Daily WHUFC News - II 18th June 2012

Macca targeting opening-day win
WHUFC.com
Neil McDonald is pleased West Ham United have been handed a home game to
open the 2012/13 season
18.06.2012

Assistant manager Neil McDonald is hoping West Ham United can get off to a
winning start when they play host to Aston Villa on the opening day of the
season.
West Ham will kick-off their 2012/13 Premier League season with a game
against the Villains on 18 August, in what will be their new manager Paul
Lambert's first competitive game in charge. Macca believes that fact could
play into the hands of the Hammers during that game and their second fixture
away at Swansea City, who have just appointed Michael Laudrup as their new
manager.

"I think it's fantastic - ever since we beat Blackpool everyone has been
waiting for the fixtures to come through and when they come through it
becomes a reality," he said. "It's brilliant to have a home game first as
when you get promoted you're always looking for a home fixture first. "Villa
have got a new manager so hopefully they may still be trying to work out
what he wants and that will be the same perhaps for Swansea in our second
game. The managers may still be trying to bed in and get their ideas across
to the players and which way they want to play and what system they want to
play. "We've got to try and take advantage of that if we possibly can. It's
still a difficult start but we're happy we've avoided one of the top four."

The opening nine games look like they could provide West Ham with an
opportunity to get some points on the board following their Play-Off final
victory against Blackpool just under a month ago. The fixtures do appear to
look a little tougher going into November and December, however, so Macca is
all too aware that a strong start is needed. "It will be a tough start
without a shadow of a doubt but it's a good start. Looking to November and
December when we play the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United,
Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool it will be very tough so I think we need a good
start and hopefully the first six games will give us a chance to get some
points on the board."

With Queens Park Rangers' arrival in the Premier League last season, the
Hammers will now have to contend with no less than ten London derbies at
home and away this season. The pick of those could be the Boxing Day visit
to Arsenal but Macca - whose family will be looking forward to one
north-east fixture on 10 November in particular - believes West Ham should
hold no fear following their successes on the road last season.

"Derbies can be difficult but we're experienced in dealing with them from
our time in the north-west, where there are a lot of local teams. It's
something that the
supporters will look forward to as they haven't got to travel too far. If we
play half as good away from home as we did last season then we'll be OK.
"For me personally, I started my career at Newcastle so it's always the
first one I look for if I'm back in the Premier League. Hopefully my Dad and
my brother will want to come to that and hopefully they'll be supporting
West Ham and not Newcastle!"

The confirmation of the Premier League fixtures just adds to McDonald's
desire to get back to the training pitches of Chadwell Heath and certainly
from his point of view, the afternoon of 18 August cannot come around
quickly enough. "You wake up on the 18 June first thing in the morning and
if you're a West Ham, Reading or Southampton supporter, that's all they'll
be talking about for the rest of the day. Who we have on Boxing Day, New
Year's Day or the last day and when our derbies are. I think it's brilliant
and great news for the fans. "It whets the appetite to get back and get
started. We've only had a shortish break but I imagine the lads will have
all seen the fixtures and they'll be ready and raring to go on 1 July. We'll
have plenty of time for preparation and plenty of time to get the boys fit
for the first game. We're really looking forward to getting started now."

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Go on Olsson
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 18th June 2012
By: Staff Writer

Swedish international Jonas Olsson in being linked with a move to West Ham -
although there are conflicting reports elsewhere. Sky Sports report this
morning that West Ham will tie up a £4million deal for the West Brom centre
half upon his return from the European Championships. The Swedes have
nothing left to play for but pride having been knocked out of the tournament
by England last week. However reports in Sweden suggest that the
29-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract at the Hawthorns, is
on his way to Tottenham - as did the Daily Mirror last week. Born in 1983,
the defener has played in England since moving to West Brom in 2008 having
made an £800,000 switch from Dutch outfit NEC Nijmegen. He made his debut
against West Ham on 13th September in what was Gianfranco Zola's first game
since being announced as the successor to Alan Curbishley; West Ham going
down 3-2 on the day.

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2012/13 fixture list released
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 18th June 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham kick off the 2012/13 Premier League campaign with a home match
against Aston Villa. One of only two games in the first month of the new
season, Sam Allardyce's side follow that up with a trip to Swansea a week
later. At the other end of the season, the Hammers will be relatively
pleased to finish in May 2013 with fixtures against Newcastle (h), Everton
(a) and fellow promoted side Reading (h). The Boxing Day fixture - which has
seen West Ham pitted against the likes of Charlton and Portsmouth in recent
Prmeier League seasons - takes United across the City to the Emirates
Stadium where they face Arsenal.

Some other key dates to look out for are as follows:

Tottenham (home) 23rd February; (away) 24th November

Chelsea (home) 1st December; (away) 16th March

Arsenal (home) 6th October

Man Utd (home) 9th March

Please note that all fixtures are subject to change at the whim of the TV
companies.

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Hammers back with Villa
Upton Park opener for West Ham
Last Updated: June 18, 2012 9:14am
SSN

West Ham mark their return to the Premier League with an opening day home
clash against Aston Villa. The Hammers gained promotion through the
play-offs and will visit Swansea in their following match before their first
capital clash against Fulham on 1 September. Sam Allardyce's side host
champions Manchester City on 3 November before away clashes against
Tottenham and Manchester United later in the month. Boxing Day will see the
East Londoners travel to Arsenal and they end 2012 with an away clash
against Reading, while they face Norwich at home on New Year's Day. March
could be a difficult month for the Hammers as they must take on Stoke away
before matches against Man United and Chelsea. The Hammers will end the
season with May games against Newcastle and Everton before a final day clash
with Reading at Upton Park.

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Hammers close on Olsson
Premier League new-boys hoping to snap up defender after Euros
Last Updated: June 18, 2012 9:26am
SSN

Sky Sports sources understand West Ham are hoping to conclude the signing of
West Brom defender Jonas Olsson after Euro 2012. The centre-back, who has
been representing Sweden in Group D of the tournament opposite England,
France and Ukraine, is out of contract at The Hawthorns next summer. Olsson
has previously hinted he would be open to a new challenge away from the
Baggies, who recently appointed Steve Clarke as their new boss. Tottenham
were reported to be chasing his signature but it is uncertain whether he is
still a target following the sacking of manager Harry Redknapp. Aston Villa,
Fulham, Everton, and Turkish side Galatasaray have also been linked with the
stopper but it appears the Hammers could beat them to the punch . The
29-year-old, who joined the Baggies from NEC Nijmegen in 2008, has
previously said he will make a decision on his future after the Euros. West
Ham boss Sam Allardyce is keen to strengthen his options after guiding the
club back into the Premier League last season.

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Free agent Diame offered £7m to sign for Hammers
The Mirror

Allardyce wants the powerful ex-Wigan midfielder to add some beef to West
Ham's engine room as they return to the Premier League. West Ham boss Sam
Allardyce is ready to hand Senegalese midfielder Momo Diame a £7million,
three-year deal as he fights to win the race for his signature. Allardyce is
close to signing the former Wigan powerhouse, who is a free agent now his
Latics contract has expired - and open to offers after the collapse of a
move to Liverpool. Hammers are prepared to offer such a lucrative package
because they feel Diame will prove one of the best 'Bosmans' around if he
stays for the full length of the deal and helps the Premier League-bound
Londoners retain top flight status. If Diame accept and passes a medical, he
will add power to the newly-promoted club's engine room. The 25-year-old met
then-Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish to discuss a move to Anfield just days
before the Scot was sacked. With the Kop's new boss Brendan Rodgers
evidently not keen, Diame has been looking for a new home since, with
Sunderland and QPR also among his admirers.

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Big Sam's trying a cheeky offer for Real Madrid's £7m striker Joselu
The Mirror

West Ham trying to wangle a cut-price deal with 'buy-back clause' for Spain
Under-21 star who caught Arsene Wenger's eye. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce
has made a cut-price offer for Real Madrid striker Joselu. Spain Under-21
international Joselu, 22, scored 26 goals for Real Madrid's B team last
season and they are considering letting him go out on loan or permanently
with a buy-back clause. West Ham have offered Real Madrid a buy back price
of £1.5m for next summer and £2m for 2013 which the Spanish giants have
rejected. Real Madrid are holding out for a £7m deal this summer and West
Ham only want to pay a fraction of that price with a buyback guarantee
inserted. Allardyce remains keen but it may come down to whether Real Madrid
agree to loan him out. Arsenal scouted the ex-Celta Vigo youngster last
season.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - Fixtures 2012-2013

Hammers to kick-off against Villa
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will begin the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League season with
the visit of Aston Villa
18.06.2012

West Ham United will kick-off the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League season
with a home fixture against Aston Villa.
Having gained promotion in thrilling style via the npower Championship
Play-Offs at Wembley in May, Sam Allardyce's side will start the new
campaign by facing new manager Paul Lambert's side at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday 18 August. The Hammers' first away game will follow with a trip to
Swansea City on Saturday 25 August before Fulham visit east London on
Saturday 1 September.
Big Sam's men will wrap up league matters on Sunday 19 May 2013, when they
tackle Reading at the Boleyn Ground, the sixth consecutive season West Ham
will be playing at home on the final day.
Newly-promoted West Ham take on reigning Barclays Premier League champions
Manchester City on Saturday 3 November (home) and Saturday 27 April (away),
while they face runners-up Manchester United on Tuesday 27 November (away)
and Saturday 9 March (home).
The mouth-watering London derby matches against Tottenham Hotspur will take
place on Saturday 24 November (away) and Saturday 23 February (home), while
Roberto Di Matteo's UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea will form the
opposition on Saturday 1 December (home) and Saturday 16 March (away).
Big Sam and captain Kevin Nolan will also be looking forward to tackling
their former club Newcastle United on Saturday 10 November (away) and
Saturday 4 May (home).
The traditional Christmas and New Year fixtures will see the Hammers face
Arsenal away on Boxing Day and Norwich City at home on New Year's Day.
West Ham are one of 13 Barclays Premier League clubs who will enter the
Capital One Cup at the second round stage, with ties scheduled to be played
in the week commencing Monday 27 August.

Full list of fixtures (all subject to change)
Sat 18 Aug Aston Villa H
Sat 25 Aug Swansea City A
Wed 29 Aug Capital One Cup Round 2
Sat 1 Sep Fulham H
Sat 15 Sep Norwich City A
Sat 22 Sep Sunderland H
Wed 26 Sep Capital One Cup Round 3
Sat 29 Sep Queens Park Rangers A
Sat 6 Oct Arsenal H
Sat 20 Oct Southampton H
Sat 27 Oct Wigan Athletic A
Wed 31 Oct Capital One Cup Round 4
Sat 3 Nov Manchester City H
Sat 10 Nov Newcastle United A
Sat 17 Nov Stoke City H
Sat 24 Nov Tottenham Hotspur A
Tue 27 Nov Manchester United A
Sat 1 Dec Chelsea H
Sat 8 Dec Liverpool H
Wed 12 Dec Capital One Cup Round 5
Sat 15 Dec West Bromwich Albion A
Sat 22 Dec Everton H
Wed 26 Dec Arsenal A
Sat 29 Dec Reading A
Tue 1 Jan Norwich City H
Sat 5 Jan F.A. Cup Round 3
Wed 9 Jan Capital One Cup Semi-Final (1)
Sat 12 Jan Sunderland A
Sat 19 Jan Queens Park Rangers H
Wed 23 Jan Capital One Cup Semi-Final (2)
Sat 26 Jan F.A. Cup Round 4
Wed 30 Jan Fulham A
Sat 2 Feb Swansea City H
Sat 9 Feb Aston Villa A
Sat 16 Feb F.A. Cup Round 5
Sat 23 Feb Tottenham Hotspur H
Sun 24 Feb Capital One Cup Final
Sat 2 Mar Stoke City A
Sat 9 Mar Manchester United H F.A. Cup Round 6
Sat 16 Mar Chelsea A
Sat 30 Mar West Bromwich Albion H
Sat 6 Apr Liverpool A
Sat 13 Apr Southampton A F.A. Cup Semi-Final
Sat 20 Apr Wigan Athletic H
Sat 27 Apr Manchester City A
Sat 4 May Newcastle United H
Sat 11 May F.A. Cup Final
Sun 12 May Everton A
Sun 19 May Reading H


If you cannot wait for the Barclays Premier League season to get under way,
then the Hammers will be playing a host of pre-season matches at home and
abroad. For a full list of the Club's pre-season fixtures, click here.
Hammers mobile text alert subscribers received this news first. Click here
to sign up so you can make sure you stay in touch wherever you are this
summer.
Check back on whufc.com later for all the reaction to the announcement of
the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League fixture list. Please note all fixtures
are subject to change.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 18th June 2012

War drums
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 17th June 2012
By: Haim Baram

Less than a month ago I returned to my hotel in Marble Arch to watch the Champions League final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich. A mere 10 minutes remained until the ultimate ugliness would emerge on the TV screen.

I expected a bad game and was certain that Chelsea would steal it somehow. We had already endured the horrendous agony during the semi-finals against the superior Barcelona, but in spite of my lofty ideals about pure football I was not over-duly anxious. The really important game had ended exactly two hours before and my heart was not free for negligible matters such as the European championship.

The beautiful rendering of our hymn 'Bubbles' was still ringing in my ears. 40,000 West Ham supporters had sung it hundreds of times at Wembley during the crucial tie versus Blackpool. I could hardly remember such happiness at the end of a football match. Within 90 minutes everything had been determined: we were promoted; Blackpool were doomed for yet another season in the Championship.

Exactly 48 years after I had seen Bobby Moore lifting our first FA Cup on the very same pitch I was geared to go berserk once again, celebrating with much younger fans; most of then had not even been born in 1964. Ricardo Vaz Te scored our winning goal three minutes before the final whistle, and the arguably superior Blackpool ran out of time. The die was cast, and millions of pounds will enrich our coffers by August.

When (the excellent) referee Howard Webb blew the final whistle we were all flooded with waves of wild victory celebrations, devoid of even a shred of hatred towards Blackpool. Our rivals played well enough, their supporters cheered them to the end and they were very fair after the game.

They dispersed quickly, embarked on their sad trip to their coastal town in Lancashire, expecting a mediocre tourist season, overshadowed by the Olympic Games in London and heavily affected by the dour economic situation all over Europe. Maybe they will get some crumbs from the Olympic tourists and some English visitors will stay there to escape the hectic season in the South-East.

Actually, they had anticipated the defeat, after losing the two league matches against the Hammers and trailing behind us in the Championship table by 11 points. But at Wembley they were excellent, hence their noble heartbreak at the end. I could sympathize with them up to a certain point: in such fateful games even declared bleeding-hearts like me are primarily influenced by primordial instincts, devoid of any rational explanations.

It took a great deal of contemplation on the over-populated Bakerloo Line train back to my hotel to reach the sober and modest self-assessment of my behaviour during the celebrations at Wembley: despite all the seemingly sophisticated rhetoric I am actually a tribal, primitive person and therefore find it hard to reconcile reasoning and fine values with the boiling blood, the tears and the remnants of my basic ambivalence.

To be quite truthful, Big Sam's football is not my ideal, and this is an extreme understatement. Perhaps Allardyce is not an ideologically defence-oriented manager, but the style of his teams is reminiscent of the 1950s in England. The ball floats in the air most of the time and we had all been educated by Ron Greenwood to cherish highly skilful and beautiful football, personified by Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire.

The fans complained during the season about Big Sam's style: his WHU was very strong and physical but lacked finesse and we lost several vital points in our home games at Upton Park. The manager was frequently taunted, grumbled a lot about the scant credit he had received from the fans, despite their (justified) reputation as the most devoted and loyal in English football.

To be quite truthful I composed several anti-Allardyce comments myself, and they were published on KUMB. I even 'sent' the manager to work for the RAF as the ball is in the air most of the time. The professional verdict on Allardyce is not exactly flattering: we (just) missed automatic promotion with a bunch of players that are good enough to secure mid-table spot in the Premier League.

But the dramatic finale at Wembley has erased everything. In our collective memory, it will be forever etched as one of the greatest moments in the history of the club.

And how do I determine my own judgment? Personally I also love Barcelona with all my heart, not only politically and ideologically but also aesthetically. What have I got to do with Allardyce's football, except a tradition lasting more than four decades and profound feelings for West Ham?

If I had to wipe out real tears when our captain Kevin Nolan (not necessarily my favourite footballer) led his mates to a spontaneous and endearingly unruly victory run around the stadium, amid touching scenes of authentic merriment in the stands, the sentiment inside me is very deep. Football has caused me much happiness over the years, even if I mostly preferred the under-achievers (with the possible exception of Barcelona). If I examine our obvious shortcomings too closely, it will be tantamount to a man in love who scrutinizes his lover not with a naked eye, but through x-rays. It can be dangerous, even malignant and certainly is bound to destroy any real joy.

During the game itself and over the half-time break I sort of befriended a nice family from Essex, a bastion of ex-EastEnders and staunch West Ham supporters. The head of the family, a relatively elderly man was flanked by two of his daughters and his son-in-law. They seemed to be familiar with our history and I thought that this man, my immediate neighbour at Wembley, is perhaps one of the tiny minority among the fans in the stand who had been, like me, at the Preston FA Cup Final almost 50 years before.


I said nothing until the man said: "In the Final against Preston I was a bit angry with Ron Greenwood for replacing Martin Peters with that number four; sorry, I can't remember his name". His daughter was astonished to hear such heresy against Greenwood, obviously an icon in their household. So I interceded and said: "You must be thinking of Eddie Bovington". He was astounded and the entire family smiled at me as if I was their long lost brother.

We went to the station together after the commotion had subsided and his daughter told me that it wasn't my fault that the bosses had "inflicted Avram upon our heads". My retort to this ironic remark, embellished by utter friendliness, was short: "I hope Avram will end up in Millwall". The general laughter made it clear, that no further words about this thorny issue would be hurled in my direction.

I got off the train in Bond Street station and dined at a small Italian restaurant. Two English students were very curious about my match programme so we talked about West Ham. They thankfully took it for granted that a foreigner like me would travel from Jerusalem especially for the promotion match. For them, it was a natural manifestation of loyalty, nothing more.

I thought a lot about loyalty versus my principles and accepted that, in the crucial moments, the tribe comes first. When Blackpool drew level in the second half I sensed a real calamity, as if it was my last ever visit to Wembley with the Hammers. Our visits to Wembley are not all that frequent; prior to the Blackpool tie we had last been here 31 years ago, in the League Cup Final against Liverpool. I traveled to this game, too, and we were lucky to get a draw.

In this crucial promotion game we sensed that Blackpool had the upper hand, and even in my stand people were harbouring severe fears. But towards the end, our crowd began to gather momentum. West Ham seemed to be motivated by the surge of our supporters' enthusiasm, and the decisive goal was scored almost by the vocal crescendo created by the crowd. It was as if the 'Bubbles' song pushed the ball into the net, disregarding the events on the pitch.

Not only Big Sam and the players won the day; the entire community had risen to the occasion. I had discovered the enormity of the gap between my enthusiasm for Pep Guardiola's football and my emotional reconciliation with Allardyce. All this did not prevent me from cursing Chelsea and their dreadful football later that evening. People are very complex, and sometimes one must ignore the components of our complexity.

No glamorous game, not even the World Cup final could remove Wembley 2012 from my consciousness. Which is a better option (I was often asked this upon my return to Jerusalem): to sing Bubbles at Wembley with my fellow Hammers - or to sit in the press box in the Euro 2012 final? This is perhaps the easiest question I have had to answer in my life.

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Striker Latest: Could Yilmaz be the One?
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

The transfer rumours continue apace. And most of the are complete and utter rubbish, but I suppose it keeps us all entertained. Tonight I read that we have made four £8 million bids for strikers. A likely story. They are supposedly Ba, Yilmaz, Castaignos and - wait for it - Adebayor. As I have said before I don't see any way we could risk re-signing Demba Ba, no matter how much most of us would like to. Are really going to risk £8 million on a player whose knee could go any moment? The finances and risks just don't add up. I can also foresee Hoffenheim atempting to implement some of the terms of the original deal if he comes back. Adebayor would be a no go at this stage. His wages are said to be north of £180k a week, which is something we could never contemplate. The only way that would happen is if Man City can't sell him and would loan him out again for a season. Whether he'd come to us anyway is a very moot point.

Yilmaz is a player who has always impressed me and this is the only one of those four which has any semblance of logic about it. He has a fantastic goals to appearances ratio for his club, Trabzonspur - 55 in 75 games, and for Turkey he has scored 6 in 18. Last season he scored 33 goals in 30 games, which isn't bad, but if you look back at his record for his previous clubs he wasn't nearly as successful. I guess at the age of 26 he has now come into his prime. He's quite a big guy too, at 6'2. And he is used to playing in claret and blue, for those are Trabszonspur's colours too. It's an omen, I tell you, an omen! However, in January he was quoted as saying that if he came to England he wanted to come to Arsenal. Hmmm.

We are still being linked with Yakubu and Grant Holt. Diame will apparently sign on the dotted line in the next 24 hours and a deal with Zaha is said to be close, with Baldock going the other way on a season long loan and Freddie Sears as a permanent makeweight. We'll see.

It's also being reported that Rob Green has received a £2 million signing on fee from QPR, pls £50k a week. You can hardly blame him for moving, can you?

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How the Fixtures Fall Will Be a Factor Next Season!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

The PL fixtures for 2012-13 are to be made public tomorrow. Apart from the general interest in who West Ham will be playing and when, it will also be a factor in our success or otherwise next season. You will recall that when we were relegated in 2010-11, our fixure list was front loaded with tough games that put us on a back foot straightaway. It was not the ultimate factor, but it was one of a number of factors contributing to our eventual demise.

If we do well in our first 10 fixures then it dramatically increases out chances of not only surviving, but even perhaps doing a bit better than that. Do badly, over those games, and its more likely that we will face a season long struggle. So, lets hope that the fixtures fall more kindly this time around, to help us get us off to a decent start. Starting with a nice opening home fixture against the likes of Wigan or Norwich City!

SJ. Chandos.

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Time for Rave reviews
The Sun
Published: Today at 00:13

WEST HAM chief David Gold has warned Ravel Morrison to make his mark ON the pitch next season. The bad-boy midfielder, 19, was fined for tweeting a homophobic remark in February. Gold said: "He is a great talent, it's time for him to step up to the plate."

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WEST HAM SET TO GO DOUBLE DUTCH FOR ELIA & CASTAIGNOS
Jun 17, 2012 2
Sport360

As they prepare for life back in the Premier League, West Ham are reportedly readying an ambitious double raid on Serie A for Juventus winner Eljero Elia and Internazionale striker Luc Castaignos. Football Italia claim Hammers boss Sam Allardyce held a meeting with Juve director Fabio Paratici last week to discuss a move for Dutch flyer Elia, who has been told he is surplus to requirements at the Juventus Stadium. A €8million has been mooted for the 25-year-old who made only five appearances for the Bianconeri last season following his move from German club Hamburg last summer. Elia has also been heavily linked with Premier league giants Liverpool, but news that West Ham have opened negotiations for the winger suggests that a move to Upton Park may be in the offing. Meanwhile, reports in Italy also claim West Ham have began talks with Inter over the possible signing of Castaignos in a €7million deal. The teenage Dutch forward arrived at the Giuseppe Meazza last summer with a big reputation having netted 15 goals for Feyenoord in Eredivisie. The 19-year-old's exploits caught the eye of a host of Europe's elite with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United all credited with an interest, before he eventually chose Inter.

However, Castaignos has failed to hit the heights expected in Italy and having made just six appearances for the Nerazzurri he could now be set for a move to east London should West Ham succeed in convincing Inter to sell. West Ham are though to be in the market for a new frontman and have been linked with wantaway Norwich striker Grant Holt, while Wigan midfield Mohamed Diame is set to join on a free transfer.

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West Ham United close in on want-away Wigan Athletic ace Diame
by Rob MacDonald. Published Sun 17 Jun 2012 13:45, Last updated: 2012-06-17
Click Lancashire.com

According to reports Mohamed Diame's switch from Wigan Athletic to West Ham United has moved a step closer. The Daily Mail claims Diame has passed a cardiac medical with a London specialist. Talks are understood to be continuing over his move to Upton Park. Sunderland and Aston Villa remain interested in the 24-year-old, but it seems the Hammers are in pole position.

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