much space. "Is he disappointed that Juve didn't trust him? Look, don't make me answer that… it's too delicate a question. "Now we're trying to bring Simone back to Italy because he loves this country. We didn't choose West Ham. "No-one forced us, but Simone never wanted to go abroad, he loves Italy and Serie A. A series of circumstances led to him going to the Premier League…Now he's gone and we look to the future."
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SUNDERLAND TURN DOWN WEST HAM APPROACH FOR JERMAIN DEFOE
MICHAEL OLIVER
readWestHam
It's common knowledge that West Ham are after a striker this month and their search has led them down a familiar path. Targeting a move for Jermain Defoe, the Hammers are hopeful of bringing their former striker back to East London during the transfer window.
However, Sunderland will prove to be stubborn negotiators for their invaluable striker. The Mirror are reporting that West Ham have had a bid turned down for the 34-year-old striker, believed to be worth in the region of £5m.
The approach was immediately turned down by the Black Cats who are battling against relegation with Defoe's 11 goals already this season their sole beacon of hope in what looks like a lost cause.
West Ham believe Defoe is interested in a move back to London and are willing to go in with another offer, but Sam Allardyce and Crystal Palace are also keeping tabs on the situation.
With Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri expected to have their respective season-long loan deals terminated this month, Slaven Bilic is eager to bring in at least one striker this month and given Defoe's pedigree at this level he would prove to be a savvy acquisition.
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Leeds set to bid £1.5 million for Premier League forward 0
BY TOM CARNDUFF ON JAN 4, 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP, FEATURED, LEEDS UNITED, NEWS, TRANSFERS
Leeds United are set to bid £1.5 million for West Ham United forward Ashley Fletcher, according to the Guardian. The 21-year-old was a target for The Whites in the summer, but instead made the move to West Ham from Premier League rivals Manchester United. Fletcher has featured in 11 Premier League games so far this season but failed to find the net. His only goal has come in the 4-1 EFL Cup defeat to his former club Manchester United. The forward has had better luck playing in Premier League 2, scoring two and assisting another in four appearances in the reserve competition.
Now The Guardian reports that Leeds are set to make an offer of £1.5 million to bring the striker to Elland Road.
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Could Everton be forced to give Enner Valencia back to West Ham?
Valencia came to Goodison as a last minute transfer deadline-day acquisition, after the Blues bid for Moussa Sissoko collapsed
BYDAVID PRENTICE
10:19, 4 JAN 2017UPDATED10:44, 4 JAN 2017
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic may be forced to go cap in hand to Everton and plead for Enner Valencia's season-long loan deal to be cut short. The Hammers have a striker crisis at present. Andre Ayew has jetted off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, Diafra Sakho is out injured until March, while on-loan Jonathan Calleri, Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza are all struggling and set to have their season-long loans cancelled. That leaves Bilic with only injury-hit Andy Carroll and raw youngster Ashley Fletcher as his sole striking options. Valencia came to Goodison as a last minute transfer deadline-day acquisition, after the Blues bid for Moussa Sissoko collapsed. But after failing to start a single Premier League match before December. Valencia started back to back matches against Arsenal and Liverpool before Christmas, started against Hull on December 30 and stepped off the subs bench to score his first Everton goal against Southampton on Monday. Koeman had initially selected teenage striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of Valencia against the Saints, but said afterwards: "He (Valencia) can play a lot of different attacking positions and give the manager a lot of possibilities to change systems. "It is too early to make a final decision about his future but it was a good signing for us."
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have already pledged to add 'quality reinforcements' to the Hammers squad this month.
But should they draw a blank in the transfer market - and they have already been rebuffed in a move for Sunderland's Jermain Defoe - Bilic could be left with little choice but to ask for Valencia's return.
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Bookmaker lists West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion among favourites to sign Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson
HITC
Aiden Cusick
West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion are listed among the favourites to sign Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in January, with bookmaker Bet Victor. Neither club have been formally linked with the Icaland star in recent months, but feature behind only Everton (3/1) with odds of 4/1 and 5/1 respectively. Despite Swansea's collective failings, Sigurdsson has once again proved the Welsh side's standout performer - scoring five goals and creating another six in 20 Premier League outings this season.
And with West Ham and West Brom both thought to be in the market for midfielders this month, the pair could look to take advantage of the Swans precarious position at the bottom end of the table. West Ham have been linked with moves for Nemanja Maksimovic, Luka Milivojevic and Taulant Xhaka in recent weeks, however, Sigurdsson is perhaps a more desirable target given his experience in England's top flight. The Iceland star would not come cheap for that reason, although it is unlikely that either the Hammers or West Brom - who are said to be in the running for £20-million-rated Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin - would struggle to meet Swansea's demands.
Middlesbrough (5/1), Roma and Stoke City (both 6/1) are the other main contenders, according to Bet Victor.
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HAMMERS ENTER DISCUSSIONS WITH MONTPELLIER OVER SANSON
THOMAS BORE
ReadWestHam
West Ham United have held discussions with HSC Montpellier regarding the availability of Borussia Dortmund target Morgan Sanson, the Daily Mail report. Sanson is no stranger to Premier League interest, having previously been tracked by Newcastle United when identifying replacements for his fellow countryman Yohan Cabaye. Fellow Premier League sides AFC Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion have also joined West Ham in the race for Sanson's signature, but it is Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Marseille who currently lead the chase, as per France Football (via GFFN). Sanson's representatives are expected to meet with a delegation from Marseille in the coming hours, if not tomorrow. Montpellier are keen on retaining Sanson's services for the rest of the season but would find it difficult to turn down an offer in the region of €10million (approximately £8.5million) due to his recent injury history – coupled with his contract expiring next year.
Sanson, who boasts three goals and seven assists this season, spent the majority of last season on the sidelines after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury late in the 2014/15 season. Sanson did return to action briefly midway through last season, before suffering another lengthy injury lay-off just weeks after returning.
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Chelsea monitoring West Ham's Michail Antonio? Transfer news and gossip from Wednesday's papers
PLUS: Marseille join the list of clubs interested in Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin
BYFOOTBALL SPY
West Ham's Michail Antonio has caught the eye of Antonio Conte with the Chelsea boss pondering an approach, claims ESPN FC. The versatile Englishman has impressed in Slaven Bilic's struggling side this campaign across the park, from right-back to centre forward, and has scored eight goals. Following the departure of Oscar to the Chinese Super League, Conte is looking to boost is attacking options. And ESPN say sources close to the player tell them the Blues are monitoring Antonio's progress. The Sun also reported Chelsea's interest in Antonio, however Sky Sports claim West Ham have had no approach for him and no intention to sell.
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Watford and West Ham track Scott Hogan but are yet to make a formal bid for the Brentford striker
Scott Hogan has scored 14 goals in 25 Championship appearances
Brentford are 14th in English football's second tier on 33 points
They have already rebuffed Reading with a £7million proposal last week
By Simon Jones for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 00:10, 4 January 2017 | UPDATED: 00:10, 4 January 2017
Watford and West Ham have interest in Brentford striker Scott Hogan but have yet to make formal offers for the 24-year-old. Reading were rebuffed with a £7million proposal last week as Brentford want £15m. Both the Hornets and the Hammers are keen to strengthen their attacking line and Hogan is seen as a player who can do that. Watford manager Walter Mazzari wants to boost the numbers he has in attack after watching his side score 23 goals in 19 Premier League matches. The former Rochdale striker is the Championship's third highest goalscorer with 14 goals in 25 appearances. He also scored in Brentford's 3-1 away victory over Birmingham City on Bank Holiday Monday. Reports have recently suggested that the west London club won't sell the player for less than £15million. Manager Dean Smith is keen on losing Hogan but he may not be left with a choice.
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