Daily WHUFC News - 23rd July 2017

Darren Randolph completes Middlesbrough move
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can confirm that goalkeeper Darren Randolph has completed a move to Championship side Middlesbrough for a fee of £5million. The 30-year-old Republic of Ireland international, who had his final outing in a Hammers shirt in Thursday's friendly against Fulham in Austria, leaves having made 42 appearances for the Club during a two-year spell. After signing from Birmingham City in the summer of 2015, Randolph provided back-up to Adrian in his first season, appearing in FA Cup ties and playing a handful of Premier League matches. However, last season he forced his way in to the team in November and went on to make 22 Premier League appearances, before Adrian returned between the sticks for the final five matches of the season. The campaign ended with a highlight for Randolph, though, when he was won the Save of the Season award at the 2016/17 Player Awards dinner, for his stunning fingertip stop up at Liverpool last December.
Manager Slaven Bilic said: "I would like to thank Darren for his service to the Club over the past two years. He has been a fantastic professional and, as a player and a person, has the respect of everyone at West Ham. "Darren is a very good goalkeeper, and I didn't want him to leave. However, I could not guarantee him regular first team football and, with the possibility of playing at the World Cup for the Republic of Ireland next summer, he wanted to take up the offer from Middlesbrough. "We didn't think it was right to deny him this opportunity to establish himself as a No1 playing every week in the Championship, but I am sorry to see him go and I wish him all the very best in the future."

Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Darren a happy and successful future with Middlesbrough FC.

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U18s held at home by Crystal Palace
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s let slip a lead for the second game in succession as they were held at home by Crystal Palace.

Sean Adarkwa gave the Hammers the lead with 20 minutes to play, but they were pegged back five minutes later in a close encounter at Little Heath.

Head coach Steve Potts made three changes from their midweek defeat away at Charlton Athletic. Sam Caiger and Reece Hannam were replaced by Rosaire Longelo and Kevin Dalipi and Anouar El Mhassani made his first start in claret and blue in place of Korrey Henry.

After an even opening 20 minutes, it was the home side who created the first effort on goal. A terrific corner from El Mhassani was headed inches wide by Dalipi.

Palace had an opportunity of their own minutes later with a fierce effort from the edge of the area fizzing just past the post.

Chances were few and far between for the rest of the first half with Longelo and Dalipi both having speculative efforts on goal.

Potts and assistant Mark Phillips made a number of changes at the interval but the game continued to be competitive. Palace once again went close on the hour mark but goalmouth action as a whole was in short supply.

However, the Hammers found the elusive breakthrough with just over 15 minutes to play. A delicate reverse pass by substitute Louie Watson played in El Mhassani who zipped in an inviting low cross for Adarkwa to tap home and score his first of pre-season.

Palace fought back immediately though and equalised a few minutes later when a low corner was drilled into the net from the edge of the box.

1-1 was probably a fair result as the U18s ticked off another competitive pre-season encounter. Many of the players involved will head to Slovakia for the pre-season camp on Sunday.

West Ham: Matrevics; Ngakia, Dalipi, Wells (c), R. Longelo; Mingi, Belic; El Mhassani, Rosa, Hamilton; E.Longelo.

Subs: Watson, Mbeta, Spyridis, Adarkwa, Greenidge, Okotcha, Forson.

Goals: Adarkwa

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OUR GREATEST SIGNING THIS WINDOW IS….
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 JULY 2017 AT 11:02PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Steven McCarthy

It is a great time to be a West Ham fan!
We have had this arduous period of waiting for a big name striker, and hopefully in the form of Hernandez, we will get a regular on both team and score sheet.With the imminent arrival of Arnautovic for a medical, we may add yet another proven premier league attacker to our ranks. And whilst I personally believe that we need at least one more regularly fit, goal scorer to go up top, it is fantastic to have a feel good vibe around the club again!

Why would I sign another striker though, our awful injury records with strikers should answer that well enough.
Ashton, Sakho and Carroll are two of the names that spring to my mind in relatively recent years.
However In Gary Lewin, we have brought to the club a man who is at the very top of the physiotherapy profession, and I believe he is quite possibly the most important signing the club has made in years.

Head Physiotherapist at Arsenal for very nearly 22 years, whilst regularly working within the England set up part time up until a full time transition in 2008, Lewin has worked at the very top level with numerous Legends of the game in the form of Henry, Bergkamp and Viera. Lewin not only brings a wealth of experience at the highest of levels of physiotherapy, but also the egos and personalities of the game, and having heard some of the rumoured stories of the treatment table from a few friends, I can safely say that I have only heard, he is a much loved one!

I cannot understate the importance of a top physiotherapist in and around the club, and before I go any further it is not any intention of mine to doubt the great work of our previous staff. But adding what can be seen as one of the "super stars" of the treatment room – Jean Pierre Meersseman possibly the only name above him. The man who famously kept the likes of Seedorf, Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta playing into their 40's!

A physio is someone who not only manages the injuries and recovery of players, but they also play a key role in squad and club moral! That may sound a little daft, but if you can manage telling a footballer that he won't play for 6 months, in a cup final or a key clash, then instantly switch to talking them through recovery and making them feel involved in the squads, you are priceless to both the individual and team. The main way I think I can explain why I am so excited with this appointment, is through a little injury run down. I'll try and keep it short and to the point, sticking to just a couple of players who have suffered numerous long term spells.

Top of this list is Andre Ayew, who's history of a reoccurring shoulder injuries and horrible tear to the meniscus are the most serious during his career. Both injuries lead to longer stints on the sidelines for Marseille, than that which he subsequently suffered on his debut injury for us. The meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions your knee. Each knee has two of these menisci, one at the outer edge of the knee and one at the inner edge. These keep your knee steady by balancing your weight across the surface area of the knee.

A torn meniscus is an incredibly serious injury for anyone, let alone a footballer, and it can prevent your knee from working correctly if not managed, recovered and monitored fully. Joining this onto the previously mentioned shoulder injury, which I believe Ayew himself is quoted as saying he has "dislocated several times" it is an essential part of the modern game that players receive, not just reactive, but also preventative treatment to injuries.
This is where I understand that Lewin excels, with constant monitoring of injuries,regular fitness and physical tests across the squad to pinpoint potential problem areas and treat them.

This leads me onto the player who I see this really benefiting…Carroll!
Possibly the most obvious name on our injury list and on everyone's lips, because as almost every fan will tell you "On his day, he is unplayable!". However as West Ham fans we are only really seeing glimpses in recent seasons of what he is capable of. In recent months I have called for his sale precisely because of that injury record, lack of appearances and high wages. However talking to numerous friends I made during my time studying Sports Science and coaching, I have heard nothing but glowing reviews of the man and his work in the field. Almost all of whom have said "if ever you had a chance of fixing Carroll, this man is it!".

Now I really hope I'm not just pissing into the wind with this optimism over this appointment. And to be honest, I would probably still prefer we move Carroll along to sign a regularly performing replacement. However I can understand the thought process behind keeping him with the fresh approach and knowledge that Lewin brings.

A top level physiotherapists introduction could mean a fresh approach to player treatment or even just a step up in the level of care, prevention, rehab and recovery players receive.
Hopefully putting a long overdue reduction to the numbers on our injury list and possibly bringing a brand new Carroll!

@StevenMcCarthy9

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THE TRANSFER WINDOW ON TWITTER
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 JULY 2017 AT 10:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Anthony Hufton @AnthonyHufton

It's been a somewhat unusual couple of days on Twitter – the positivity amongst our fans probably hasn't been seen since May 2016! Strange actually as a lot of the fans have been demanding silence from the board and their family / associates, yet media speculation (technically that is all it is at the time of writing) re: Arnautovic and West Ham United Official releasing a statement saying a transfer fee for Hernandez has been agreed has led to jubilation online.

All West Ham have confirmed re: Hernandez is that a fee has been agreed, subject to personal terms & a medical. Players have been closer to signing, (Sidwell & Darren Fletcher for example were both on club property at one point) and never signed. Yet a lot of supporters, many of whom are ones critical of the board for pretty much anything between their train being late for a home game to being at fault for Nordtveit for committing a foul in injury time at White Hart Lane seem to have suddenly forgot all that. It just seems to me like a lot of supporters have had a bit of good news confirmed by decent sources and now a lot of their concerns seem to have been dropped.

I don't blame supporters for being a little upset over how last season turned out, however, now we can sit back and review it, I don't think it was as bad as people made out. I haven't checked it out, but I read a few weeks ago that we weren't even in the bottom 5 after Mid-December? I'm sure someone will tell me if that's true or not! There were a lot of obstacles facing the team & management last season –

Injuries (as usual!) – I don't think a new medical team can necessarily prevent injuries, but I would think that a more experienced team can certainly implement a better management system to ensure that they reoccur less and the rehabilitation process runs smoother than before.
London Stadium – I know for a fact that a few players have said they can barely hear the fans when they're on the pitch. It must be an over exaggeration but I guess they are comparing to other stadiums. Obviously we are further from the pitch than most, if not all other stadiums in the country. I still feel that it is down to us to make it home. Hopefully some cosmetic features in the stadium will continue to pop up and I hope eventually that the stadium seats are completely changed. I do feel that the cost of moving the seats and removing the branding over the summer months will eventually outweigh any potential profit made, so much so that they call it a day and we can buy the stadium on the cheap. Whether or not that means modifications can be made to bring us closer, I don't know. I honestly feel that the negativity amongst the supporters, which predominantly starts online led to bad atmospheres in the stands. The noise was immense when the teams came out for the first game there, and the stadium was less of a home then than it is now. The stewarding didn't help. Nor did supporters in other teams shirts. If anyone thinks that these incidents didn't happen at Upton Park though, they are wrong. The stadium is effectively double the size and nearly three times the size if you go back a little further. The chances are that you will get double the amount of opposition fans in the stadium. People say they never saw it, well, they may have been in the Bobby Moore Lower in an area where it was difficult to get tickets but it was happening elsewhere. I can remember a Swansea fan sitting behind me at Upton Park and there was even a Hamburg supporter cheering on Martin Jol when he was managing Fulham. They lost 3-0 and he hasn't managed over here since. The facts are, the majority of problems within the stadium occurred and still occur elsewhere, but you may not have seen them. Russell Brand got accused of only coming to games once he was famous. He correctly replied, "you wouldn't have known me before." It's all in the mind. Does a tree make a noise if it falls but you weren't there to hear it? What about the popcorn? I wouldn't buy it and I'm guilty of seeing people with it and thinking that its muggy. I can tell you one thing for certain, if something isn't selling in the stadium then it won't be available for long – It must be in demand. I don't feel that it is a snack to be eaten at football but there are probably 80 year olds that thought burgers were unusual 60 years ago. I reckon if a bloke walked round the front of the stands selling roasted peanuts, a lot of the "popcorn complainers" would think it's strange. Well, it was happening long before you ever came to Upton Park. What I'm trying to say here is, if you were getting yourselves wound up before you got in the stadium, you were naturally going to be in a bad mood within it. People often dispel my comparisons but if I get stuck in traffic for 2 hours before work, inevitably I'm in a mood when I get into the office. I feel people need to keep a calm head. I'd like to know what issues people have with the stadium now a lot of the problems have been eradicated? It's a serious question. I'm not happy with the distance from the pitch, although in my seat it's not too different to what I was before, I'd say my view is quite similar. I have moved from about Row 20 to Row 8 for that though! Anyone who thought the distance from the front row to the touchline must've been living in a cave. I don't care (I do care) what David Gold said on a video, it was never going to be the case. However, it seems to me that people think the fact that we do not have a "retractable" seat system in place is the reason why we are the distance away that we are. Nonsense. Even if it was state of the art technology, we would still be in the same position. It is how it moves, not where it moves to that has changed. Yes, it does look bad having a scaffold pole on a breeze block. At the end of the day though, it doesn't actually affect you at all. Not unless it collapses with us in it anyway! To summarise this point, if the fans are up for it (Spurs, Chelsea) then we can make the place a cauldron. There will always be games against teams like Hull, West Brom where the team have to turn it on to get us off their seats…like they did against Watford for 30 minutes actually – but again, if people think there was an electric atmosphere for these games at Upton Park, they are wrong again. I can definitely remember seeing fans walk out at 2-0 down vs Watford in Division 1. We ended up winning 3-2 – maybe we were better off without them! We were also often subject to heavy defeats at Upton Park, the most recent in what was the last scheduled game vs Swansea and we lost 4-1. To leave the stadium off the back of that really would've been "the West Ham way". Overall, this doesn't mean I'm delighted with the stadium move, not at all. What I am old enough to realise though is that no amount of moaning, be it justified or not is going to move us back to Upton Park. Unfortunately, it is time to let go, we are supposed to support the team & the club as a whole and that is what we should be doing. 54,000 West Ham fans supporting the team in full voice can't be matched.
Recruitment – The supporters had in their heads that we were going to sign a 20 goal striker last summer. It's not hard to know why. The chairman were particularly vocal and obviously confident they could deliver this. I'm not sure if they ever quoted that they would sign a striker that will score 20 goals, but it was certainly how it seemed. I feel that this was the only place, although probably the most important area that we were let down in. The board are apparently tight. I think we all are with our own money? Anyway, they bid £43m for Lacazette. We know this is for certain. Well, that rules out that they were willing to spend money. The paid £5m for a loan fee for Zaza with the agreement in place that if we wanted, we'd pay the extra £20m to secure the transfer. Zaza could've worked out as much as it may not have. Personally, although he wasn't my first choice, I still thought he would be an adequate signing. I certainly expected him to score a few at least. Maybe I played too much Football Manger 15. We spent a similar amount on Ayew. If anyone thinks that Ayew isn't a good addition to our squad, they're mad. He is potentially our second choice left attacking midfielder now. Compare that to 3 or 4 years ago when our only choice was Jarvis. Unfortunately Ayew got injured very early on and he only really got going as the season was coming to a close. Calleri was brought in as 4th or even 5th choice striker. I still don't think he was a bad footballer, but he lacked composure in front of goal without doubt. Again though, 4/5th choice. Feghouli, a "free transfer" – it's become apparent that he is on extremely high wages as well as a substantial signing on fee. That's good of the tight owners. Although he didn't perform great throughout the season, I think he lacks a bit of common sense and the realisation that he is playing in the Premier League. I think he has the ability. I'm positive about him and certainly think he is worth a place in the squad. Lanzini, he was signed with last season's budget. Nothing needs saying about this absolute steal. Tore – looked terrible but this was all Bilic. Would he have come good? I don't think so, but he did only play at a time when the team was all over the place. He will always be the man who assisted the first ever league goal in the London Stadium. Maybe we can argue the board are tight here. Bilic wanted to sign him. I'd say its probably lucky that Sullivan didn't agree. Arbeloa – I think he looked terrible from day 1, poor transfer but was signed out of desperation at the last minute as Bilic had insisted Antonio was the right back he wanted to use. We also had and still have Byram. We now have Zabaleta too. Masuaku – another decent signing. So much so that it's a 50/50 split amongst the fans over who gets the nod between him and Creswell. Its probably the first time in history that the club have 4 good full backs. Even 3! Fernandes – I don't think anyone was overly enthused with the signing at the time but the fans were often calling for him throughout the season, definitely got a good future, hopefully with us. Nordtveit – on paper this was a good signing. Again, was he the 4th choice DM? Captain of a decent club in Germany and a proven performer. He didn't work out in the end but did look ok in his natural position with the exception of the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool. Snodgrass & Fonte were signed in January. Snodgrass actually started off ok and Fonte looked shaky. By the end of the season, their performances switched if you like. The club obviously went down the line of trying to sign players who know the league. Maybe with a full pre-season both players will show improvement, if they're still here…it looks like Snodgrass might leave. Overall, the club didn't really improve the first team at all. I did think the squad was a lot stronger than the season before when the summer window closed, but in hindsight, I would've rather had Eminike, Song & Moses than Calleri, Nordtveit & Tore. I feel the club definitely went for quantity over quality, although they may feel that they were going for both. We were definitely spoilt with the previous 2 summer transfer windows though. Overall, the club have signed very good players for the level we are / were at, at the time. Carroll as a newly promoted team on loan was magnificent at the time. Nolan in Division One. Yes, they threw money at him, I'll accept that answer from you, as long as you're not one of those that call them tight. Payet – say no more. I don't know why he got the hump. The only really thing he has mentioned is that the team wasn't performing and the only isolated incident he spoke about was the post getting MOTM against Hull. What a signing he was though and again, in hindsight it's a shame Madrid or similar didn't come in for him after the Euros. We would've got a lot more money and the relationship wouldn't be what it is now. What a player to have in the final season at Upton Park at least. We have undoubtedly signed some rubbish in their time also. Often they are not first choice players. I would say out first eleven is very good. It goes without saying that they were all signed by the current board as they've been here so long now that everyone in the squad has, with the exception of Noble. It looks like this summer that every player signed / going to be signed is a major upgrade on whoever was playing in that position come the end of last season. It's more progress. The squad has made great progress under this board. Look at the squad before they took over.
Whether you like it or not, they are the closest thing to a West Ham supporter owning the club you're likely to get now…unless one of us wins the Euromillions – I'm not sure if that's even enough now? We have always known ourselves as a family club yet people want a "rich Arab" in. I guess we would all like someone to own us in the same way Chelsea or Man City are owned. For every good takeover, there is 2 or 3 that are terrible, so we need to use the old Allardyce adage "Be careful what you wish for" We were lucky to see the back of him, I don't know if we would be so lucky to see the owners go.

I really cannot for the life of me see why people thought we weren't going to make good signings this Summer. There is absolutely no chance that the club were not going to push the boat out to sign a proven PL striker. It looks like it will be Hernandez. He might have even scored for us by the time I finish typing this!

I could not believe what I have read over the past few weeks. People giving up season tickets? One in particular "supporter" was giving up his season ticket even though he got two for the price of one last season. Someone else today is gutted they didn't renew because it looks like we'll be signing Hernandez. Has West Ham become that we only care if we're winning. Are people only saying it because we've moved stadiums that we expect to be near the top of the league? I don't think many stadium moves went smoothly. Ours was probably worst of all for trouble within the stadium but again, the internet magnifies things massively now and we were a bit of "public enemy #1" because of the cheap deal we got. There could also be the argument that because it is our club, we see it happening. It's like when you feel like you always join the slowest queue, you only think of that when you actually do it.

People demanding the board leave the club with nobody to come in to replace them. If there is someone with the money to own our club and they're serious about it, that person will come forward whether the current board want to leave or not, and they will make an offer. So far, I don't think anyone has made a serious offer. Other supporters are calling our club a joke. Don't get me wrong, if we had got to September 1st and not signed a top striker, serious questions would've been asked. There was no chance of this happening. I imagine there would've been protests. I wouldn't have necessarily joined in, I think I'm too old for it all now and have enough to worry about with the business I'm involved in than to think I can run a football club better.

The biggest oxymoron of all is how people think the owners of the club deliberately strip their own business of assets and are happy to see relegation so they can sell the club and make more money? I've actually seen people suggest this. I am quite sure that if they spend £70m net to get us challenging and maybe into the top 4 (that nearly happened once already), the club would be worth a lot more and they will be in a better position to sell. These people saying these things must surely look at themselves and ask if they are in a position to judge self-made multi-millionaires. Every single supporter wishes they could own the club. The chances are none of you started off with less than David Gold. Why don't you try to do it better than them? The natural response is you cant. There lies your answer. You either think you can't but you can if you put your head to it or you just can't. If someone walked into my office telling me they could do my job better, I'd give them the chance. It would make my life a lot easier. At least until the following Monday when I'd be picking up the pieces.

Ultimately I want to know why people embarrass themselves by crying their eyes out on Twitter when the players hadn't even done a week's training. We have pretty much always left signings to the last minute – I remember a great summer where we signed Henri Camara at about 23:55. Supporters were quite pleased actually. It looks like we will have 4 good signings wrapped up before Fonte has even returned to train himself. I've seen a couple of supporters say that the club have pulled these out of the bag because of the pressure from the fans. I don't think the board are naïve or stupid enough for that to be the case.

I still believe that we will sign an additional striker, probably Gray? This would effectively make our 3rd & 4th choice strikers Sakho & Carroll…if we have them to choose from! Again, great progress. I think we will also go in for Wilshere on loan which would be another a good addition without doubt and again a major upgrade on Nordtveit. I hope that a lot of the unnecessary moaning will be gone for the foreseeable and that when the season starts in August, all energy is put towards supporting the team on the pitch, especially when we eventually play our first game at home in September (which by the way is only the situation this year because of the World Athletic Championships – it is not going to be a regular occurrence). We do have the best support in the country, you only have to see what we've been through in my time (22 years) of going regularly and compare that to our attendances. We're glutton for punishment it seems.

I'm not sure if we would really have it any other way?


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Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic transfers bring West Ham closer to their European ambitions
The latest West Ham transfer news sees the Hammers confirm the signing of Marko Arnautovic from Stoke
Footbal London
BYPHILLIP EKUWEM
21:45, 22 JUL 2017

The summer transfer window gone very well for West Ham so far. Slaven Bilic has been able to identify great players to fill the weak roles within his squad in a bid to avoid a repeat of last season's dysfunction. The Hammers faithful now have cause to be optimistic as their side has already completed the signings of Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta on a loan deal and free transfer respectively. The former Manchester City duo, though, represent the tip of the iceberg in West Ham's summer transfer dealings with Marko Arnautovic confirmed and Javier Hernandez set to arrive at the London Stadium in a few days. West Ham's attacking third was nothing short of dreadful last season as none of the strikers within the club's ranks were able to hit double figures in the Premier League. With Andy Carroll sporadic in both fitness and form, Bilic prioritised the signing of a new striker ahead of the 2017/18 season, one with pace, by the Croat's own admission. Daniel Sturridge, Michy Batshuayi and even Dries Mertens sprung up as possible targets, but none of them were keen on joining the east Londoners. Reports then linked a seemingly unhappy Olivier Giroud with a move to the London Stadium, but that speculation has been put to bed. Only recently did Javier Hernandez emerge as an option for the Hammers. He may have made his name on the mainstream football scene as a super sub for Manchester United, but having produced the goods on a consistent basis for Bayer Leverkusen, he evidently has no problem leading the line over a long stretch. The Mexican striker isn't as physically powerful as Carroll, but he makes up for that in pace, technique and efficiency – he's your typical modern day striker with fox-like cunningness on the pitch. In a transfer window dominated by astronomical price tags for average players, Hernandez could be the biggest bargain of the season with West Ham said to be completing a deal for just £16m. His imminent signing is a real coup for the Hammers as he would probably cost in excess of £30m under normal circumstances due to his goalscoring prowess and experience. Hernandez is capable of hitting at least 15 goals a season when handed ample playing time – figures that could very well launch West Ham into a Europa League place next season. The 29-year-old scored a goal every other game for Leverkusen last season as his total tally for the Bundesliga campaign amounted to 11 goals in 26 appearances - just 20 of which were starts. He notched 17 goals in 25 starts in the previous season, whilst on the international scene he currently has an astonishing record of 48 goals in 96 appearances for Mexico. The Hammers are expected to complete a deal for the Mexico international in the coming days having announced the signing of Arnautovic from Stoke earlier today. The Austria international arrived at the Potters in 2013 as one of the poster boys of Mark Hughes' 'Stokielona' side. Although he has had his fair share of problems on and off the pitch, he's also played a significant role in the team's relative success under Hughes. Arnautovic is poised to be an indirect replacement for Dimitri Payet as they share a similar style of play but markedly different levels of output. Like the Frenchman, Arnautovic is technically gifted and capable of the spectacular, but unlike Payet, Arnautovic isn't the best at creating opportunities for his teammates. He crafted just 50 chances in 32 appearances last term with 5 of them turning into assists – he also notched 6 goals, as opposed to his tally of 11 goals from the previous season. Arnautovic, though, has a high work rate for a winger as exemplified by the 87 tackles he attempted and the 28 interceptions he made last season. At a reported £24million, Arnautovic is sure to be a great addition to the Hammers' front line.
West Ham arguably missed Payet more than anybody else in the team last season. He was revered by fans as the club's best player since Paolo di Canio and it will be difficult for Arnautovic to earn that sort of recognition at the London Stadium. But seeing as he boasts of a similar level of technical proficiency as Payet, he will at the very least prove to be a solid player for the Hammers, and as we all know, they lacked solidity at almost every position last season. A lot is riding on the upcoming campaign for West Ham. Bilic will almost certainly get axed should West Ham undergo another tough spell, plus the club will lose the little momentum they have left. But with an attacking third that features the talents of Arnautovic, Hernandez as well as the sensational Manuel Lanzini, there's little doubt surrounding the Hammers fulfilling their Europa League ambitions.

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West Ham prepared to let Adrian leave alongside Darren Randolph with Crystal Palace and Newcastle on alert
West Ham transfer news: All the latest from the London Stadium
Adrian set to leave West Ham alongside Middlsebrough-bound Darren Randolph
Slaven Bilic happy to let both senior goalkeepers leave after Joe Hart's arrival
The Hammers manager is looking for a back-up to the England international
By Matt Barlow for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 06:37 EDT, 22 July 2017 | UPDATED: 06:58 EDT, 22 July 2017

West Ham are prepared to let Adrian leave despite Darren Randolph's imminent move to Middlesbrough. After signing Joe Hart on loan from Manchester City for the season ahead the Hammers are set to clear out both their senior goalkeepers. Randolph has agreed a £4.5million move to Boro where he has a deal worth £27,000 a week. The Republic of Ireland international impressed enough at the London Stadium to start 22 Premier League games last season but would not be considered to play ahead of Hart. Adrian, who has 29 clean sheets to show from his 106 Premier League appearances for West Ham, has interest from fellow top-flight outfits Crystal Palace and Newcastle. Hammers manager Slaven Bilic has started his search for another goalkeeper to come in as cover for England international Hart.

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LAZIO HAVE OFFERS FOR KEITA BUT NOT FROM INTER AND JUVENTUS
RYAN DARBY @RyanDarby_
readWestHam

Lazio president Claudio Lotito says the Serie A side have received offers for Keita Balde, but not from Inter Milan or Juventus. Goal reports that the club president has revealed Keita does have offers from abroad. I haven't received offers from Inter or Juventus, but they have come from abroad. If he wants to go, he must get an appropriate bid. News emerged during the week that West Ham have agreed a fee with Lazio for the player in a deal reportedly worth around €32 million.
After an impressive season in Italy, the reports came as a surprise with the winger widely expected to leave Lazio for either Inter Milan or Juventus this summer.
Juventus have recently turned their attention to Fiorentina winger and Italy U21 international Federico Bernardeschi, while Inter themselves are in the market for a winger to replace Ivan Perisic, who is being linked with Manchester United. Keita scored 16 league goals in Serie A last season and also managed a further three assists for Lazio, which has not gone unnoticed.

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Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic signings don't mean the end for Andy Carroll at West Ham
West Ham transfer news includes the impact Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic signings will have on Andy Carroll
Football London
BYROB GUEST
12:55, 22 JUL 2017

Former Hammer Steve Lomas believes Andy Carroll still has a big part to play at West Ham despite the pending arrivals of Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic.
Slaven Bilic's side had a number of problems upfront last year and Carroll was limited to 18 games in the Premier League due to injuries. With Hernandez now set to sign on the dotted line at the London Stadium, the former Newcastle striker has a major fight on his hands to seal a place in the starting XI. However, Lomas, who played at Upton Park between 1997 and 2005, has said that the 28-year-old still has a future in east London. "When fit, there's no doubt that Andy Carroll is a great asset to West Ham, but unfortunately you can't rely on him to stay injury free," Lomas told bwin. "I would still keep him around in hope the club can find a formula that will see him training regularly and playing 30 matches per season. "When he's on the pitch, he's dangerous – his bicycle kick last season was astonishing. "What West Ham do need is more options because they lacked a plan B last season. "I think that's why Bilic is targeting players with pace – the likes of Arnautovic and Hernandez to boost his options."
As well as Arnautovic and Hernandez arriving at the club, Bilic has strengthened at the back with the signings of Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart. Although the Hammers conceded five less goals than Sunderland last season, Lomas is confident that the club have plenty of options at the back to improve on the 64 goals they conceded in the league. "West Ham clearly prioritised a new right-back and they were quick to sign Zabaleta," added Lomas. "Though he's 32, I think he has a lot to offer. "Like Hart, he joins the club with something to prove and brings a winning mentality. "I think he'll prove to be a good signing. "I think West Ham lacked consistency in their team selection in defence and that's always a sign that things aren't going well. "West Ham suffered from injuries to the likes of Ogbonna and Reid, but when everyone's fit, they've got four central defenders who have a lot of experience so I don't think it should be a priority."

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EXCLUSIVE: WEST HAM SET TO SIGN BRENTFORD STAR JOTA
MICHAEL OLIVER @MichaelOIiver
ReadWestHam

West Ham have had a great week in terms of incomings to the London Stadium and another player is set to follow suit. Read West Ham understands that the Hammers are set to sign Brentford midfielder Jota. Slaven Bilic is in the market for a new midfielder after selling Havard Nordtveit to Hoffenheim and the Hammers have been linked with Jota throughout the summer window. The 26-year-old arrived in English football at Brentford in a £1.3m deal from Celta Vigo and scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 42 Championship appearances in his debut season at the club. His second season was derailed by an ankle injury before he joined Eibar on a 12 months loan in January 2016. After returning to Brentford in January 2017, Jota once again found his stride, scoring 12 goals and laying on five assists in 21 League appearances in the second half of the season. With his contract expiring at the end of next season, Jota has received a lot of interest from Premier League clubs and with Brentford pressured to sell or risk losing him on a free, they have been resigned to the fact that he will leave this summer. Able to operate in an attacking midfield role or on either wing, Jota will be another addition to a vastly improved West Ham attack that will feature Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez when their moves from Stoke and Bayer Leverkusen respectively are finalised. Linked with the likes of Everton, Swansea and Burnley, a deal for Jota could be wrapped up soon to become the Hammers' fifth summer signing.

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Joe Cole hails new Hammers signings and insists top seven finish is possible
By Anton Stanley - @antonstanley
Saturday, July 22, 2017
talkSPORT

West Ham United have made quality moves in the transfer market and could challenge for a place in Europe, believes former midfielder Joe Cole. The Hammers have completed deals for Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta, while moves for Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, should be sealed in the coming days. And this business has impressed ex-West Ham man Cole, who is currently playing his football for Tampa Bay Rowdies in the United Soccer League. "I think they are terrific signings," he told talkSPORT. "When Javier Hernandez left Manchester United, West Ham should probably have gone in for him then. He's a proven goalscorer wherever he's gone and Marko Arnautovic is a talent who the West Ham fans will enjoy watching. They're both great signings. "To get Joe Hart, the England goalkeeper, as well, that shows where the club is at the moment. They're doing really good business."

And the former England star insisted Hammers supporters should be excited about the players they have at their disposal this season. "They have got a really good squad there," he added. "I speak to a few of the boys there and the fans have got to be excited to have a team with Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini, Robert Snodgrass, Andy Carroll, and Hernandez – really good players. They're going to have a cracking time. "I think West Ham, especially after moving into the new stadium, they're on the cusp of moving onto that next level as a club. Credit to the owners and the management, and how the club has been run."

And when asked if he felt his former team could break into the Premier League's top seven, Cole was also extremely positive. "Without a doubt," he replied. "Out of all the clubs, who are under it, West Ham are the best equipped, with them having the new stadium and the financial power to attract players. Stoke are probably a similar quality team but Arnautovic wants to leave them to go to West Ham because of the location and the size of the club, and that's a massive thing.
"It's just a slow build process and I think will [break into the top seven] eventually."

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