Daily WHUFC News II - 28th July 2016

Opposition View - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com

Thursday's UEFA Europa League qualifier against NK Domzale in Ljubljana promises not only to be a huge occasion for the Slovenian club, but also for the nation's football as a whole. Domzale finished third in their domestic league last season and possess experience of facing teams from the likes of Germany and Croatia in European competition, but according to journalist Joze Okorn from the national daily newspaper Dnevnik, this match sits on another level.

The Slovenian side have seen off Andorran side Lusitans and Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus to earn the right to face the Hammers and they will be giving their all to try and cause a shock Okorn explained: "This is the biggest match for the Domzale club. They have been in UEFA Champions League qualification before and twice played Dinamo Zagreb. "The champions Olimpija Ljubljana went out in the second round of Champions League qualifiers this year, so this is one of the biggest matches in Slovenian club football this season.
"English football is so popular in Slovenia – it's the top level of football for us, so it is a really big game. "The match is even more interesting because of Slaven Bilic, and him being from Croatia. "He is a good coach, and a good player for the national team beforehand. It is a very interesting match for the Slovenian people and the Croatian people – some of them will be coming over because it is not very far from Zagreb or Rijeka."

Domzale's domestic season has already begun, with a win over Radomlje and a draw with Krsko leaving them third in the embryonic league table. However, Okorn says the Hammers should expect to face a very different side to that which lined-up for that 1-1 draw in Krsko. He added: "Domzale have been playing their second team in first two league games, in which they have won one and drawn one so far. Only two players played the last game in Krsko, who started the last match in the Europa League. "Just Balkovec on the left hand side and Alvir in the middle started both – the other nine players were from the second team. "The players to look out for on Domzale are the French midfielder Benjamin Morel, who has come back to the club after going to Bulgaria last season, and the left winger Matic Crnic, who plays for the Slovenian national team."

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Noble ready for competitive start
WHUFC.com

Skipper confirms squad's intention to go all the way in the UEFA Europa League
Midfielder pleased with the progress of the squad
Noble expects more competition at the top of the Premier League

West Ham United captain Mark Noble expects a tough challenge in Thursday night's game against NK Domzale, but insists that the side will not be holding back to ensure a place in the next round of the UEFA Europa League. With four games standing between the Hammers and the group stages of the tournament, Noble expects last season's experience in Europe to stand the squad in good stead. The midfielder said: "Our experience last year shows it is going to be tough, no matter who you play. We play on Thursday and then NK Domzale come to our fantastic new Stadium next week. It's going to be our first time there and their first time there. "They will get that boost when you play in a stadium like ours and will run that extra ten yards. We need to match that, we didn't manage that last year and we almost didn't expect it with the squad split in two as it was. "But we got knocked out of Europe on the Thursday and then beat Arsenal on the Sunday and it is all forgotten. We know how quickly things are forgotten in football."

The Hammers captain is positive about the squad and explained: "We have had our squad together for four weeks now and so, we will give it a proper go this time. We have got a lot of belief at the Club at the moment. Everyone's excited by the new Stadium and we have a new training ground as well, so that will be new to us. "Last year, I had the best season of my career, both personally and collectively as a squad. We had flair combined with a hardworking team. We gave the Boleyn a good send off and now, it is time for us to create history at the new place. That is down to us. "We've got three very astute signings in Havard, Sofiane and Gokhan. The team spirit was great last season and that is always our main aim, to keep that spirit high. We are excited and from what we can see, everybody else is too. "It is going to be tough this year, there are seven of the best managers in the world working in the Premier League now. "There are only four spots for Champions League football. Manchester United and Chelsea will be going for the title this year. Can you see them having similar seasons to last year? Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and the talent he has got will be challenging too. We will try our best, that's all we can do."

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Westley praises second half showing in Holland
WHUFC.com

Dev Squad boss Terry Westley was pleased to see his side come from behind against PEC Zwolle
The team were playing in their first Netherlands pre-season tour fixture
After falling 2-0 and 3-1 behind, the youngsters hit back to draw 3-3 on Wednesday

Development Squad manager Terry Westley praised his side's second half performance as they came from behind to pick up a draw against PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands. After the hosts raced into a two-goal lead in the 3-3 draw, the Hammers pulled one back through Sam Ford shortly before half time to reduce to deficit. And, though Zwolle added a third seconds before the break, the east Londoners put on a second 45 masterclass as they passed the Dutch side off the park, scoring twice in the process through Joe Powell and Jahmal Hector-Ingram to level. And after watching his men come out fighting to gain a draw, Westley had little but good things to say about the young Hammers. He said: "It was a good performance against a team I consider to be good opposition. They were very technical and tactically aware of what they needed to do, and they caused our boys some problems early on. "We started off on the back foot and conceded early, but slowly got to grips with it, and second half, we did very well. I was really pleased. "Second half, we managed to get a little bit closer to them and got up against them and nicked the ball in a lot of forward positions. The third goal was a good team goal; it went back and through and then a good cross and finish by Jahmal [Hector-Ingram]."

Hector-Ingram – who has now scored in consecutive Dev Squad fixtures – impressed Westley, as did a number of other members of the team. "Jahmal kept searching and kept trying to get in behind and caused some problems," the boss continued. "The two centre-halves, Jake Eggleton and Tunji [Akinola] kept us together, and Sam Howes made some saves which he needed to. "Young Conor Coventry got us playing when he came on. But if I picked one individual, Kristjian Belic – 15-years-of-age playing in a mens' game – really stood out.
"We're working very hard in training. It's not easy to take it into a game. We had a lot of replacements today but we were able not to play a few, too. We have some coming back with for us in the last big game before the start of the season so we look forward to that on Saturday."

The Dev Squad face West Ham's partner club VVV Venlo in the Netherlands on Saturday, with a 2pm kick-off UK time.

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From the Terraces - Italian Irons
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's double header of games in Austria and Slovenia this week has presented a unique opportunity for one locally based fan. Italian Iron Paolo Barbuio would normally only be able to travel to a handful of games a season, but living near Venice – 279 miles from Kapfenberg, where the Hammers took on Karlsruher SC on Saturday, and 151 miles from Ljubljana – has given him the opportunity to watch his team twice in a matter of days. The Hammers are looking to progress to the group stages of the UEFA Europa League and Barbuio, whose interest in the Hammers was stoked by the presence of a certain legendary countryman in the early 2000s, is delighted to be there at the start of the journey.
He said: "We were very happy to be in Austria last weekend and it was great to have West Ham so close to us. "We come from Italy, near Venice, so we were happy that the team is here, near to our town, and we hope that the season ahead will be very good. "With the Europa League game in Ljubljana too, we will be there and we hope to see another win!
"I have followed West Ham since 2000, when Paolo Di Canio arrived in London, and I began to travel to London to see the matches in 2009. "My first match was against Hull City at Upton Park. We won 3-0, and I remember Valon Behrami scoring. "The last match I went to was West Ham-Sunderland in February, when Michail Antonio scored. Upton Park was a beautiful Stadium and I look forward to getting across to London again soon."

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Elsner - We will put all our passion on the pitch
WHUFC.com

NK Domzale boss looking forward to Hammers challenge
Former Domzale player Elsner focused on delivering strong performance
Elsner impressed with Slaven Bilic's impact at West Ham

Richard Laverty talks to NK Domzale manager Luka Elsner ahead of Thursday's momentous clash with the Hammers…

Tucked away in a town consisting of just 12,000 people, 33-year-old Luka Elsner is preparing his NK Domzale side for the tie of a lifetime, West Ham United at home before a trip to London Stadium next week for the return leg of their Europa League third qualifying round match.

Domzale's stadium is so small that Thursday's match has been relocated to the 16,000 Stadion Stozice in nearby Ljubljana - their own stadium holds less than 3,000. Despite their size, Elsner's hard work and determination has made him a success at the club he also played for.

"We have a clear vision, we have had that same picture for almost two decades," says Elsner.

"We are developing young players through our academy, trying to produce the best talents and work with them and give them a place to be competitive. Eventually, these players go abroad when we have done what we can for them, it is very difficult for us to get a budget together every season but we do what we can."

Despite the enormity of the task ahead of them, Domzale aren't giving any extra attention to their esteemed opponents, on Monday afternoon Elsner had just finished an analysis session on their previous round opponents – Shakhtyor Soligorsk – when we speak about the upcoming match.

"This is an elite level match for us but we have to find some way of giving our players hope through the analysis, we will look at where we can see good things for us and how we can survive against a team like West Ham. We have to stand up on the field, protect ourselves and try to make them play a different way to what they're used to."

In a week's time, Elsner will bring his coaches, players and a large chunk of Domzale to London and will go down in history as the first side to play a competitive match at the former Olympic Stadium.

Whilst the manager is excited at the prospect of such an occasion, he admits "we can't go there thinking we are tourists" if his side want to pick up a positive result.

"It's a double challenge," he says. "You want to be competitive but you have to be professional in how you prepare for them, of course we are all very excited. We have the first game here in Ljubljana, we can go there and take pictures but we have a game to focus on and it will only remain in our memories in a positive way if we go there and put in a good performance."

So how does a team based in a small town of 12,000 people continuously push the boundaries of what is possible and take it to the biggest names in Slovenian football? Elsner chuckles at the mention of Lincoln Red Imps' victory over Celtic but he's adamant his team will do their best to be competitive.

"We'll need to play at our maximum, every player on the team will need to do that and we'll probably need some luck as well!"

"They are missing some huge players and maybe physically won't be at their best but they still have some fantastic players. It seems impossible [for us] but we will put all our passion out on the pitch because sometimes passion can do the job and you can surprise people in many ways."

Like Slaven Bilic, Elsner was born in ex-Yugoslavia and also played for the team he currently managed, although his tenure as a player at Domzale was much longer than that of Bilic's at West Ham United.

"This is my first meeting with him in football, it was very refreshing to see what he did last year, we were impressed if not inspired by what he did.

"Maybe people in the Premier League didn't know much about him as a coach but you can only respect him for how much he surprised everybody.

"He [Bilic] has a connection with his club as I do with Domzale, we both have a connection to the identity of our clubs. I think it gives you an advantage but at the end of the day you learn in the job all the time but you do get an extra energy from managing a team you have played for."

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West Ham's Mark Noble not banking on England call from Sam Allardyce
By Andrew Dickson
Last Updated: 28/07/16 12:53pm
SSN

Mark Noble insists he is focused only on playing football rather than trying to get into the England squad under new manager Sam Allardyce. The West Ham captain expressed his extreme disappointment at not being given a chance to prove himself at international level by Roy Hodgson in the lead up to Euro 2016. Allardyce was among those stating Noble's case for England recognition during his four years in charge at Upton Park but the midfielder says he is not banking on a call-up now his former boss is in charge. "I'm just concentrating on football - I have since I've started playing," said Noble, who was capped 20 times at U21 level between 2007 and 2009. "Obviously last year I was disappointed, I'm not going to lie to you. I enjoyed a fantastic season with West Ham... not only just me - the likes of Cress [Aaron Cresswell] was one of the best left-backs in the league for sure. "There was a lot of shout about Michail Antonio and big Andy Carroll as a difference up there, which I thought we needed at points in the Euros but I'm just going to concentrate on football."

Whether Noble forces his way into the England squad or not, the 29-year-old is certain the national team is in good hands. "Obviously I worked under Sam for a long time," he added. "I know the way he works, he's a very good man. "Do I think England made the right choice? Yes, because he knows how to sort stuff out in a way. He's a great man-manager, he knows how to get the best out of his players. "I think with England, they've gone with someone that knows English players, knows the English league and has a good relationship with the FA. They've called upon him to sort it out."

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Slaven Bilic says West Ham still need 'one or two' new signings
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 28/07/16 2:16pm
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is worried his squad is not currently big enough for the rigours of the upcoming Premier League season. The Hammers have been linked with several strikers this summer, most recently Carlos Bacca of AC Milan, and Bilic is hopeful of welcoming 'one or two new faces' before the end of the transfer window. "To get those kind of strikers, we as a club, we couldn't fight with the big guns," he said. "So we had to be very early, before them, and/or give more money to the players. And then it is also hard.
"But I said we are not going to buy just for the sake of buying, and that includes strikers as well. "Also, I told the chairman a couple of days ago that I can understand for some players we are not their number one target, but I told him that I also don't want to buy the players who don't want to come to us."

Manuel Lanzini could miss the start of the season with a knee injury, having been ruled out of the Rio Olympics, where he was due to represent Argentina. And Bilic suggested the attacking midfielder's possible absence makes the need to get involved in the transfer market more pressing. "Now we have a different strategy," he said. "We are trying to get one or two players that are really hungry and keen to join us and they are extremely quality players. "Hopefully we are going to get one or two of them, depending also on Lanzini's situation, which we are going to know only in a few days' time. Still, we don't have a squad big enough to compete, even in the Premier League."

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Slaven Bilic shares what he's told David Gold about transfer at West Ham United
HITC
John Verrall
@JohnVerrall

West Ham United have been frustrated in their search for a striker this summer. Slaven Bilic has informed the Daily Mirror that he has told West Ham United chairman David Gold that he doesn't want to buy players who do not want to be at the Olympic Stadium. West Ham have submitted bids for a number of high profile signings this summer, with Alexandre Lacazette and Carlos Bacca two of their most exciting targets. However, Lacazette and Bacca both expressed a reluctance to move to the Hammers, and Bilic has suggested that his side have other players in mind now. Bilic explained: "I said that we won't buy just for the sake of buying and that includes the strikers as well. "Also I told the chairman a couple of days ago I can understand for some players that we are not number one target. I told him also that I also don't want to buy the players who don't want to come to us so I said that is it. "Now we have a little bit of a different strategy and we are trying to get one or two players that are really hungry and keen to join us and they are extremely quality players."
Gold has hinted that West Ham may still invest big money in a striker, but doing so has proven problematic so far. West Ham are known to be aiming to strengthen their forward ranks, with Jonathan Calleri the latest player to be linked. Despite their struggles to add a striker, West Ham have still had a fairly productive summer transfer window to date.
The Hammers have brought in a handful of new signings, with the likes of Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore all joining. Tottenham's Andros Townsend (L) in action with Besiktas' Gokhan Tore West Ham play their first competitive match of the season later this evening, against NK Domzale in the Europa League.

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Arsenal plot £16.8m move for West Ham target: Gonzalo Higuain deal sparks interest
ARSENAL are reportedly planning to rival two London sides in a bid to sign Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, who is free to leave the club.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 12:00, Thu, Jul 28, 2016 | UPDATED: 12:30, Thu, Jul 28, 2016
Express.co.uk

Juventus signed Napoli frontman Gonzalo Higuain for £75million this week and they are now open to offers for Mandzukic. And the Turin club's willingness to listen to bids has reportedly triggered Arsenal's interest. That is according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim Watford have also considered an offer for the Croatia international.
West Ham are said to be keen on landing Mandzukic, 30, this summer in a £16.8million (€20m) deal. The Hammers have £30m ringfenced in manager Slaven Bilic's transfer kitty to spend on a striker. It is reported that Mandzukic is happy in Italy and has not been tempted by interest from either West Ham or Watford - but that a deal with Arsenal could turn his head. Arsenal have already failed with moves for Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon this summer as manager Arsene Wenger seeks to bring in a new striker.
Mandzukic scored 10 goals in 27 league appearances for Juve last season as the club won a fifth straight Serie A title. He only joined Juve last summer from Atletico Madrid in a £13.6m deal and failed to score in three appearances for Croatia at Euro 2016.

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Domzale vs West Ham: What time does the Europa League qualifier start, what channel is it on, where can I watch it?
Everything you need to know ahead of the third qualifying-round clash in Slovenia
Samuel Stevens
The Independent

West Ham United start their Europa League journey this evening in Slovenia when they take on Domžale in the third qualifying round at the Stozice Stadium. Slaven Bilic, the Hammers manager, says supporters of the East End club "can expect good things" ahead of the new season as they prepare to formally move into the Olympic Stadium next Thursday in the return fixture. Despite challenging to finish in the Champions League places in the Croat's first season in charge last time around, West Ham ultimately had to settle for seventh place behind Southampton and Manchester United. "We are happy with our preparations," Bilic told the official club website. "We have done everything that wanted to do, but still we have to make a balance in our preparations to compromise some things because the competitive games don't start on August 15, they start on Thursday. "It's not ideal but I'm really pleased with the way we've trained. We are still expecting a few players to come back, those who have been playing in the European Championships. If we continue to work hard like this, with dedication and humility, we can expect good things."

When is it?
Kick-off at the Stozice Stadium, in the Slovenia city of Domžale, is at 7.45pm BST.

Where can I watch it?
The match will be covered on BT Sport 2 with the broadcast starting at 7.30pm and also being available across the company's digital platforms and mobile apps.

Who is likely to play?
West Ham are without a number of the players who represented their county at the European Championship meaning there'll be no Dimitri Payet for tonight's clash in Slovenia.
Diafra Sakho, Manuel Lanzini and Aaron Cresswell are all ruled out with injury or otherwise while new signing Sofianne Feghouli is set to continue his encouraging pre-season.

West Ham's pre-season diary

vs Seattle Sounders, 6 July - lost 3-0.
vs Carolina Rail Hawks, 13 July - drew 2-2.
vs FC Slovacko, 19 July - drew 2-2.
vs Rubin Kazan, 23 July - won 3-0.
vs Karlsruher SC, 23 July - lost 3-0.
vs Domzale (a), 28 July.
vs Domzale (h), 4 August.
vs Juventus (h), 7 August.

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Slaven Bilic says West Ham won't spend big money on a new striker just for the sake of it
11:06, 28 JUL 2016 UPDATED 11:06, 28 JUL 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The Hammers have failed in bids for a number of big-name strikers this summer after earmarking £30million to spend on a new frontman
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic insists West Ham won't splash the cash on a big-name striker just for the sake of it. And Bilic admitted they have now changed the type of player they are looking for after being left frustrated in their attempts to land a marquee name. The Hammers had set aside £30m to spend on a top 20-goal a season frontman to bolster their squad. But so far they have been unable to land one despite making approaches for Michy Batshuayi , who joined Chelsea, Liverpool's Christian Benteke, Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette and AC Milan's Carlos Bacca. One stumbling block for the Hammers has been the fact most of their targets are holding out for Champions League football. Bilic said: "We have tried. To get that kind of striker, we as a club couldn't fight with the big guns so we had to bid very early, like before them, or give more money to the players and then it is also hard. "But I said that we won't buy just for the sake of buying and that includes the strikers as well. "Also I told the chairman a couple of days ago I can understand for some players that we are not number one target. I told him also that I also don't want to buy the players who don't want to come to us so I said that is it."

Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri, 22, who is currently on loan at Sao Paulo, has emerged as one attainable target and the Hammers are in negotiations to bring him to the Olympic Stadium. Bilic added: "Now we have a little bit of a different strategy and we are trying to get one or two players that are really hungry and keen to join us and they are extremely quality players and hopefully we are going to do one or two of them depending on Manuel Lanzini's injury situation which we are going to know only in a few days time.
"Because still we don't have a squad big enough to compete, not even in the Premier League not to mention this competition the Europa League, hopefully with more games."

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West Ham's Reece Oxford wants first-team assurances with Slaven Bilic set to unveil new signings in Europa League
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham will parade their new signings on Thursday evening, but home-grown teenager Reece Oxford will also be the centre of much attention. The defender joined West Ham's pre-season training camp in Austria after playing for England in the European Under-19 Championships and is expected to feature in the Europa League third qualifying round tie against NK Domzale in Slovenia. Oxford, who became the second youngest player to be involved in a Premier League match when he started the opening game of last season at Arsenal, will be looking to impress the West Ham manager. The 17-year-old's future remains uncertain following interest from several clubs in recent weeks, including Manchester United.

West Ham valued him at £18million but ideally want to keep him. Oxford, meanwhile, is looking for assurances on greater first-team involvement, particularly with the vacuum caused by central defender James Tomkins' £10m move to Crystal Palace. Norwegian Havard Nordtveit, a free transfer this summer from Borussia Monchengladbach, is expected to fill one of the central defensive positions against NK Domzale as James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna remain unavailable following their involvement in the Euros. Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli is expected to start in this first leg while Gokhan Tore, on loan from Besiktas, will also be involved. But Dimitri Payet misses the game as he is in the early stages of pre-season training following the Euros.

Aaron Cresswell is also out with a lengthy knee injury while Manuel Lanzini is returning to the club for treatment after being ruled out of the Argentina squad for the Olympics.
With Domzale's stadium ruled inadequate, tonight's match has been moved to the Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana, which has a capacity of just over 16,000 fans. West Ham boss Slaven Bilic admitted that the Europa League "damages your chances in the Premier League" but added: "We want to try, we want to take that risk and hopefully we are going to manage it."
Bilic has been pleased with his summer additions, saying: "We didn't buy just for the sake of it. We wanted to buy quality."

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West Ham captain Mark Noble 'shocked' after Tony Carr is offered redundancy package by the Hammers
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

West Ham captain Mark Noble has expressed his shock at the departure of the Hammers' former academy director Tony Carr. Carr, 65, was instrumental in the production of a long line of England internationals at the east London club, including the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick. But, after 43 years of service, Carr has left his role as a club ambassador after being told the position was no longer full time. Carr has labelled the minimum statutory redundancy payment of £14,000 offered to him as "paltry" while West Ham fans spelled out their anger online. The club have now confirmed Carr has left his position with immediate effect after his two-year contract came to an end and Noble, who worked with Carr throughout his career, has praised the impact he had. "I first saw it in the papers," he told the Daily Mail. "It was a shock to me. "I don't know what's gone on in the background, I've been in Austria for two weeks solid [on a training camp], but what I can say is I know Tony very well.
"He's a fantastic man, a great servant to the club. As we all know, the players he's brought through in the last 20, 25 years have been phenomenal. The players Tony Carr brought through at West Ham "I'm looking forward to getting back to Tony and seeing how he is. I don't know what's gone on between him and the club. "My own personal experiences with Tony have been fantastic. He helped me become the player I am today," insisted Noble.

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic warns one top Premier League manager will be 'slaughtered' for missing out on top four
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

At least one of the Premier League's high-profile managers will be "slaughtered" for failing to secure a top-four finish next season, according to West Ham boss Slaven Bilic.
Competition for Champions League places is set to be fiercer than ever next season with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all tussling for position.
The Hammers, who start their Europa League campaign against Slovenian side NK Domzale tonight, will also be hoping to do enough to force their way into Europe's elite after finishing seventh last term. But Bilic is wary that with so many sides aiming for the top four someone will have to fall short - and can expect plenty of criticism as a result.
"The managers like Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Antonio Conte, Arsene Wenger, there are five of them and one has to finish fifth," he told the Daily Mail. "If they are the top five - one of them is going to get slaughtered and they are all big names. "Spurs will probably be unhappy to finish sixth. Everton, and all that," he added.
However, although plenty of clubs will be focused on competing at the top of the table, Bilic believes the majority of the division's target will be to accumulate 40 points and avoid relegation, including champions Leicester City. "Therefore when we talk about Champions League, Europa League, mid-table, it is all very dangerous. Make no mistake. "I am a confident, over-optimistic person but apart from the top seven clubs on paper everybody is looking forward to 40 points. And that includes Leicester," said the Croatian.

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West Ham's Olympic home could be rebranded the Tesco Stadium with supermarket giant to bid for naming rights
Indian company, the Mahindra Group were expected to complete a £6million deal for the naming rights of the Olympic Stadium
It's been delayed several times as sponsorship market is in a state of flux
Tesco is keen to talk with the London Legacy Development Corporation
West Ham would receive £1m from any naming rights deal
By MARTHA KELNER FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:34, 27 July 2016 | UPDATED: 10:34, 28 July 2016

West Ham's new home could be known as the Tesco Stadium after it emerged the supermarket giant is poised to join the race to secure the renaming rights for the Olympic Stadium.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) had been expected to complete a £6million deal with Indian company, the Mahindra Group, a technology giant and car maker. Sportsmail understands that there is uncertainty surrounding the pending deal with the period of exclusivity with Mahindra due to expire in August. The deal with Mahindra was set to be announced before new tenants West Ham moved out of Upton Park in May but has been delayed several times because the sponsorship market is in a state of flux. If they do not go ahead it is thought Tesco is keen to open talks with the LLDC about joining the race. Under the terms of West Ham's tenancy of the stadium, the club are entitled to 50 per cent of the annual revenue from naming rights above the initial £4m so would receive £1m from any deal. The stadium in Stratford, east London, cost £701m to build, paid for from the public purse. West Ham will play their first game there a week on Thursday when they face Slovenian side Domzale in the second leg of their Europa League qualifier before the official unveiling in a prestige friendly against Juventus on Sunday week. The first Premier League game will be against Bournemouth on August 21. At the Anniversary Games athletics event, held at the stadium last weekend, stakeholders were asked to refer to it simply as the London Stadium. Tesco has been involved in sport sponsorship in the past, becoming an official sponsor of England's doomed World Cup campaign in South Africa in 2010. In 2008, the supermarket chain also signed a three-year deal to sponsor the East Stand at Swansea's Liberty Stadium. But purchasing the naming rights to the former Olympic Stadium, which has been reduced in capacity from 78,000 to 60,000 since London 2012, would be their biggest move yet.

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