Daily WHUFC News - 27th January 2014

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Osasuna anger as Loe deal collapses
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 26th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

Spanish club Osasuna were left fuming after West Ham pulled out of a deal to sign defensive midfielder Raoul Loe. According to the Primera Liga club, a deal worth €2.2million was agreed last week with the Hammers set to pay half of the fee immediately and the remainder in the summer. As a result, the player flew to London on Friday for a medical - which, according to Los Rojillos, never happened. "We do not understand the lack of formality when it was they who asked us to send Raoul to London to undergo a medical and sign the contract," a Club spokesman told Navarra Sport. "They have apologised, but that does not justify their actions."

It is thought that Loe was considered a back-up option for Milan's Antionio Nocerino, who completed his short-term loan move to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday along with fellow Italian Marco Borriello.

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ROSS MCCORMACK OR DANI OSVALDO?
By S J Chandos 27 Jan 2014 at 00:15
West Ham Till I Die

The latest reports are claiming that West Ham will submit a revised £5m offer to Leeds Utd for Ross McCormack. Last week, a bid of £3.5m was submitted for the player, which was duly rejected by the Leeds Utd board. However, the speculation is that Leeds Utd would seriously consider selling the Championship's leading goal scorer, but are holding out for a higher fee. It appears that West Ham may be about to test that theory with a revised offer. Although the player only signed a new contract last summer, it is thought that McCormack is keen for another crack at the Premier League. McCormack has scored 17 Championship goals so far this season in a average Leeds Utd team. He may be well worth a £5m punt, in the absence of other options. I would argue that Jordan Rhodes is a better long-term prospect, but the estimated £10m fee to secure his services is likely to be too rich for West Ham's blood in this January window.

It was good to see the club finally making some significant progress in the transfer market. The double loan deal for Roma's Marco Borriello and AC Milan's Antonio Nocerino was a welcome development. Both players have a good pedigree, having played for some of the biggest names in Italian football. However, it is also something of a gamble, in the sense that both midfielder Nocerino and striker Borriello have had been in indifferent form for their respective Serie A clubs this season. Nocerino had lost his regular starting place to Nigel De Jong and would have been pushed further down the AC Milan midfield pecking order with the impending signing of Michael Essien from Chelsea. While Borriello has been less than prolific in front of goal, scoring 1 goal in 11 appearances for Roma.

However, if the players had been in top form this season, would we have got them in this transfer window? Most probably not. We have to hope that both Borriello and Nocerino respond positively to a new club environment and quickly recapture the form that previously saw Borriello score regularly at Genoa and Nocerino rise to prominence at Palermo. Borriello has been characterised in Italy as 'inconsistent,' although it is probably true to say that he is a confidence player who responds positively to the adulation of the crowd. He will need careful handling by the coaching staff, but if they get it right then Borriello will score goals. While Nocerino is a powerful box-to-box type of player and if he can regain his form he will be a a very good addition. Significantly, this is, of course, a World Cup year and both players nurture ambitions to make the Italian squad. What greater incentive do they need to make an impact at West Ham?

Elsewhere, it appears that West Ham have pulled out of the deal to sign Osasuna's defensive midfielder, Raoul Loe. It was reported that the player had attended for a medical and the clubs had agreed a £1.5m deal. However, it transpires that West Ham have pulled out of the deal, much to the annoyance of Osasuna. It seems that Loe was a back up deal in case they could not agree terms with AC Milan and Nocerino. And when the latter deal went through, Loe was surplus to requirements it appears. While, the rumours still circulate regarding our alleged interest in, ex-Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder, Raul Meireles and, Man City central defender, Joleon Lescott. Of the two, the need for Lescott is probably the greater. However, to make the deal happen, the West Ham board will need to commit to paying his £90,000 a week wages for the remainder of this season and offer a £70,000 a week, three year deal, if he helps us to escape relegation. Will they 'bite the bullet' and agree to that? Its expensive, but relegation will cost a lot more and Lescott is a player that can make a real contribution to our PL survival.

Finally, there is a story in the Monday morning papers that West Ham Utd are going to make a surprise bid to sign Southampton's out of favour striker, Dani Osvaldo, on loan to the end of the season. It seems pretty unlikely, on the face of it, but stranger things have happened! It's more likely that Southampton will seek to to retrieve the majority of Osvaldo's £15m fee by offloading him to Juventus or AC Milan. That would probably be the player's preference. And in all honesty, do we need such a potentially problematic signing, who has only managed 3 goals this season?

SJ Chandos.
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West Ham to return with improved £5m offer for McCormack after initital rejected bid
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 21:53, 26 January 2014 | UPDATED: 22:15, 26 January 2014
Daily Mail

West Ham are poised to make an improved £5million offer for Leeds United striker Ross McCormack on Monday. Leeds have rejected an initial proposal of £3million plus and extra £1m on appearances and the Upton Park club will return with £4m plus £1m. Leeds are willing to accept that as talks continue over a takeover from Cagliari businessman Cellino. Scotland international McCormack is the Championship's leading scorer this season with 17 goals, one more than Jordan Rhodes of Blackburn. The 27-year-old was also made Leeds captain just last week. Leeds chairman Salah Nouruddin said on Twitter last week: 'I'd like to reassure all £lufc fans that we're working hard for the club and can confirm we've rejected an offer from West Ham for Ross.' West Ham are third from bottom in the Premier League with 18 points, the same amount as the two teams below them Sunderland and Cardiff, and one behind Fulham and safety.

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West Ham target Dani Osvaldo transfer after Southampton striker's ruck with team-mate
Jan 26, 2014 22:30 By Alex Crook 0 Comments
The Mirror

West Ham are lining up a shock move for bad-boy Southampton forward Dani Osvaldo. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce wants to take Osvaldo on loan, after missing out on No.1 striker target Lacina Traore and despite signing Roma hitman Marco Borriello on loan on Saturday. Saints are desperate to offload Osvaldo after the fiery Italian head-butted teammate Jose Fonte at training last week. Allardyce was hoping to lure Rickie Lambert from St Mary's to the Londoners, but Osvaldo's antics scuppered any potential deal for the England international. Osvaldo, 28, would prefer a return to Serie A and is waiting to see if Inter Milan or Juventus firm up their interest in him. Former Roma star Osvaldo has scored three goals in 13 games since joining Maurico Pochettino's men in a club-record £15million deal in August. He was banned from the club for two weeks following the attack on Fonte.

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S"INCE" OF THE FATHER - TOM INCE TO WEST HAM?
By Iain Dale 26 Jan 2014 at 19:08
West Ham Till I Die

Just seen this on a site called Eyefootball.com

Sam Allardyce is prepared to face the wrath of some West Ham fans by signing the son of Paul Ince, Tom, in a deal that will be completed prior to the end of the transfer window.Allardyce is looking to add some attacking impetus to his struggling squad and is confident that Tom Ince is the right man for the job.

Sam Allardyce is prepared to face the wrath of some West Ham fans by signing the son of Paul Ince, Tom, in a deal that will be completed prior to the end of the transfer window.Allardyce is looking to add some attacking impetus to his struggling squad and is confident that Tom Ince is the right man for the job.Ince, whose contract expires in six months time, will be looking to make a transfer this month away from Blackpool and secure his current team some funds.Ince's father, Paul, used to play for the Hammers in the 80's but left in contentious circumstances and is still considered a hate figure for many Hammers fans.
Can't see it myself. He's a winger. We have quite a few of those already. But if it's true, would he be welcomed to Upton Park with open arms? There's no doubt he's a quality player, and personally I don't believe in visiting the sins of the father on the son. Not sure I am typical though…

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West Ham star Guy Demel was badly damaged after his collision with Roger Johnson
WEST HAM defender Guy Demel has revealed the full extent of the sickening head injury which left him fearing the worst.
Daily Star
By Paul Brown/Published 26th January 2014

Demel is on the mend after a clash of heads with team-mate Roger Johnson in the club's win over Cardiff City earlier this month. The Ivory Coast full- back spent the night in a Cardiff hospital after being knocked out cold and suffered severe memory loss for days afterwards. Demel said: "The doctor told me it was a serious one because I was unconscious for a lot of minutes. They had to put a tube down my mouth because my blood was going backwards down my throat. When I woke up I couldn't speak for an hour and a half. "I couldn't remember the game so he told me we had won. I cannot remember anything for 48 hours before the incident. I don't remember travelling to Cardiff or the match. "I would like to thank the medical team because their reaction was quick and they made the right decisions. "I would also like to thank God because you never know what can happen in your life. "Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. "But now I am feeling better."

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