FW: Daily WHUFC News - 4th August 2016

Preview - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com

West Ham look to overturn first leg deficit in London Stadium debut Matic Crnic double gave Slovenians a 2-1 first leg advantage
54,000 crowd expected for first game at Club's new home

When and where?
West Ham United v NK Domzale
UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg Thursday 4 August 2016, 7.45pm BST London Stadium

What's the story?
West Ham United begin life at their new home at London Stadium on Thursday with the second leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against NK Domzale on Thursday.

The Hammers need to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to progress to the play-off round of the competition, from which 22 teams will qualify for the group phase.

Mark Noble's away goal was sandwiched by a double from Slovenia international winger Matic Crnic, and Adrian had to make an outstanding double save near the end to keep the scoreline at 2-1.

With another week's full training behind them, Slaven Bilic's men will be confident of giving an improved performance in front of a sell-out 54,000 crowd at their new Stadium.

Since last week's meeting at Stadion Stozice, Domzale have maintained their undefeated start to their domestic season, coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with early league leaders Maribor.

They now have five points from three league games, and have defeated Lusitans of Andorra and Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk to reach this stage of the UEFA Europa League.

Team news
Angelo Ogbonna and James Collins are now back in training with the Hammers, but Thursday's game against Domzale comes around too quickly for the defensive duo to be involved.

Dimitri Payet will link up with the Hammers later this week, but Aaron Cresswell is out after suffering a knee injury in pre-season.

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is working to bring in a left-back to cover for Cresswell's injury, but may have to use Sam Byram or Havard Nordtveit in that position on Thursday.

Any links between the two?
Last Thursday's game was the first meeting between the Hammers and Domzale, but the Slovenian side do possess a former teammate of West Ham keeper Adrian.

Domzale right back Alvaro Brachi learned his football at Real Betis, a year ahead of Adrian in the Seville-based side's academy and now plies his trade in Slovenia following spells in Greece and Hungary.

How do I get to the game?
The Hammers will play their first game at London Stadium on Thursday and you can click here for all the information you need on how to get to the Stadium.

Supporters attending Thursday's game should note that they should allow time for security checks when they enter the Stadium, and with turnstiles opening two hours before kick-off, you can soak up the atmosphere with special offers. Click here for full information.

The new, state-of-the-art Stadium Store will be open from 9am up until kick-off, and after the game too. Click here for Store details.

Where can I watch the game?
Thursday night's match will not be broadcast live in the UK, but you can follow the action on our digital channels with live audio commentary, in-game stats, Social Media updates and more. Head to whufc.com for the Live Match Centre, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

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Slaven Speaks - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic faced the media for the first time and talked about the excitement of playing the first ever game at the new Stadium, the adjustments his players will have to make, the latest team-news and provides an update on the Club's search for new players....

Ahead of the first competitive game at the new Stadium, how does it feel to be leading the Club into a new era?

SB: "It feels good. I want to start by saying that a couple of young players from Maribor yesterday had a car crash and died and the goalkeeper is injured, so my deepest condolences from them and I hope the goalkeeper will be okay.

"We have been talking about the new Stadium for a long time but now it is done and it is great that we have sold out Season Tickets. It is now up to us to play good and to keep the amount of people who are coming to watch hungry and motivated to watch us all the time."

Which players will be missing for the game and when will Dimitri Payet be back in action?

SB: "Dimitri is joining us later in the week and we will not have have James Collins or Angelo Ogbonna available for the game. It is too early for them and they have not had the right amount of training.

"We are without a few injured players like Cresswell, but we have a good team and have been training hard.

"We had a negative result in the first game and we know we will have to play better than what we did in the first leg.

"We have a job to do against a team who know how to play good football. Me and my staff knew that before the first game but I am confident we are going to play better than what we did in Slovenia and that we will beat them with the result that will see us qualify for the play-off stages."

You talked about Aaron Cresswell being injured. Does that mean you are stepping up your search to sign a new left back?

SB: "We were looking to strengthen our squad in that area, even before Aaron got injured as it was the only position that we didn't have options.

"Aaron is a very fit player and since he joined the Club a couple of seasons ago, he has only missed one game and Carl Jenkinson had to play on the left side.

"We were looking to bring someone in to have competition with Cressy. We like to have two good players in every position.

"We are not the only ones looking for a new left back and it is hard to find a good player who we like. With Cressy get inured it has now become a priority and we have a few options there.

"Players like Sam Byram, Angelo Ogbonna and Havard Nordtveit can play there but it is not their natural position. We are close to getting one of the new players."

What is the latest situation with Manuel Lanzini?

SB: "Lanzini is another blow for us. He was with us for the first part of the pre-season tour in America and then joined up with the Argentina team for the Olympics and got injured in a friendly game against Columbia.

"He got a kick on his knee. It was not a big injury but he cannot play for four or five weeks. I think he will miss the first three Premier League games which is not ideal so he will hopefully be back after the Manchester City game."

How disappointing was the first game against NK Domzale last week?

SB: "It was very disappointing. They are a team who have already played two games in the league and have played four qualification games.

"When you face a team who are good enough and show a lot of hunger, these things happen.

"We have a job to do and if we play better than what we did in the first leg we have a great chance of getting through. But if we play like the first leg than our chances will drop.

"We can find excuses and were missing players, but we should have played much better. We are back home and it is a big game for us on Thursday night. We want to qualify for the next round."

With everything feeling different how will it feel to perform in the new Stadium for the first time?

SB: "It will not feel like last year, but when we go out in front of 54,000 fans I am sure we will feel at home.

"We have to adjust to the new Stadium and there is no better way to adjust than to win a game. The wins reduced the time necessary to adjust and hopefully we will start on Thursday.

"The players are looking forward to it."

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Hammers team up with Heineken
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce a five-year partnership with HEINEKEN, the UK's leading cider, beer and pub company.

The long-term deal will see HEINEKEN become the Club's official beer and cider partner at the iconic London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park until 2021.

In addition to Heineken®, supporters can enjoy some of the UK's most loved beers and ciders including Amstel, Foster's, Birra Moretti, Bulmers and Strongbow.

Draft and bottles will be available throughout the Hammers' magnificent new home, whether on the concourses or in Club London's exquisite hospitality spaces.

West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: "Today's announcement represents another high-profile partnership for West Ham United with a truly global, best-in-class brand.

"You need only look at HEINEKEN's partnership portfolio to understand the scale of the business and with over 150 years' history behind them, they, like us, have a rich heritage too.

"HEINEKEN boasts a proven track record of enhancing the supporter experience at stadia and events around the world and we look forward to working with them at our spectacular new Stadium."

Chris Jowsey, HEINEKEN's on-trade sales director said: "We are no strangers to world-class events and providing exceptional experiences for sports fans. We've got history with this site from London 2012, and we're delighted to be back, this time, firmly supporting West Ham."

HEINEKEN has partnerships across a range of relevant sectors, including a longstanding sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, the Rugby World Cup and Team GB.

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016/17 squad numbers confirmed

West Ham United have confirmed their squad numbers for the 2016/17 season.

1 Randolph
2 Reid
3 Cresswell
4 Nordtveit
7 Feghouli
8 Kouyate
9 Carroll
10 Lanzini
11 Valencia
13 Adrian
14 Obiang
15 Sakho
16 Noble
17 Tore
19 Collins
21 Ogbonna
22 Byram
23 Poyet
24 Fletcher
25 Henry
27 Payet
29 Martinez
30 Antonio
32 Burke
34 Spiegel
35 Oxford
36 Quina
37 Page
39 Cullen
40 Parfitt-Williams
41 Rice
42 Samuelsen
43 Browne
46 Makasi

Manuel Lanzini, who made his move from Al-Jazira Club permanent this summer, is the headline change, taking the No10 shirt after wearing No28 during his first season in Claret and Blue.

New signing Havard Nordtveit is the Hammers' new No4, while Algeria international Sofiane Feghouli has chosen No7.

Their fellow new boy, Turkey international Gokhan Tore will wear No17, while youngsters Ashley Fletcher, Antonio Martinez and Domingos Quina are 24, 29 and 36 respectively.

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Arrive early for first home game
WHUFC.com

Many West Ham United supporters will be attending their first fixture at the Club's historic new home on Thursday night.

The Club's move to London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will mark the start of a new matchday routine for each and every fan.

In line with other top sporting and entertainment venues of comparable size and prominence, the Hammers will be doing everything they can to ensure everybody's visit to our iconic home goes as smoothly as possible.

The first and most-important piece of advice is to arrive as early as possible to take in and enjoy your new surroundings, including the concourses, Club London hospitality areas and the giant Stadium Store.

Your brand new concourses are a celebration of all things West Ham and, with twice as many food and drink stands than at the Boleyn Ground and Europe's largest Stadium screens bringing you all the pre-match entertainment, there is every reason to arrive early.

To ensure a safe and secure environment for supporters, friendly stewards will guide you to and from London Stadium and through our new ticket and security checks. There will also be a team of matchday volunteers on hand to offer any further assistance required.

To make the most of your maiden visit, please arrive in good time for the 7.45pm kick-off and join West Ham United at the start of our exciting journey at our world-class home.

Hammers supporters should take note of the following important information to ensure the first visit to our iconic home goes as smoothly as possible.

Pre-match information
Fans are strongly encouraged to travel to London Stadium via public transport, as it is the most-connected football stadium in the country, with nine direct rail links stopping at nearby Stratford and Stratford International stations.

Additionally, more than a dozen London Bus routes call at either Stratford or Stratford City Bus Stations. For more information about public transport, visit tfl.gov.uk

Fans are advised that there is NO spectator parking at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, except for pre-booked Blue Badge spaces (see below).

With 49 accessible parking spaces out of a total of 229 at the Stadium (21.4%), the London Stadium is far in excess of the recommended six per cent target for recreational venues and events. By comparison, the Boleyn Ground had provision for just 20 disabled spaces.

The Club is to operate four free shuttle buses to ferry supporters with accessibility needs between Stratford station and London Stadium pre and post-match. The buses will run from two hours prior to kick-off, to coincide with the turnstiles opening and supporters will be collected from platform 13, near the Jubilee Line

On arrival at Stratford station, fans are advised to take the most direct walking route to London Stadium, which is along Montfichet Road, which is accessible by exiting the station via the Westfield Stratford City exit, then immediately turning right onto Montfichet Road. It will take around 15 minutes to reach London Stadium from Stratford station.

Supporters will also be able to access Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park via Westfield Stratford City up to ONE hour before kick-off (6.45pm), after which staff and signage will direct supporters along Montfichet Road.

Turnstiles will open TWO hours before kick-off, so please arrive as early as possible to visit the Stadium Store and take advantage of the fantastic concessions available within the Stadium concourse.

As is the norm at all major sporting and entertainment venues in this country, London Stadium stewards will be on hand to ensure you are safe and secure during your stay. For your safety and security, ALL fans will be subject to a bag-check on entry to London Stadium. Stewards will also carry out random body searches.
Supporters are kindly asked to be patient while these necessary checks are carried out.

On Thursday evening, a new turnstile and ticketing system in operation for the first time, so queues to enter London Stadium may be slightly longer than normal while fans get used to their new surroundings. The Club would ask supporters to be patient while queuing to enter the Hammers' new home.

While every seat inside London Stadium is covered, the summer has produced the usual unpredictable weather, so fans are strongly advised to bring appropriate clothing and footwear to protect against potential inclement weather.

Post-match information

Stewards and signage will again guide you on the shortest and most direct route to your chosen station or public transport hub.

Supporters walking to Stratford station are advised that Montfichet Road is the most direct route.

If you are in possession of a parking chip or hotel reservation, you also will be granted access to Westfield Stratford City via Chestnut Place (The Cow) and between John Lewis/Jamie's Italian.

As is the norm after every major sporting or entertainment event, public transport services will be busy, so fans are advised to allow enough time to travel home safely. Build in up to 30 minutes to walk to Stratford or Stratford International stations, and further time to board services which are expected to be busy.

Public transport services through Stratford will be busy, so fans are advised to allow enough time to travel home safely. Build in up to 30 minutes to walk to Stratford or Stratford International stations.

Services into central London run from Stratford International and Stratford stations.

If you are travelling home via Euston, King's Cross, St. Pancras International or into Kent, fans are advised to use Stratford International station.

If you are attending an evening event, and are travelling to a destination where you need to connect with other Tube and rail services, supporters should to check when your last service leaves before travelling.

On a move of this scale there will always be things that we need to work on together to get right. So we are asking you to be our eyes and ears. We want you to tell us what is working well and where there's room for improvement.

Please send us your comments and suggestions to foundersfeedback@westhamunited.co.uk so that together, we can provide the very best matchday experience possible.

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THU, 04 AUG 2016EUROPA LEAGUE - QUALIFYING THIRD ROUND - 2ND LEG
19:45
Venue: London Stadium
West Ham United v NK Domzale

BBC.co.uk

How to follow:
Listen on BBC Radio London, live text commentary and report on the BBC Sport website.

West Ham's first game at the Olympic Stadium may feel like an away match to their players, says boss Slaven Bilic. The Hammers begin a new era in their new home when they host Slovenia's NK Domzale in the second leg of a Europa League third qualifying round tie. Around 54,000 will see West Ham bid to overturn a 2-1 deficit but Bilic said: "It doesn't feel like a home game."

The Hammers left Upton Park at the end of last season to move to the stadium which hosted athletics at London 2012. "We will do the same things - go for a meal, get on the coach, but instead of Upton Park, we'll be coming here in front of 54,000," added Bilic. "There's no better way to adjust to a new stadium than playing in it."

West Ham need to win their first game at the Olympic Stadium, officially known as the London Stadium, to advance to the play-off round. "We have a job to do and if we play better than what we did in the first leg we have a great chance of getting through," added Bilic. "We can find excuses and were missing players, but we should have played much better. "We are back home and it is a big game for us on Thursday night. We want to qualify for the next round."

France midfielder Dimitri Payet, Wales defender James Collins and Italy defender Angelo Ogbonna are not yet available for West Ham after their involvement at Euro 2016.

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West Ham's Europa League rivals NK Domzale seek movie inspiration By Matt Davis BBC Sport

Slovenian minnows NK Domzale will be be out to ruin West Ham's first game at the Olympic stadium on Thursday when they meet in the second leg of their Europa League qualifying third-round tie.

Luka Elsner's side "made history" in the first leg with a shock 2-1 win against the Hammers, the biggest result in the club's 95-year existence.

It was a remarkable achievement given the disparity between the two sides.

This is a club that cannot afford to pay transfer fees, that is forced to sell its best players every couple of years, with a team ethic inspired by the Hollywood film 300 and a young manager in the mould of Diego Simeone.

Before Thursday's match, Elsner tells BBC Sport about his coaching philosophy, the club's novel approach to transfers and his Domzale "army".

Diddy Domzale

West Ham were without France international Dimitri Payet but still fielded a strong side in Slovenia, including record £15m signing Andy Carroll.

The likes of Payet and Carroll earn thousands each week, contrasting sharply with the financial pulling power of Domzale.

"A week's salary of any of the West Ham players would be enough to cover the club's expenses for a whole month," said 34-year-old Elsner. "It is a big difference. It would probably cost 60,000 or 70,000 euros [£50,500-£58,900] to run the club for a month."

It is not just in salaries that Domzale are dwarfed by their Premier League rivals.

West Ham's new stadium has a 60,000 capacity, which could hold the 12,588 residents of Domzale almost five times over. By contrast, Domzale play their home games at Sports Park, a stadium that can handle 2,813.

It is so small that the first leg was moved to the Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana. Barely 3,000 attended the first leg, but a sell-out is expected on Thursday.

Revolving doors

Domzale cannot afford to pay transfer fees. The aim is to develop players and sell them on at a profit.

"We never keep one team for two or three years together because we need to sell to survive," Elsner said. "We are constantly changing our first 11."

The club survives on a network of scouts and coaches trying to unearth talent at home and abroad.

"Slovenia is a small market. We play four times against each team, each season, so we know exactly what players are available," Elsner added.

"In terms of scouting, it's tough. We can't pay transfer fees, so we have to look for something that maybe other teams don't see.

"This is the philosophy of the club. We will never have the finances to allow us to spend big but hopefully we have new ideas and really take care of players."

Signing a player via LinkedIn

Elsner says his club do not want "mercenaries" but are looking for a player with a certain type of character.

"We like to take players that maybe have talent but who haven't managed to take that last step to become a really good player," he said. "We give them the possibility to do that and work with them in the hope they develop enough.

"Before we look at their football characteristics, we are looking for good men, with a good personality, who are willing to work. If we have to push someone and be behind them 24 hours a day, then they are not for us.

"In the last three seasons we have sold almost 12 players to other clubs. That is a good story for everyone coming to us."

Domzale found a novel way to sign a player in February, using the online networking service LinkedIn.

After Elsner posted a message asking for an "offensive right-back" who "must have an EU passport", the top-flight club received 150 applications and signed Spanish defender Alvaro Brachi, 30, just before transfer deadline day.

Elsner said: "We have a low budget, we can only afford players with no transfer fees and can only give a salary. That takes a lot of work and imagination. We once used LinkedIn as a possibility and it worked, Alvaro is playing well for us."

This is Sparta!

Domzale players are shown films to motivate them and inspire a team ethic.

One of those is Hollywood movie 300, starring Gerard Butler. It is the story of King Leonidas leading 300 Spartans to victory over the Persian "god-King" Xerxes and his 300,000 soldiers.

"We are an army, we need to stick together to even have a chance of competing," Elsner said. "West Ham have so much quality that if we did not work as a group then we would not have had a chance.

"Like 300, we are small and outnumbered, but we do everything we can to hold our position. We use a lot of motivational stuff through the season. The mental side is huge. We want to be ready to fight on the field."

Simeone Mark II?

Elsner had a successful playing career, winning two Slovenian league titles with Domzale and making one appearance for the national side. He is also Domzale's record appearance holder.

His grandfather is former Austria manager Branko Elsner, while his father, Marko Elsner, won Olympic football bronze with Yugoslavia in 1984.

Elsner retired in 2012 to pursue a coaching career. He is among the youngest in Europe and looks to others for inspiration. Among them is Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, whom Elsner admires for his ability to create a team ethic.

"I stopped my playing career because I had a passion to be a coach," Elsner said. "I wanted to do it early, get experience. Many questioned my decision, because I could have played on for three or four years."

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3/8/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 11:56AM TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Antonio wants move back to more attacking role –

According to an interview with FourFourTwo, Michail Antonio has stated that he wants to be restored to a more attacking role again this season and become one of the best wingers in the Premier League. This is music to my ears and I'm sure it is to the majority of the Hammers fanbase. Michail goes on to highlight his best moments of last season and how the fans urge him to take on players at every given opportunity.

Hammers in Santon talks? –

According to various sources including Gianluca Di Marzio, Sky Sports and ESPN, the Hammers have turned to current Inter Milan and former Newcastle United fullback, Davide Santon as an option in their ongoing search for a leftback. They claim that Bilic is interested in bringing Santon back to the Premier League on an initial loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the season. Both Sunderland and Napoli were interested in the player earlier in this window but neither move materialised with rumours coming out of Italy that he failed a medical with Napoli. West Ham have been linked with the Italian international before and as our very own ExWHUEmployee stated he could be an option that the club would consider again due to his versatility in being able to play both rightback and leftback. Di Marzio claims that the deal would cost the Hammers €550,000 for the loan fee with a €5.9m option to buy. ESPN have gone as far as stating that Santon has actually flown over for talks with the club and to undergo a medical if these are successful.

Bid increased for Olsson, agent not happy –

According to reports the Hammers have submitted a new £4m bid for the Norwich City leftback after their initial £3m offer was turned down by the Canaries. On top of that the Swede's agent has gone public with his disgust at the Championship club for not letting his client talk to clubs that have made offers for him.

Sakho close to joining the Baggies –

It was reported last night that Diafra Sakho had agreed personal terms with West Brom after they had agreed a fee with the Hammers for disgruntled Senegalese striker. All that remains now is for the former Metz man to pass a medical with the Baggies and for West Ham to then rubberstamp the move. Something they might not actually do until they get a striker in themselves.

A new Bacca deadline? –

It seems that with every day that passes by, Carlos Bacca's options for next season dwindle away one by one. It's no secret that the player wants to move to a Champions League club this Summer but thus far only West Ham have agreed a deal with AC Milan for his services next year. Clubs with reported interested have looked and bought elsewhere such as Atletico Madrid with Gameiro, Sevilla with Ben Yedder/Vietto and now PSG with Jese Rodriguez, although in all likelyhood PSG would never have attempted to sign Bacca in the first place given they already have their maximum 4 non-EU players at the club in Thiago Silva, Luiz, Moura and Maxwell. Now reports from Italy indicate that AC Milan are losing their patience with the whole matter. Various sources have indicated that they have given the Colombian until the end of this week to make a decision, another source has stated that Bacca himself will not agree to move until he knows if West Ham are still in the Europa League after Thursday. This seems well wide of the mark because the Hammers will also have a qualifying tie to past if they win against the Slovenians on Thursday night.

Hammers not interested in Gomez? –

Reports coming out of Besiktas last night indicated that Bilic had spoken to one of their club representatives and confirmed that the Hammers were not interested in the German striker. This is actually quite a complicated deal that most of the press haven't discussed when linking Mario with teams. The Turkish club have an option on Gomez after his loan period in Turkey last year which I believe they have taken up although the player does not want to move there, thus they are due compensation if he moves to another club this window even though Fiorentina own him. According to the Turkish report Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund remain interested in the players whilst the Mirror amongst other English sources claim that West Ham are still very much in the mix for his services but only if our first choice Bacca, officially rejects our offer and we move on.

Calleri confirms Hammers deal –

Jonathan Calleri confirmed to the South American press that he will be joining West Ham this Summer after rejecting offers to join other European Giants. Other sources here claim that the deal is finalised subject to a work permit which cannot be completed until after Argentina are eliminated from the Olympics which could be over 2 weeks from now depending on how far they progress.

Ayew deal – the hold up? –

It's no secret that the club have submitted a sizeable bid for the Ghanaian international who was born in France which most expect the Welsh side to accept. The problem is that Swansea basically have no strikers at present bar Ayew and Emnes and they themselves are frantically searching the market to bring in reinforcements for the position including Sevilla's Llorente and Leicester City's Ulloa. Much like Sakho's imminent departure to West Brom, it may well be that Swansea aren't prepared to let Ayew leave until they bring in a player themselves thus the domino affect once again. Various sources have claimed that the deal has already been agreed with the club and player and this is what's holding up Ayew officially joining.

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EDER ON HAMMERS RADAR?
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 12:24PM TheWestHamWay.co.uk

According to Corriere dello Sport, West Ham United will offer Inter Milan €15m to let striker Eder make a move to the Olympic Stadium.

The 29-year-old was one of Italy's key men at Euro 2016 and had been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League earlier this summer, soon after his Italy teammate Graziano Pelle completed a switch.

It is no secret that the Hammers see AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca as their number one target, however negotiations consistently stall, thus West Ham may look elsewhere to find a secure new signing for the summer.

Eder is currently six months into a two-year long loan deal at Inter from fellow Serie A side Sampdoria, but has scored just one goal in 15 games overall for them.

Whilst at Sampdoria, Eder was linked to the Hammers and his goalscoring record of 13 goals last season prior to his January move to Inter would be far more appealing than his form in the second half of the season.

If Eder does become available it wouldn't surprise me if his former National Manager, Antonio Conte showed some interest as they are still looking for striking options at Stamford Bridge although Lukaku seems to be their main target at this point.

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EXWHUEMPLOYEE: SANTON ON HIS WAY
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 4:43PM TheWestHamWay.co.uk

It appears that Italian international Davide Santon is flying in from Inter Milan to sign a season long loan for the club.

As I "predicted" on our radio show last week, he would be a top target. The main reason is that he is versatile and can play both at left back (where he will cover Cresswell) and at right back where he will give us an alternative to Antonio and Byram.

The player previously played for Newcastle United and this Premier League experience was also a desirable trait that he had. Santon has a child from an English woman and was keen to move back to the country to spend more time with his daughter.

The move was prompted after both Norwich for Olsson and Brady and Hull with Robertson kept increasing their demands to amounts that we did not think represented value for money.

The plan is to have Santon in place so he can feature in the Juventus friendly and be in line for his debut against Chelsea and so a medical has been booked for today. This transfer and many others will be discussed on our radio show live at 7pm today on Phoenix 98Fm (you can listen through the internet). We will post the links to the show afterwards as well.

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Santon flies in for talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Milan defender Davide Santon is on his way to England for a medical ahead of a loan move to West Ham, say reports. ESPN report this morning that the left-sided full back has flown to the UK ahead of talks and a medical, should all progress smoothly. The 25-year-old is expected to join West Ham on a season-long loan with view to a permanent move, should both parties agree. Santon, who joined Inter on a free transfer a year ago is no stranger to the Premier League, having previously featured for Newcastle United. He spent four years on Tyneside with the Magpies before moving to Inter - initially on loan, in February 2015 before sealing a permanent move to Serie A. The Italian defender - once cited as one of the world's most highly-rated teenagers - will prvide back up for the injured Aaron Cresswell, who is out of action until November.

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Sakho set for Albion switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Diafra Sakho is on the verge of completing a move to West Bromwich Albion. The out-of-favour striker is poised to complete a £16million move to the Hawthorns before the day is out, having agreed terms with the Midlands-based club. Sakho, 26, is currently undergoing a medical with Albion, according to the Mail, and should that prove successful could be named as a West Brom player by the end of the day. The Senegal international - who cost West Ham £4.5million when signing from Metz in the summer of 2014 - made just 50 appearances for West Ham during his two seasons at the club scoring a total of 19 goals. Albion are set to pay £10million up front, with the remaining £6million dependent on a series of clauses being triggered.

* This story was updated at 4.40pm.

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Bilic confirms Lanzini lay-off
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has confirmed that he expects attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini to be sidelined for around a month after he picked up a knock in an international friendly. The 23-year-old Argentine sustained the knee injury during a pre-Olympics friendly against Colombia and, according to Bilic, is likely to be out of action until the beginning of September. "He joined the Olympic national team, but in a friendly game against Colombia he got a kick on his knee and got injured," confirmed Bilic during his press conference this morning. "It's not only a kick on his knee, to be fair. It's not a big, big injury, but he can't play for the next four or five weeks. I think he's going to miss the first three games of the season, which is not ideal but not that bad. "So, we think he'll be back after the international break following the Manchester City game."

Lanzini - who excelled during his first season at the club in 2015/16 - is expected to miss tomorrow's Europa League second leg against NK Domzale plus the forthcoming Premier League fixtures with Chelsea, Bournemouth and (the aforementioned) Manchester City, on 28 August.

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Bilic confirms Calleri deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has admitted that signing a new left back is a priority - whilst confirming that Jonathan Calleri is close to joining the club. Bilic, speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow evening's Europa League clash with NK Domzale - a game West Ham must win to stay in the competition - revealed that he is hoping to secure the services of a replacement for the injured Aaron Cresswell imminently. "Even before Cress got injured we were looking to strengthen there," he insisted. "But it's hard to find a good one, who we like and who is willing to come to us. "Many clubs are looking for a left-back, now with Cress' injury that has become a priority. There a few players on our list and hopefully we are going to get one. We are not going to discuss it openly but we are looking in that position."

And Bilic - who trained at the Olympic Stadium with his squad for the first time this morning - also revealed that he is close to completing a deal for the 22-year-old Argentine striker. "It's close, he's a good player," he said. "But the same goes with the players we want to sign for left-back, we are in talks but we are not discussing the transfer. We are trying to do them and then we'll talk. Like any other manager, chairman or director, we would like to do the business as quick as possible. But very rarely can you get it done quickly. "It's a situation that we are all in. We have signed some really good players, we were very quick and active in the beginning or at the end of last season. "Now with these couple of positions, it is not only us, it's the whole of Europe, who can afford of course, that are trying to get those type of players."

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Hammers prepare to smash attendance record KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's record attendance is set to be smashed tomorrow night when the Hammers host NK Domzale in the Europa League.

KUMB revealed last year how the club's official attendance record of 42,322 - recorded for a Division One clash with Tottenham in 1970 - is almost certainly inaccurate.

That's because some 43 years prior to that occasion, a crowd figure of 44,417 was recorded for another home clash with Tottenham.

However West Ham decided to make the 1970 figure their records attendance as, according to Hammers historian John Northcutt, "the loss of records during the war leaves earlier attendances unconfirmed".

Either way, the existing record is about to be blitzed when around 54,000 supporters visit the Olympic Stadium tomorrow night for United's first ever fixture at their new home.

And that record will be broken itself within a matter of weeks, when Bournemouth become the first team to feature in a Premier League clash at the OS - for which the stadium capacity is being raised to 60,000.

Slaven Bilic revealed today that he is looking forward to the Olympic Stadium opening match - although insisted that his team need to hit the ground running, having lost 2-1 in the first leg last week.

"We have been talking about the new stadium for a long time," he said. "Now it is done, it is up to us to play good and to keep the people who are coming hungry and motivated to watch us all the time.

"We had a negative result in the first leg and we know we will have to play better than we did.

"We have to adjust to the new stadium and there is no better way than to win a game. The wins reduce the time necessary to adjust and hopefully we will start on Thursday.

"We have a job to do but I am confident we are going to play better than we did in Slovenia and that we will beat them with the result that will see us qualify for the play-off stages."


Top Five Attendances at the Boleyn Ground

1. 44,417: 8 Jan 1927 v Tottenham (FA Cup 3rd Round) 2. 42,716: 21 Jan 1938 v Tottenham (FA Cup 4th Round) 3. 42,322: 17 Oct 1970 v Tottenham (Division One) 4. 42,300: 16 Jan 1937 v Bolton Wanderers (Division Two) 5. 42,271: 14 Feb 1972 v Hereford Utd (FA Cup 4th Round replay)

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West Ham in talks with Inter Milan over loan deal for Davide Santon - Sky sources By Sky Sports News HQ Last Updated: 03/08/16 1:23pm SSN

West Ham are in talks with Inter Milan over a deal to sign former Newcastle defender Davide Santon on loan, according to Sky sources. The Hammers have offered a loan fee of £460,000 for the Italian left-back, according to Sky sources, with the option to make the deal permanent next summer for £5m. West Ham are seeking cover for first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell, who was ruled out for up to four months in July after suffering a knee ligament injury. Sky sources also understand West Ham have had bids for Norwich's Martin Olsson and Hull's Andrew Robertson turned down. Santon, who started his career at Inter, joined Newcastle in 2011 and went on to make 94 appearances for the club during his three-and-a-half years at St James' Park. The 25-year-old, capped eight times by Italy, returned to Inter on loan in January 2015 before making the move permanent six months later. He made only 13 appearances for Inter last season, all but one of those coming in the Serie A, and is contracted to Inter until 2018.

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West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini out for five weeks By Nick Lustig Last Updated: 03/08/16 2:56pm SSN

Slaven Bilic has revealed West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini will miss up to five weeks of the new season with a knee injury. The 23-year-old sustained the injury while on international duty with Argentina ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and has since returned to London for treatment. Lanzini will miss the opening three matches of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign, but Bilic expects to have him back at his disposal for the home game against Watford on September 10.
Ahead of West Ham's first match at the Olympic Stadium against NK Domzale in the Europa League on Thursday, Bilic said: "Unfortunately that's another blow for us. He was not supposed to play tomorrow anyway. He was with us in the United States during our first part of the pre-season, he stayed there and we flew back to London. He joined the Olympic national team, but in a friendly game against Colombia he got a kick on his knee and got injured. It's not only a kick on his knee to be fair. It's not a big, big injury, but he can't play for the next four or five weeks. "I think he's going to miss the first three games of the season, which is not ideal but not that bad. So, we think he'll be back after the international break following the Manchester City game."

West Ham are also seeking cover for first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell, who was ruled out for up to four months after suffering a knee injury in the 3-0 pre-season victory over German side Karlsruher in July. Sky sources understand the Hammers are in talks with Inter Milan over a deal to sign left-back Davide Santon on loan and have also had bids rejected for Norwich's Martin Olsson and Hull's Andrew Robertson. "Even before Cress got injured we were looking to strengthen there but it's hard to find a good one, who we like and is willing to come to us," the West Ham manager said. "Most clubs are looking for a left-back, now with Cress' injury that has become a priority. "There a few players on our list and hopefully we are going to get one, but before we sign one or if we sign one, we are not going to discuss it openly. But we are looking in that position."

Sky sources also understand West Ham have bid £20m for Swansea forward Andre Ayew, while Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri is set to join the club on a season-long loan from Boca Juniors. When asked about the deal to sign Calleri, Bilic said: "It's close and he's a good player. Like I said, the same goes with the players we want to sign for left-back, we are in talks but we are not discussing the transfer. We are trying to do them and then we'll talk. "Like any other manager, chairman or director, we would like to do the business as quick as possible. But very rarely can you get it done quickly. "It's a situation that we are all in. We have signed some really good players, we were very quick and active in the beginning or at the end of last season. "Now with these couple of positions, it is not only us, it's the whole of Europe, who can afford of course, that are trying to get those type of players."

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