Daily WHUFC News - 23rd June 2016

Coaching duo sign new deals
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that goalkeeper coach Chris Woods and coaching assistant Julian Dicks have agreed new two-year contracts with the Club. After a successful first season on the backroom staff, former England stopper Woods and Hammers legend Dicks have been rewarded with new deals by manager Slaven Bilic and the Board.
Under Woods' guidance, Adrian enjoyed another stellar season, being named in Spain's provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2016, while Darren Randolph produced a series of strong displays to earn his position as Republic of Ireland No1 for this summer's tournament.
Dicks, who forged a close relationship with manager Bilic during their playing days in east London, has added knowledge and passion to the Croatian's experienced backroom team, which played a pivotal role in a final season at the Boleyn Ground. A European Cup winner who was capped 43 times by England, Woods said: "It has been brilliant to be involved with the Club in the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground. This is an exciting time moving forward and it is great for me to be part of that. "Slaven has made me feel so welcome and he has been fantastic to work with since the day I arrived. He leaves no stone unturned and his enthusiasm rubs off on everybody. "It has been a great privilege for me to work for a Club with such great tradition. Hopefully we can grow even stronger. "Everyone works well together and this is one of the best team spirits I have been part of. The players are top class."

Woods has particularly relished the opportunity to work with West Ham's stable of goalkeepers, helping Adrian, Randolph and England U19 star Sam Howes to catch the eye of their respective national-team coaches. "I have really enjoyed coaching Adrian, Darren and the other young goalkeepers and they have been different class to work on a daily basis," Woods confirmed. "They learn from each other and hopefully my experience as well! "We are a close-knit group and you need that bond and relationship if you are going be successful."

Having made 326 appearances and scored 65 goals in Claret and Blue, Dicks jumped at the chance to make a return to his beloved Club last summer. Posting on his Instagram page, the Terminator expressed his delight at extending his stay in east London: "Over the moon to say I've just signed a new two-year contract." Woods, Dicks and the first-team squad will return to pre-season training on Friday 1 July, before jetting out to the United States for a two-match tour taking in fixtures with Seattle Sounders and Carolina RailHawks.

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Ex-Hammer delighted for former teammates
WHUFC.com

Former midfielder Jack Collison has been delighted to see his former Wales teammates performing so well in France. He cites a Hammers defender as a key factor in their success…

As a former Wales international, it's been superb to see how well Chris Coleman's side have done at UEFA Euro 2016 so far. I haven't been surprised at all by their achievements. It's been brilliant to see them win a tough group which included England.

There are so many boys in the squad who I have played with at both U21 and senior level or people like Ginge [James Collins] at West Ham and it's no surprise they're doing so well. They're a fantastic tight-knit group and they're just starting to show that now to the rest of the world.

Of course the brilliance of Gareth Bale often takes the plaudits, but it has been a real team effort, even more so against Russia than in the first two games. Aaron Ramsey was outrageous and some of the stuff he was doing was just a joy to watch.

It's not only him; Joe Allen has played a key part, playing it simple and keeping things ticking over in the middle and then the defensive line has been really great as well.

So, it's been a team effort so far and it always helps when you've got Gareth Bale in your team, because you know that if you can keep it tight in the defence, if you get one or two opportunities, there's a good chance he's going to take one.

Ginge hasn't got on the pitch yet but he's a massive character within that squad. He is an experienced head and he's great to have around off the pitch because he gets on so well with everyone. He has been there and seen it all.

Hopefully we'll see him on the pitch before the end of the tournament. It would be nice if it was in a semi-final or something, wouldn't it?! Hopefully he'll get a boost being in that squad and bring that form back to West Ham for next season.

I think the main aim for Wales was to qualify for the knockout stages, so I think now, every game is a bonus. Nobody is going to want to play Wales at the moment. The way they play, if they keep it tight defensively, they are always going to create chances up field and with Bale and Ramsey there's a good chance they'll take one.

Who knows how far they can go now? If they can get through this next round and into the quarter-finals, it would be a massive achievement. I don't think they want the journey to end, so hopefully they can give it a good go and see where it takes them.

I myself won't be getting to any matches unfortunately, as I'm now heading out to America – to Boston and New York – to coach for my JC Soccer Schools. It's the first time we have gone international, so it's great news and I'm looking forward to it.

The kids are loving it and so are all the coaches, and it's just great to be delivering good football sessions at pretty much every level. We coach up to 18-year-olds now which is very pleasing.

I can't wait to get to the US to do some more of the same and teach some of the children the West Ham way!

Keep your eyes peeled for a JC Soccer Schools competition where you can win two tickets to the opening game at the new Stadium on Twitter at @JCsoccerschools

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Zaza agent set for talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd June 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are set for talks with the agent of Italian international Simone Zaza, say reports. According to Fabrizio Romano (writing for the Guardian), talks between the two parties have been scheduled for sometime today. West Ham are said to be prepared to pay in the region of £15million for the striker, who is also reported to be interesting Premier League champions Leicester City, although current club Juventus are holding out for closer to £30million. Zaza - who said recently that his preference would be to remain in Turin - made his Euro 16 debut as a second half substitute against Sweden at the weekend and is likely to feature again against the Republic of Ireland in tonight's final group clash.
The 24-year-old is likely to line up alongside current West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna, who is yet to appear for Italy at the tournament but expected to feature tonight. Fellow Hammer Darren Randolph should also feature for the Irish.

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Exclusive: West Ham make Smalling enquiry
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd June 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United are examining the possibility of signing Manchester United and England defender Chris Smalling. The 26-year-old defender, who is currently representing his country at the European Championships in France could be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford following the arrival of new manager Jose Mourinho. A recent report in the Daily Mirror suggested that the Portuguese boss would be willing to part with both Smalling and Daley Blind, both of whom were regulars under Louis Van Gaal last season. And KUMB has learned that West Ham have since made an enquiry into the availability of the former Fulham defender, who moved from Craven Cottage to the North West five years ago in a £7million switch.
The Greenwich-born defender began his career at Millwall's Academy although it was at Maidstone United where he piqued the interest of Fulham and Middlesbrough. An 18-year-old Smalling joined 'Boro in April 2008 but his contract was annulled shortly after following complaints of homesickness. That allowed Fulham to reignite their interest and Smalling joined the south west London club in two months later. After less than 18 months and a handful of first team appearances at Fulham, Smalling joined Manchester United but remained at Fulham for the remainder of the 2009/10 campaign - since when he has gone on to become a regular choice in Manchester United's defence.

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EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 21 JUNE 2016 AT 10:11PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

The problem with writing a column every single day is not only is it time consuming but it opens you up to even more stick. There will be some days when there isn't much news to talk about. This does not mean I am waiting for another source to tweet it or that sometimes my columns may not "contain any new information". Our site prides itself on reliable and accurate news. We do not make stories up for the sake of hits, we tell the facts as they are. I will therefore not break with what the site stands for and just make things up for the sake of a story. This column responds to the tweets and news that is ALREADY out there. I am not claiming the news as my own, I am answering the rumours with what I know.

Rumour One: We have accepted a £50m-£60m bid for Payet from Madrid. (Or that his agent has met with Madrid officials).

This is not true. There has been no bid lodged for the player. As I have said a number of times in my articles Madrid are keen. Zidane is a big fan and of course Payet idolises Zidane so there is an obvious attraction for both parties. This however does not mean that Payet will go. David Sullivan does not want to sell the player and wants to keep him regardless of the cost. Payet is at the Euros and is concentrating on that. He is not seeking a move or instructing his agent to do so. At the moment the story is an easy one for the journalists to write and get many hits off.

Rumour Two: Lacazette will not be joining the club. This at the moment is true. This is something that I reported in my column yesterday evening and of course many sites have claimed it as their exclusive today. The problem is that Lyon are playing games with the price and keep raising it and it isn't clear that Lacazette wants to join either. He is a Lyon boy and they play Champions League football, and we cannot offer either of those. This doesn't mean that the deal is dead because I always think that DS can convince anyone or any club but for the time being it is.

Rumour Three: We have submitted a £30m offer for Batshuayi of Marseille. If you had asked me at the start when all this talk of a 20 goal a season forward came out I would have said it will be Batshuayi and I probably did tweet that. There was and is definite interest in the forward but Lacazette was the first choice. There were no smokescreens, no hidden tactics – the bottom line is the club thought Lacazette proved himself all season whereas Batshuayi faded off. So the club wanted the Lyon forward. This doesn't look like happening and so attention has been switched elsewhere. Batshuayi could well emerge as the top target and we could try and persuade him not to join Spurs by promising him more game time. The club were so keen to sign him they explored options with investing in Marseille back in January but this was not possible. The interest then faded as Minchy's form did. The situation with Lacazette could prompt a move but I don't think a bid has gone in yet. Even if it doesn't come off it makes a point to Lyon to show that we are prepared to look elsewhere. The fanzine and my last few transfer columns have spelt out other targets.

Rumour Four: What is happening with Tore and Hutchinson? No change from yesterday's column. We want both players. Their club know this so they are holding out for as much as they can get.

Rumour Five: Are you sure you are correct about Slav not wanting a Right Back? I could tell you he does want a right back (which is not true). This is what everyone wants to hear and this is a tactic being employed elsewhere for hits. Unfortunately as the Informer has confirmed Slav believes Antonio is a great fullback and that Byram will be too.

Rumour Six: Which players will leave? The West Ham Way has been all over this all summer. The biggest names are likely to be Sakho, Valencia, Obiang and Tomkins, although none are certain to leave. This was also confirmed by the Informer today.

Rumour Seven: Perisic to join? Being Croatian, Slav obviously knows of him. He is at the Euros and a move for him will not be discussed until his involvement in the tournament has ended. At the moment there are a lot of clubs interested and I do not think he is a likely option at this stage.

This is my understanding of the transfers at the end of the 21st June. These transfer situations can change before I get to speak to my sources. I work 8am-5:30pm and then run my own business outside these hours. I do not have time to speak to my sources every minute of every day but I will continue to update you as and when I get the news. The daily round up will continue

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THE INFORMER: HE IS BACK WITH HIS TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 21 JUNE 2016 AT 8:22PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

This is our third and final "other" ITK for the site. As I said about the other two, all of them offer a different range of sources and actually have all our transfer news rounded up. I will conclude myself with my own column but the "Informer" knows a lot about our transfer dealings.

I am sorry there has been such a delay between my second and third column. Part of the problem is that ExWhuEmployee and myself share a lot of the same sources so I see little point in duplicating much of the same information and although we do have some different sources, most West Ham news gets old very quickly so I have struggled to think of something to write about despite EX chasing weekly.

The so called silly season is now in full effect with stories coming thick and fast from every angle so I welcome Ex's new daily transfer round up to separate the wheat from the chaff. Believe it or not – with the exception the infamous intern reporter at the Brentwood Gazette, the vast majority journalists do not set out to deceive football fans and they don't make up stories on the whole. They are professionals who believe in their stories and have professional pride then they are given credit for but they can sometimes be led down the garden path by outside forces with their own agendas.

Unsurprisingly football agents are the usually the biggest guilty parties in many of these far fetched stories, they love to speak to sports reporters hungry for a transfer story but clubs can play the same games too leaking information to press to meet their own agenda. A good example of this is West Ham's own 'Insider' column. Does anyone really believe this insider is a real person or individual employed by the club? Lets be honest, It is the club's own media department using information from David Sullivan or Tony Henry to spin a story. Yesterday's WHUFC.com column was obviously spelling out to the football world that James Tomkins is considered both a fringe player and is unhappy. Well if he wasn't unhappy before, he will be now after reading those comments on the official website.

There are certain journalists you should trust who have David Sullivan's ear and are often in direct and regular contact with him by email. These include Lee Clayton from the Daily Mail, Matt Law from the Telegraph and Matt Lawless from the Daily Mirror. When ever any of these journos write something about West Ham and quote an inside source you can almost guarantee it comes from Sullivan or the club.

In reality the old saying of there is no smoke without fire is true of most transfer stories and the club will have scouted many hundreds of players over the course of a season, many of the names linked with us have probably been scouted at some time to be fair, others are players which agents would like to offer to West Ham, again, I understand David Sullivan receives hundreds of emails and phone calls each week in the transfer window from agents thinking their client is perfect for West Ham or other chairman trying to move on a player they don't fancy anymore. Many transfer stories are just exaggerated so a simple scouting mission becomes a club inquiry about the player, inquiries become imaginary bids and so on. We only hear official confirmation about the ones who get signed or when the other club or player confirms it but trust me lots goes on with many dozens of names behind the scenes which fall by the road side.

One name which appears to be at the end of that road is Alexandre Lacazette, I am told he doesn't want to come to us, maybe he never wanted to come to us and it was just a clever play to flush out other potential bidders. Same goes for Jamie Vardy, despite early conversations with his agents it appears they were engineering a larger club to come in for him, although his proposed move to Arsenal seems in danger of collapsing.

I can confirm EX's claims that we are no longer looking for a big name first choice right back this transfer window. Bilic sees Michail Antonio as his first choice right back this coming season with Sam Byram as the backup option. Whilst it is true we made a 3 million Euro bid for 33 year old right back Atiba Hutchinson he has been deployed as a defensive midfielder by Besiktas.

James Tomkins, Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho and Pedro Obiang days are all numbered at West Ham if club valuations are met as they are considered fringe players, unhappy or in one case a drama queen. While some fans may feel frustrated by lack of progress this summer with two free transfers as the only two incoming players you need to remember that the summer transfer window doesn't officially open for another 10 days.

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West Ham's Reece Oxford offered deal by Red Bull Leipzig - Sky sources
By Rory O'Callaghan
Last Updated: 22/06/16 12:53pm
SSN

West Ham midfielder Reece Oxford has been offered a £20,000-a-week contract by Bundesliga club Red Bull Leipzig, according to Sky sources. The newly-promoted German side are the latest club to attempt to lure the highly-rated 17-year-old away from the Hammers. Leipzig are preparing for their first season in the top flight of German football after finishing second in Bundesliga 2 last season. Sky sources understand Oxford wishes to stay in England, with Manchester United and Liverpool both thought be keen on the player.
Rafael Benitez is also interested in taking Oxford on a season-long loan to Newcastle United, as he attempts to guide the club back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Oxford, who is contracted to West Ham until 2018, made his first-team debut at the age of 16, starring in West Ham's opening-day 2-0 win at Arsenal last season. The England U-19 international has since played a further 11 games for Slaven Bilic's side and is viewed as the club's brightest young prospect. West Ham are thought to be only considering bids above £10m for Oxford, who rejected a new deal at the club earlier this summer.

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West Ham reignite Alexandre Lacazette interest as the Irons line up swoop for Lyon striker
16:03, 22 JUN 2016 UPDATED 16:04, 22 JUN 2016
BY JOHN CROSS
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is desperate for a top class striker and believes the French international fits the bill
The Mirror

West Ham have gone back for Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette - and are ready to pay £30m. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is desperate for a top class striker and believes the French international fits the bill. Lacazette has also been a target for Tottenham while Newcastle had a £20m offer turned down in January. Despite Lacazette setting his sights on joining a Champions League club, West Ham refuse to give up and have made a fresh approach to try and get a deal across the line. West Ham believe Tottenham have gone cold on Lacazette and they are targeting Marseille's Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi. Marseille are ready to sell for around £30m but Batshuayi has been stalling to see whether other clubs will come in during the Euros. West Ham's ambitious moves for Lacazette show they are ready to spend big this summer to try and take the club to the next level.

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Feghouli on mega deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 22, 2016 in News
C and H

Sofiane Feghouli is understood to have become one of the highest paid Hammers after joining the club on a free transfer earlier in the month. The Paris-born wideman signed a deal worth between £60k and £65k a week plus add ons to join the club after leaving Valencia on a free transfer. He explained at the time: "Playing in the Premier League is very important for players in their careers and I am happy to play for the Hammers." With no transfer fee involved, and his market vale at around £14 million, Feghouli and his advisors were able to push his wage demands to the limit as the Hammers – like every other club in the PL – was caught in the inflationary spiral affecting the game. ClaretandHugh was told: "It was an expensive deal and he is on around the sort of figures you mention but the inflation in the game has become like a runaway train."

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Former Hammer joins Barnsley
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 22, 2016 in News
C and H

Championship side Barnsley have signed former Hammer George Moncur for a transfer fee of £500,000 according to BBC Essex. Moncur scored 14 goals in 51 games for the Colchester last season, but could not help them avoid relegation from League One. The 22-year-old had also held talks with Peterborough, where personal terms had been verbally agreed, according to Posh director of football, Barry Fry. Barnsley's official website said "Barnsley Football Club is delighted to confirm Colchester United midfielder George Moncur has agreed personal terms today at Oakwell following agreement of the transfer fee with the U's. The sought-after midfielder was a wanted man after an excellent campaign for Colchester United and the 22-year-old will team up with the Reds for pre-season training.A product of West Ham's illustrious Academy system, the talented midfielder scored 14 times last season, including twice against the Reds."

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Batshuayi update
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
Michy-Batshuayi-612149The Daily Express are reporting that Michy Batshuayi is close to West Ham deal.

They claim "According to French outlet Buzzsport, the Ligue 1 side want as much as £30.8m for their 17-goal striker and while Spurs are unwilling to go that high, West Ham are said to be on the verge of completing a deal."

Only problem is the French Buzzport report says the player really wants to play for Spurs but the North London team refuse to meet his 40 million Euro valuation.

RR Very Low (1)The story seems to hinge on the fact that West Ham had already bid £31m which was rejected in May and therefore the Hammers are now in pole position to complete the deal by 1st July deadline set by Marseille's chairman. The only problem with this speculation is Slaven Bilic himself rubbished the reported £31m West Ham bid for Batshuayi although he admitted he liked the player.

Back May Bilic told the press "Michy Batshuayi, he's a top striker, playing for Marseille, big club scoring goals there, very young Belgium international, already a few years playing at the top level scoring goals, either for Standard Liège or Marseille now, he's a very good player yes, that's all I can say now at this moment but about these offers it is simply not true what is in the papers, as usual"

I am sorry but I am giving the latest Batshuayi rumour the very lowest rating for our rumour rater.
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West Ham in talks with Juventus over deal for Italy striker Simone Zaza
• 24-year-old striker also target for Wolfsburg, Leicester and others
• Zaza came off the bench in Italy's 1-0 Euro 2016 win over Sweden
@FabrizioRomano
Wednesday 22 June 2016 11.45 BST Last modified on Wednesday 22 June 2016 11.47 BST
The Guardian

West Ham are preparing a bid for the Juventus and Italy striker Simone Zaza, believed to be in the region of €20m (£15m). The Premier League club faces stiff competition from Wolfsburg among others, with the German side having already submitted an offer of €25m up front. Juventus are holding out for €30m (£23m). West Ham officials are due to hold talks today with Juventus in an attempt to structure a deal. The player has a contract with the Turin club until 2020 but the manager, Massilimiano Allegri, is planning a shake-up of his forward line with Alvaro Morata re-joining Real Madrid after two years with Juventus. Slaven Bilic, working as a pundit for ITV during Euro 2016, is keen to strengthen his squad, but could also face competition for the 24-year-old from Premier League rivals, including Leicester City. Zaza, who came off the bench in Italy's 1-0 win over Sweden and is likely to feature in their final Group E match against the Republic of Ireland, has distanced himself from the speculation, and said this week that he hopes to remain in Italy.
"I'll assess my future after the Euros, but I hope to remain in Turin," he said. "I feel happy on a personal level, but not 100 per cent because I think I can give more. I'm enjoying these Euros, I'm concentrated, fired-up and I hope to do well."

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West Ham's Dimitri Payet boost: No bid made or exit pursued despite Real Madrid interest
WEST HAM have reportedly received no bids for talisman Dimitri Payet.
By JACK STAPLEHURST
PUBLISHED: 09:30, Wed, Jun 22, 2016 | UPDATED: 09:41, Wed, Jun 22, 2016
Express.co.uk

The Hammers playmaker has sparked discussions over his future following his top-class displays in east London and at Euro 2016. An impressive debut season at West Ham highlighted his quality, but a heroic start to France's home tournament has seen his stock rise further. Having signed at West Ham for just £10.7million from Marseille last summer, the 29-year-old now apparently carries a £60m price-tag. Real Madrid are said to be watching closely, with Payet's idol Zinedine Zidane an admirer at the Bernanbeu. It has been claimed Payet's agent has met with representatives from the La Liga giants this week. But according to website The West Ham Way, neither Madrid or any other club have lodged a bid for Payet. The Hammers are desperate to keep hold of their star man ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium this summer. And their hopes will be strengthened further as Payet is said to be concentrating solely on the Euros and not instructing his agent to seek a move. Co-chairman David Sullivan wants his prized asset to stay regardless of the cost as West Ham continue their ultimate pursuit of Champions League football and winning a trophy.
If Payet's form at Euro 2016 continues, Madrid could be tempted to make a move. But the price, lack of sell-on value, age of Payet and West Ham's stubbornness makes a deal unlikely.
Last week, Payet's agent Mark McKay told Sky Sports: "As far as I am concerned, he's been happy at West Ham and it's down to West Ham that he's in the position that he is in."
Manager Slaven Bilic has also demonstrated his own admiration of Payet as a pundit during the Euros, with a focus of building around the playmaker in place for next term. And former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp also insists he can't see Payet leaving, especially after he signed an improved contract in February to tie him down until 2021. "I don't see a reason why they would sell their star player," Redknapp told Betsafe. "The fans idolise him, he has become a superstar with the West Ham supporters, probably the biggest crowd favourite since Paolo Di Canio. I'm sure Slaven Bilic and the board will keep him. West Ham is an emerging club; they were excellent last year and next year they could do even better. "Dimitri Payet will want to be part of that West Ham team; he has loved being at the Hammers. I'm sure he'll want to stay."

West Ham are currently searching for a prolific striker to make the most of chances created by Payet, but top target Alexandre Lacazette has now reportedly turned them down.

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