6 Hammers who made their mark at the Euro U19 Championship
WHUFC.com
The 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship finals kick-off in Georgia on Sunday, with eight nations battling it out to become the kings of their continent.
Two West Ham United youngsters will be among the 144 players vying for to be crowned champions – England goalkeeper Nathan Trott and Portugal winger Domingos Quina. The pair will become the latest in a succession of promising Hammers to feature at the tournament, dating back to Glen Johnson's appearance at the first-ever Euro U19 finals in 2002. As Trott and Quina prepare to go for glory in the Caucasus, we look back at six West Ham players who have made their mark at the competition.
2002 – Glen Johnson
Then just 17, the right-back had signed his first professional contract but had yet to make his first-team debut for West Ham United when he travelled to Norway with England U19s. Johnson started all three group-stage matches for the Young Lions, but despite future Hammers Dean Ashton and Carlton Cole scoring four goals between them, England drew with Germany and Belgium and lost 3-2 to Republic of Ireland to go out at the first hurdle.
2005 – Mark Noble
Mark Noble was just past his 20th birthday when England travelled to Northern Ireland for the 2005 tournament, where the West Ham United midfielder helped his country to finish as runners-up to a star-studded France side that included future Premier Leaguers Hugo Lloris, Yohan Cabaye, Younes Kaboul and Abou Diaby.
Noble started all five matches – group stage draws with France and Armenia, a win over Norway, semi-final success against Serbia and the 3-1 final defeat by Les Bleus – alongside the likes of future Scotland star James Morrison and Sunderland midfielder Grant Leadbitter.
2008 – Freddie Sears and James Tomkins
West Ham United duo Freddie Sears and James Tomkins had both made their first-team breakthroughs as teenagers in the months preceding the 2008 finals – Sears by scoring against Blackburn Rovers and Tomkins in an eventful defeat at Everton – where England went out at the group stage. Both started the 2-0 defeat by the hosts Czech Republic and goalless draw with Italy, before Sears scored a penalty – taking the spot-kick ahead of teammate Daniel Sturridge – in a 3-0 win over Greece. Future Hammer Victor Moses also started against Italy and Greece.
2012 – Robert Hall
A diminutive attacker, Robert Hall (front row, second from left) was capped regularly by England at age-group level and made his first-team West Ham United debut at Derby County on New Year's Eve 2011, so it was no surprise he was included in the U19 squad five years ago. Now with Oxford United, substitute Hall replaced Harry Kane in the 1-1 draw with Croatia, then started alongside Kane, Eric Dier and Saido Berahino in the 2-1 win over France. Sadly, a 2-1 defeat by Greece, in which he started alongside Dier, Ross Barkley and Michael Keane, saw England eliminated.
2016 – Reece Oxford
West Ham United's most-recent representative at the Euro U19 finals was Reece Oxford, who took to the field three times in Germany a year ago. The ball-playing centre-half or midfielder started 2-1 group-stage wins over the Netherlands and Croatia before being rested. Oxford returned to the starting XI for the semi-final clash with Italy, only for the Azzurri to run out 2-1 winners.
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Hammers back in for Hernandez?
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd July 2017
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's search for a striker has extended to former Manchester United star Javier Chicharito Hernandez. The Bayer Leverkusen forward, who has spent the last two seasons in Germany's Bundesliga is entering the final season of a three-year contract and is yet to agree a new deal, alerting a string of clubs across the continent. And one of those, according to ESPN are West Ham, who remain in the hunt for a new striker having already missed out on primary targets Henry Onyekuru and Kelechi Iheanacho. The Guadalajara-born Hernandez is said to be available for circa €15million as the result of a release clause in his contract. He scored 13 times and provided four assists in 36 appearances for Leverkusen last season.
* Former Hammers target Carlos Bacca is on the verge of sealing a move to Marseille, according to Bein Sports. It has been suggested that talks have already begun with view to a permanent transfer for the 30-year-old Colombian, who snubbed a move to West Ham last summer.
* Newcastle United are the latest club to express an interest in Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. Long linked with a move to West Ham, the England international has also been linked with bitter rivals Manchester United, who will only move for Hart should first choice David De Gea return to Real Madrid.
* West Ham's interest in Malaga forward is over after Everton completed the capture of the 21-year-old this evening (Sunday). The former Barcelona Academy star has signed a five-year deal with the Toffees and is thought to have cost £5.25million - his minimum fee release clause.
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The Raul thing?
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd July 2017
By: Staff Writer
Raul Jimenez has refused to rule out a move to the Premier League - following reports that both West Ham and Liverpool are chasing the Benfica striker. The 26-year-old Mexican was on the verge of signing for the Hammers two years ago but failed to show for a medical, insisting that he had missed his flight having overslept. Yet despite that snub, the Hammers still remain keen on bringing Jimenez in - whilst the player himself has refused to rule out a move to England.
"It's a great League but we have to wait," he said, speaking earlier this weekend. "I'm still with Benfica but I won't close the door to anything. We'll see later. Now comes a good holiday and then we will return to everything. "I'm on vacation and we will see when I return. I have a date to return [to Benfica], to join the team in pre-season, and I'm happy there." Jimenez signed a five-year deal with his current club in July 2016 when the Águias bought out the remainder of his contract, which cost them a total of €22million.
* Everton have moved ahead of West Ham in the race to sign Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud. The French international is now listed at 5/4 on by William Hill to spurn a move to West Ham in favour of moving to Merseyside.
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WEST HAM REPORTEDLY READYING £15M GRAY OFFER
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
West Ham have been linked with a plethora of strikers already this summer, and one of the most mentioned targets has been Andre Gray.
The Burnley striker appears to be failing to reach a compromise with Burnley over a new deal at the club, and this points towards him departing this summer. He has just one year remaining on his deal at Turf Moor, and the Clarets will be keen to cash in rather than lose him for free next summer.
Now, according to a report from the Mirror, the Hammers have readied a £15m offer to land Gray.
The powerful striker enjoyed a considerably successful first campaign in the top flight last term, spearheading Burnley's successful pursuit of Premier League survival.
However, he will be keen to test himself at a higher level and West Ham could be the perfect next step for him.
The Hammers have also been linked with Javier Hernandez, Olivier Giroud, Kelechi Iheanacho and Cedric Bakambu in recent times.
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'Where's the money?' West Ham's finances scrutinised as David Gold sparks fan fury with comments
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United co-owner David Gold has sparked fury among fans with comments over the club's finances. When the Hammers moved from their beloved Boleyn Ground to the Olympic Stadium, co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold promised big 'marquee' signings. In reality as one West Ham famously told a talkSPORT radio phone-in last season, 'We got Simone Zaza and some scaffolding'. Many supporters are sceptical over the intentions of Sullivan and Gold.
Indeed many believe their bluster about "£35m marquee striker signings" was a ploy to sell season tickets. If it was, it worked - or certainly helped - as West Ham sold 52,000 season tickets in their debut season at their new 60,000 seater London Stadium home, second only to Manchester United. And the same number is expected to sell out season tickets again this week but given last year's failings expectations are higher than ever with supporters demanding to see the kind of ambition being shown by Premier League rivals Everton. So when Gold told talkSPORT this week that the club "must try to find the money" to sign a striker this summer it sent Hammers fans into meltdown.
That's because Slaven Bilic should have at least £150 million at his disposal to reshape his team this summer.
No marquee striker
With Zaza's loan cancelled before the £25m obligation to buy clause was activated last season West Ham never ended up signing the "marquee" striker money had supposedly been ring-fenced for. And it didn't wash when Gold later tried to claim £20.5 million Andre Ayew was that man. Bilic has only recruited free transfer Pablo Zabaleta so far this summer while rumoured moves for Kelechi Iheanacho, Michy Batshuayi, Onyekuru Henry, Olivier Giroud, Chris Smalling and Joe Hart have thus far failed to materialise. Instead the club have been busy shedding players.
Player sales
Highly rated youngster Reece Oxford has been sent on a season-long loan to Bundesliga side Borussia Munchengladbach while flops Alvaro Arbeloa, Gokhan Tore and Havard Nordtveit have followed Simone Zaza out of the exit door as well as goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel and defender Stephen Hendrie. Enner Valencia is expected to be sold for around £7 million in the near future while speculation continues to link more of last summer's disappointing crop of signings with moves away including Ayew, Sofiane Feghouli, Robert Snodgrass and Ashley Fletcher. James Tomkins, Dimitri Payet were sold for a combined £35 million in the last 11 months taking the total raised from player sales to nearly £50 million and counting.
Record income
All the while the Hammers announced record income in their annual accounts earlier this year off the back of the ever-increasing TV deal - worth around £120 million. The extra ticket revenue, commercial and merchandising revenue streams has seen the club enter the prestigious European Deloitte Football Money League Top 20 for the first time, as proudly paraded on its official website back in January.
Upton Park sale
Factor in the estimated £45 million raised from the sale of Upton Park - which even if offset against the club's £2.5million a year Olympic Stadium rent is enough to pay for the first 18 of their 99 year lease - and eyebrows start to twitch.
Usual transfer budget
That's not including the money that surely would have been made available anyway for the summer - typically around £25 million net under Sullivan and Gold - which is small fry in the current climate. Payet and fellow departures have raised close to £45 million and counting in the last 11 months
Is debt the reason?
West Ham had to be debt free before taking up their residence as anchor tenants at the Olympic Stadium. They were carrying debt heading into their last season at Upton Park so Sullivan and Gold would have had to clear that according to the reported agreement. And it is that factor which has led fans to speculate that the owners are trying to reshape the squad on the cheap in a bid to cream as much profit off the club as possible.
How owners can prove everyone wrong
In fairness not many Premier League clubs have conducted too much business so far with the transfer window still in its relative infancy. And some big transfers in the coming weeks will blow all of that out of the water. And it must be noted that Sullivan and Gold have done a lot for the Hammers since they hit stormy weather under Icelandic ownership during the financial collapse. Gold's comments have not gone down well and action not words will be the only thing that can appease supporters between now and the close of the transfer window in August.
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West Ham ready to make £15million move for unsettled Burnley striker Andre Gray
The Hammers are bidding to bolster their attack this summer and the Burnley front man is on their radar
The Mirror
BYJOHN RICHARDSON
22:30, 1 JUL 2017
West Ham are ready to make a £15 million move for unsettled Burnley striker Andre Gray. The Hammers had a similar bid turned down by the Clarets in January but could be successful this time around. Gray is involved in a contract stand off wanting a big increase on his current deal which just has one year to run.
Burnley who have sold central defender Michael Keane to Everton for £25 million are also resigned to losing Gray who scored nine Premier League goals last season. They want to sign experienced Stoke striker Jon Walters and have been in contact with the Potters over the Republic of Ireland international. Burnley boss Sean Dyche is also looking for a replacement for his England defender Keane who will have his Everton medical tomorrow. Everton have always been the frontrunners to snap up Keane but Burnley insisted on any interested club coming up with £25 million with 25 per cent of the fee due to former club Manchester United following a sell on clause.
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West Ham attempting to land former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez by paying £13m release clause
The Hammers are prepared to match the clause in Chicharito's Bayer Leverkusen contract and bring him back to England
The Mirror
BYTOM HOPKINSON
22:30, 1 JUL 2017
West Ham are trying to bring Mexico striker Javier Hernandez back to the Premier League. The former Manchester United star, whose nickname 'Chicarito' translates as 'Little Pea', is understood to be open to a return to England. And the Hammers are ready to hand him the opportunity to do so by meeting the £13million release clause in his contract at Bayer Leverkusen. West Ham have had the player watched closely at the Confederations Cup in Russia. And his performances, on the back of a season in which he scored 11 goals in 26 appearances, have convinced them to make their move. West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold are looking to sign two strikers this summer for Slaven Bilic, who is expected back in England next week after undergoing hip surgery in his native Croatia. Arsenal star Olivier Giroud is one player they are chasing and they will continue to monitor Arsenal's transfer activity and the knock-on effect for the Frenchman. Hernandez is another and the Hammers hope to take advantage of whispers that Leverkusen will need to sell one of their more valuable assets after missing out on European qualification for next season. Hernandez has one year to run on his deal at the Bay Arena and if the Germans don't sell him this summer, or extend his contract, then they risk losing him for nothing in a year. He joined United in 2010 from Guadalajara in his homeland and spent four years at Old Trafford before moving to Real Madrid on loan. At the end of his season in Spain, United sold him to Leverkusen but if West Ham get their way his time in Germany will now be up.
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