Joint-Chairman - It will be a special occasion
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Gold is thrilled that Bournemouth will become the first Premier League team to visit our new home on Queen Elizabeth Park. The south coast club defied all the odds to stay in the top flight last season and Mr Gold has nothing but praise for the way they stuck to their principles and still managed to remain in the top flight. Eddie Howe's side will make the journey to the new Stadium on Saturday 20 August to become part of history at West Ham United and Mr Gold believes it will be a special day for everyone connected with the Club. Mr Gold said: "It is two fairytales coming together. What Bournemouth achieved to survive in the Premier League in their first year was remarkable. "I have the utmost respect for what they have achieved and similar to ourselves, they have shown that anything is possible "Our move into the new Stadium has been six years in the making and we are finally achieving our dream this summer. "The first Europa League game at our new home will be special, the inaugural first game against Juventus when we hold our opening ceremony will be a day to remember and of course our first ever Premier League game will be a momentous occasion."
Before the first home game takes place, Slaven Bilic's side face a tough opening start to the season when they travel to former Premier League champions Chelsea on 13 August. Things will not get much easier in the second away game of the season when the Hammers face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on 27 August. But following the superb start to the campaign when West Ham defied all the odds to record away wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in the first three away games last season, Mr Gold sees no reason why they cannot do the same thing again.
Mr Gold added: "I remember going to Arsenal on the opening day last season thinking a point would be a huge success. "No-one expected us to get anything but we showed our quality straight away and came away with a famous victory. "It was a special day beating Arsenal and Reece Oxford had the game of his life. "We will not fear going to Chelsea and I know that Slaven and the players will believe we can get something from the game.
"It is ironic that we then travel to Manchester City once again in the early part of the season and few could forget our memorable victory at the Etihad Stadium. It would be nice if history could repeat itself. "The victory really set us on our way and we started to think we are a decent side. We were starting to see special qualities emerging and thought Payet was not a bad player!"
The Hammers will certainly be tested at the end of November and start of December when they face Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. But Mr Gold feels Bilic and his players will relish the chance to showcase their talents against the best teams in the top flight once again. He said: "We will prove our credentials when they play those run of games and our aim is to keep improving. "There may have been a time when we went into these big games believing we might only come away with a point. "But we genuinely believe we can win now against these world renowned teams. The optimism is that we are not a team of the past, but a team of the future."
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Bilic - 'Feghouli is a top player'
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United manager was asked about his second summer arrival during his latest spell as a pundit for ITV during UEFA Euro 2016, and reacted with enthusiasm to the free transfer capture from Spanish side Valencia CF. Bilic, who has also clinched the Bosman signing of Norway midfielder Havard Nordtveit, says the 26-year-old Feghouli will add yet more talent and depth to his squad. "I got a message from the Joint-Chairman that we had signed Feghouli," said the bespectacled Bilic, who was asked about the transfer while working on the Austria versus Hungary Group F fixture. "He's an Algerian winger from Valencia. "Feghouli is a top player, a top winger. We got him for free on a Bosman so, we're active. We are preparing. He's a great signing for us."
The Hammers are active in the transfer market and are expected to make further signings, both in defence and attack, before the window closes on 31 August. The Hammers have also clinched the signature of teenage Portuguese forward Domingos Quina, fresh from UEFA European U17 Championship success, and secured a host of Academy youngsters on their first professional contracts.
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Sinclair - Payet deserves all the praise
WHUFC.com
Former Hammers winger Trevor Sinclair believes Dimitri Payet could follow in the footsteps of Paolo Di Canio if he continues to show his best form for both club and country. Payet became a cult hero with the West Ham fans last season with his impressive displays and stunning free-kicks.
The 29-year-old stole the headlines at the end of season Player Awards when he came away with five trophies including the prestigious Hammer of the Year. Payet has carried his West Ham form into the Euro Finals this summer and dominated all the headlines in the opening game of the tournament when he scored a wonder goal to help France record a dramatic late victory. Sinclair knows all about Hammers legends having played alongside Di Canio and feels Payet can earn the same reputation at West Ham United. Sinclair said: "He is a very good player and deserves all the recognition. "I was a bit concerned when he got injured last season and the lads could really miss him, but they stuck together while he was away. "When he came back he got rewarded with his new contract which was the right thing. "I thought have they given him a new deal too soon, but he went on to another level. "I am really pleased with how he has handled himself and he has applied himself superbly well on the pitch. "I hope he can back it up next year because the second season is always more difficult. "If he can back it up it is time to start talking about him in the same breath as Paolo Di Canio and players of that ilk."
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Hawes & Curtis to become official Club tailor
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that Hawes & Curtis is to become the Club's official tailor. The quintessentially British brand will dress key Club representatives, including the first-team squad, management and coaching staff, in its renowned suits, shirts, accessories and shoes. The partnership, the first of its kind for Hawes & Curtis, will be officially unveiled for the Hammers' European bow in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday 28 July. The new sponsorship deal has occurred at an extremely exciting time for both organisations, with West Ham's forthcoming move to the iconic London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Hawes & Curtis' international expansion. The formalwear collection based on the one worn by the players will be available in the Club's new Stadium Store on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and online at www.officialwesthamstore.com, as well as via the Hawes & Curtis Stratford store.
The collaboration is a natural fit for the two London organisations. Like West Ham United, Hawes & Curtis boasts more than 100 years of heritage and a promising international future. From a single store in the Piccadilly Arcade in 1913, Hawes & Curtis has grown into a globally renowned brand.
West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: "As West Ham United make the move to an iconic London landmark, it seems apt that we should be joining forces with Hawes & Curtis, another historic London institution. "The bespoke West Ham United formalwear is clearly of the highest quality and the team are absolutely going to look the part come the new season at our magnificent new home." Touker Suleyman, Hawes & Curtis CEO, added: "This is a fantastic time to be partnering with West Ham United. We are delighted to be the official tailor to such an inspirational team that is truly progressing. We know the team and the fans will love the new outfits."
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Noble relishing opening games
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble cannot wait to return for pre-season training after West Ham United were handed a trip to Chelsea to open the 2016/17 Premier League season. The captain has enjoyed a well-earned summer break, but will be back in his native east London on Thursday 23 June for the grand opening of the new Stadium Store on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Nine days later, Noble and his teammates – save for those on UEFA Euro 2016 duty – will be back on the training pitch to begin preparations for what will be a hugely exciting campaign. The Hammers kick-off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 13 August before welcoming AFC Bournemouth to the London Stadium the following weekend. A full fixture list can be found here.
With the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round and Betway Cup visit of Italian champions Juventus to further whet the appetite, Noble told whufc.com he is buzzing to pull on a Claret and Blue shirt again soon. "What a first game to open the season!" said the No16. "Chelsea away is a great one for the fans and for us players alike and everyone's excited about that game and then our big first Premier League game at our new Stadium against Bournemouth. "I've spoken to a few of the lads over the summer, including Dimitri, Darren and Angelo who are away at the Euros and obviously we're supporting them all and looking forward to all meeting up again for pre-season training."
Noble has been a keen viewer of UEFA Euro 2016 and was understandably impressed by how Dimitri Payet kicked-off the tournament with a match-winning display for France. Payet scored one goal and made the other as the host nation beat Romania 2-1, while fellow Hammers James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna also enjoyed opening victories for Wales and Italy respectively. "Dimi's performance against Romania last Friday night was immense and I got a bit carried away on Twitter, tweeting that I love him, but then how can I not!" said Noble. "Ginge and his Wales mates did great too, beating Slovakia in their opening match, and now the stage is set for a big game with England on Thursday, which we'll all be watching closely I'm sure."
When Noble returns to the training ground on 1 July, he will be joined by new boy Sofiane Feghouli, who will be joining the Hammers on a free transfer from Spanish club Valencia. The highly-rated winger arrives after six productive seasons in La Liga and Noble is among his admirers.
"I would like to welcome Sofiane Feghouli to West Ham and I'm looking forward to meeting up with him in pre-season and introducing him to the lads."
West Ham kick-off pre-season with a two-match US Tour, where they will take on Seattle Sounders and Carolina RailHawks. For more information about the tour, click here now.
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Collins - It is a massive game
WHUFC.com
Wales defender James Collins is relishing the chance to take on England in a crucial game for both teams on Thursday and says it will be one of the biggest days of his career. After beating Slovakia in their opening match, Wales are full of confidence heading into the second Group B tie in Lens. Having played in a number of big derbies during his career and starting for Wales against England in a Euro Qualifier back in 2012, Collins knows what is at stake for both sets of fans and says the Wales players are full of confidence going into the game. The 'Ginger Pele' says he would also love to earn the bragging rights over his English team-mates back at the Hammers who gave him some stick in the lead up to the game. Collins said: "I have had a bit of ribbing from the English lads in the build-up to the game, but it has been more about people wanting tickets for the game! "It is a massive game and it would be huge just for us to play them in a friendly, but for it to be in a major tournament makes it even bigger. Everyone is looking forward to it. "I was speaking to the gaffer about the tournament at the end of last season and for all of us Welsh lads, this is a new experience, but we are full of excitement. "Hopefully we can qualify out of the group which is what we are looking to do and have got every chance. "I will keep training hard for Wales and hopefully my form at West Ham will help me get a starting spot."
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Umbro respond to petition success
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Kit manufacturer Umbro have finally agreed to release a large version of their advertisement that first appeared in the final Boleyn Ground match day programme. Following a concerted campaign by Hammers fan Mark Walker, Umbro have confirmed that they will release a scrollable version of the ad that is said to contain the name of every season ticket holder from the 2015/16 season. In order to persuade Umbro to release the large-scale image, Walker was charged with collecting 1,000 signatures - a feat he achieved within a matter of weeks following a sustained effort. And earlier today, the company confirmed via Twitter that they will adhere to Walker's request - as you can see from the Tweet below.
Mark Walker @MarkTW2
10 days later and well over 1,000 fans signatures and no word from @UmbroUK please RT and share. #COYI #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/sCBbbfsh51
Umbro UK ✔ @UmbroUK
@MarkTW2 We're working on finding the best way to upload the file, will be available soon
1:33 PM - 15 Jun 2016
Walker's campaign - which as of time of writing had collected 1,076 signatures in all - was supported by Hammers from around the globe, including Ilford South MP (and season ticket holder) Mike Gapes.
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Irons away on opening day
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th June 2016
By: Staff Writer No.3
United face a short trip to Chelsea on the opening day of the 2016/17 season. The fixture is due to be played on Saturday, 13 August subject to the demands of the TV companies. AFC Bournemouth will be the first league visitors to the Olympic Stadium the following weekend. The full fixture list is as follows...
2016
13 Aug: Chelsea (A)
20 Aug: AFC Bournemouth (H)
27 Aug: Manchester City (A)
10 Sep: Watford (H)
17 Sep: West Bromwich Albion (A)
24 Sep: Southampton (H)
1 Oct: Middlesbrough (H)
15 Oct: Crystal Palace (A)
22 Oct: Sunderland (H)
29 Oct: Everton (A)
5 Nov: Stoke City (H)
19 Nov: Tottenham Hotspur (A)
26 Nov: Manchester United (A)
3 Dec: Arsenal (H)
10 Dec: Liverpool (A)
13 Dec: 7.45pm Burnley (H)
17 Dec: Hull City (H)
26 Dec: Swansea City (A)
31 Dec: Leicester City (A)
2017
2 Jan: Manchester United (H)
14 Jan: Crystal Palace (H)
21 Jan: Middlesbrough (A)
31 Jan: Manchester City (H)
4 Feb: Southampton (A)
11 Feb: West Bromwich Albion (H)
25 Feb: Watford (A)
4 Mar: Chelsea (H)
11 Mar: AFC Bournemouth (A)
18 Mar: Leicester City (H)
1 Apr: Hull City (A)
4 Apr:vv Arsenal (A)
8 Apr: Swansea City (H)
15 Apr: Sunderland (A)
22 Apr: Everton (H)
29 Apr: Stoke City (A)
6 May: Tottenham Hotspur (H)
13 May: Liverpool (H)
21 May: Burnley (A)
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2015/16 in review: January & February
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th June 2016
By: Graeme Howlett
Join us as we take a look back at the 2015/16 season through the eyes of KUMB Editor Graeme Howlett, who penned a weekly column for the Echo newspaper throughout the campaign.
Today we look back at January and February in part six of our review...
17 January
West Ham came crashing back down to earth at St James' Park on Saturday afternoon with a disappointing defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Newcastle United, as Steve McLaren finally got the better of his opposite number.
Not for the first time this season, Slaven Bilic's side - who have generally excelled against teams in the top half of the Premier League - found themselves reflecting on a defeat against a team who, on current form, should perhaps not have enjoyed the dominance they did.
In truth, the game was all but lost inside the opening 15 minutes after a disastrous start left the Hammers facing a veritable mountain to climb.
Goals from Ayoze Perez (six minutes) and Georginio Wijnaldum (15) gave the home side and their manager - dubbed 'the wally with the brolly' following England's defeat by Bilic's Croatia in the 2008 European Championship qualifiers - a dream opening that simply left the visitors with too much to do.
For West Ham, who remain fifth in the table despite the reversal, it continued a worrying trend of poor starts that has potentially cost the team several points this season. The team endured a similarly dismal beginning at Sunderland back in October but managed to claw their way back into that and rescue a point - as was the case at home to Norwich the week before.
More recently, conceding the opening goal against both Southampton and Bournemouth was glossed over by brilliant second half performances - whilst draws at relegation candidates Swansea and Aston Villa over Christmas were slightly fortuitous, given the hosts' general superiority on those particular occasions.
All of which points to a predilection for complacency on West Ham's part, which Bilic will no doubt be keen to eradicate. But as any long-suffering supporter will tell you, this is all part of 'the West Ham way' - as any brief glance at the club's catalogue of embarrassing Cup defeats against lower league opposition will attest!
Earlier in the week West Ham started just as poorly against Bournemouth, going a goal behind early on, but were saved by brilliant individual efforts from Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia who scored a brace for the first time since moving to England in the summer of 2014.
It was the kind of performance that even had some pundits suggesting that the Hammers might be an outside bet for a Champions' League spot. Whilst that sort of talk may be premature the signs remain positive, despite the odd poor performance and concern regarding motivation.
24 January
That he and thousands of Irons supporters were left hugely frustrated by West Ham's 2-2 draw with title-chasing Manchester City at the Boleyn on Saturday afternoon was a mark of the steady progression the club has made under Slaven Bilic since he succeeded Sam Allardyce last summer.
Despite having taken the lead twice, and initially within the opening 60 seconds, West Ham were pegged back on both occasions and ultimately forced to settle for a point against the Premier League title favourites. And although most Hammers fans will be happy at having taken four points from City this season, it could quite easily have been six out of six.
Illustrating that the 2-1 win at the City of Manchester Stadium last September was no fluke, Bilic's side were more than a match for one of the world's most expensively-assembled football teams as the Boleyn Ground, whose time is nigh, was treated to at least one more fantastic game of football.
Enner Valencia, criticised in months gone by but answering his critics - myself included - in the perfect way was West Ham's hero, scoring either side of the interval. Unfortunately the in-form and ever-dangerous Sergio Aguero matched the Ecuador international every step of the way, grabbing a brace for the visitors, hitting the post and virtually saving them a point single-handedly.
But it wasn't just Valencia's goals that gave Hammers fans cause for further hope and optimism. Dimitri Payet - probably playing at his creative zenith at the age of 28 - dished up a stunning performance for his adoring public, who lapped up his repertoire of tricks with which he bamboozled City's superstars.
Meanwhile Alex Song - the choice of many for Man of the Match - was back to his very best, whilst 22-year-old Sam Byram produced a thoroughly impressive debut for a youngster who was facing former Hammer Freddie Sears - rather than the likes of Aguero and David SIlva - in his last competitive outing (for Leeds at Ipswich in the Championship).
Whereas a win against the Citizens would have kept West Ham hot on the heels of fourth-placed Tottenham, a Champions League place is looking less likely now as a result of the two points dropped - although Europa League qualification is still an achievable target, with Manchester United floundering in fifth place (one place and one point above the Hammers).
However it's to the FA Cup that eyes turn next, as West Ham attempt to beat Liverpool for a third time this season when the two sides meet this coming Saturday. Even though West Ham's 3-0 win on Merseyside back in August was their first at Anfield since 1963, it'll take a brave man to bet against one of the most exciting United teams produced in the last 30 years.
7 February
Back in 1993 Bill Murray was the star of a film entitled Groundhog Day (based upon an annual American festival of the same name that takes place every February in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania) in which the protagonist, a weatherman tasked with covering the event found himself living the same day over and over again.
Over in London E6, Slaven Bilic could be forgiven for thinking he too has been cursed by a similar affliction in the same week as Murray's fictional Phil Connors after his West Ham team fell to defeat at Southampton, having conceding yet another early goal.
A thorn in the side of an otherwise excellent season, West Ham's propensity for meekly handing over the initiative has been a constant and frustrating feature of their campaign so far.
From a total of 28 league and cup fixtures the Hammers have conceded the opening goal, within the opening third of the game, on TEN occasions. Of those ten games, only two have ended in victory - whilst six have resulted in defeat, including Saturday's clash at St Mary's.
Despite suffering another early blow, West Ham went on to dominate Saturday afternoon's late kick-off - especially once Victor Wanyama had been dismissed for a wild lunge at Dimitri Payet, who has already missed a large chunk of the season having been the victim of a similar challenge from Everton's James McCarthy.
Although Bilic's side managed to triumph under similar circumstances against Aston VIlla earlier in the week, Southampton proved to be a rather more difficult proposition and despite enjoying around 80 per cent of possession for much of the second half, West Ham failed to seriously test Saints 'keeper Fraser Forster.
And whilst Mark Clattenburg's decision not to award a first half spot kick to West Ham when Enner Valencia was clearly tripped by Southampton goalscorer Maya Yoshida was the subject of much consternation on the KUMB.com Forums both during and after the game, the Hammers just didn't quite do enough to deserve something from it.
The five-point cushion West Ham had previously enjoyed over Southampton following the Villa win has consequently been reduced to just two, although Bilic's side remain sixth in the Premier League.
Meanwhile the games continue to come thick and fast as we look forward to welcoming Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round replay on Tuesday night - possibly the last ever big FA Cup night under the lights at the Boleyn Ground - with a trip to relegation-threatened Norwich CIty this coming weekend to follow.
14 February
It's often said that in order to enjoy a productive season, a team should aspire to win its home games and try not to lose too many away. In that sense, it's been a pretty perfect week for West Ham United.
Slaven Bilic's side began it in superb fashion last Tuesday evening in front of a full house at the Boleyn, enticed to this FA Cup fourth round replay by cheaper tickets. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team were put to the sword for the third time this season - although it took extra time plus a very late and wildly-celebrated Angelo Ogbonna goal to separate the two on this occasion.
That left West Ham with a record against the Reds this season of played four, won three and drawn one - with a goal tally of 7-1. That's unprecedented in modern history and indicative of the positive progress West Ham are making this season, their last before moving to Stratford's Olympic Stadium.
The reward for that success was a fifth round trip to Blackburn, who are currently struggling in the Championship having recently sold their key player, striker Jordan Rhodes to rivals Middlesbrough. Which, as all long-suffering Hammers fans know only too well, probably points to a Rovers win next weekend!
Prior to that it was back to the Premier League with the Hammers facing a trip to Norwich on Saturday, a team against whom the Irons had managed to snatch a point against at the Boleyn earlier in the season having come from behind twice to grab a 2-2 draw.
And it was a similar story in the return leg at Carrow Road, where an out-of-form Canaries team that had suffered five defeats in its last six games swept into a 2-0 lead having scored twice within nine minute at the beginning of the second half. At least the Hammers kept a clean sheet in the opening 45 minutes this week!
In years gone by that may have been the catalyst for a claret and blue capitulation. However Bilic's side are made of stronger stuff and can always count on the brilliant Dimitri Payet, who signed a new, improved contract this week in order to stave off interest from elsewhere in England and abroad.
With little more than quarter-of-an-hour remaining, Payet was well-placed to convert a Vic Moses shot that had been spilled by John Ruddy to halve the deficit - and within two minutes of that, Mark Noble fired home a superb equaliser after being teed-up by a sublime pass from Payet.
Bilic admitted in a post-match interview that he had hoped to win the game, but was happy with a point given the circumstances that led to it. Even though his team have won just four of their last 16 Premier League outings, it was enough to keep the Hammers seventh in the Premier League having finally reached the magic 40-point mark - and with 12 more league games still to play this season.
Next week Bilic will be accompanied on his travels by more than 7,500 travelling fans as the Hammers attempt to book a place in this year's FA Cup quarter finals at Ewood Park. Should his team manage to win that, a home tie at the Boleyn Ground in the last eight might just be the perfect send-off to the club's spiritual home.
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West Ham spurn Sakho approach
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are understood to have rejected a swap deal from West Bromwhich Albion involving strikers Diafra Sakho and Saido Berahino. The Hammers, who are currently trying to offload the troubled Senegal international have been approached by Albion but failed to reach an agreement, according to a KUMB source. A potential deal is said to have fallen through after the two clubs failed to reach an agreement with regards to the players' values. Berahino, who was the subject of a £23million offer from Tottenham last year is out of contract at the end of the 2016/17 season. As a result, West Ham were unwilling to pay anywhere close to his full market value. Meanwhile Albion were unwilling to meet West Ham's £15million valuation of Sakho, who is contracted to West Ham until the summer of 2018 but likely to leave the club this summer.
Whilst the Hammers remain interested in signing Berahino - albeit as a reserve option should they fail to push through any of their main targets (Lacazette etc) - Crystal Palace, Stoke City and Watford have also contacted Albion with view to signing the former England Under 21 international. Sakho, who moved to West Ham two years ago in a £4million switch from Metz was the subject of a recent bid from Sunderland, who are understood to have offered just £8million up front.
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West Ham offered Valencia swap deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Manchester City are understood to have approached West Ham with view to signing Enner Valencia in a swap deal. West Ham's Ecuador international, who scored just four goals last season has been the subject of an enquiry from the Citizens, according to KUMB sources. However the Citizens' approach - which involved a straight swap for former Swansea star Wilfried Bony - is said to have been rejected by West Ham, who are not currently interested in signing the 27-year-old. The Ivory Coast international was a key target for West Ham three years ago whilst still at Vitesse, when he was the subject of a £10million bid that was subsequently rejected. And last year, David Sullivan revealed that he had passed on the opportunity to sign Bony for £8million as a result of then-manager Sam Allardyce's decision to sign Andy Carroll from Liverpool instead.
Following a lean spell at the City of Manchester stadium, which has netted him just 10 goals in all competitions since joining Man City in January 2015, Bony is apparently available once again. But his chances of resurrecting a move to West Ham look to be over, with the club concentrating on other targets such as Alexandre Lacazette and Michy Batshuayi. Valencia, who has scored twice so far in the Copa America which is currently taking place in the United States made just 10 Premier League starts for Slaven Bilic's side last season.
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Bilic lauds 'top' signing
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has hailed new signing Sofiane Feghouli as a "top player". The 26-year-old Algerian international completed his free transfer from Valencia yesterday. Ad Bilic, speaking during the Hungary vs Austria Euro 16 clash could barely hide his delight at landing one of the club's top summer targets. "I got a message from the chairman that we had signed Feghouli," he told ITV anchor Mark Pougatch. "Feghouli is a top player, a top winger. We got him for free on a Bosman so, we're active. We are preparing. He's a great signing for us."
Elsewhere at Euro 16, West Ham and France star Dimitri Payet has claimed that his game had reached "a new level" since he arrived in England last summer. "Patrice Evra told me that playing in England would take my game to a new level and he was right," said Payet. "It is the most competitive league in the world — every game you have to fight for. There is no doubt I have become a better player there." Payet's France face Albania later today knowing that a win would secure them a place in the knock-out phase with a game to spare.
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HAMMERS MAKE OFFER TO SANDRO RAMIREZ?
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 15 JUNE 2016 AT 5:44PM
The WestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham have reportedly made an offer to Sandro Ramirez according to Spanish source La Opinion de Malaga. The Spanish source claims that Sandro is available on a free transfer following his release from Barcelona but the Hammers will face competition with Besiktas, Galatasaray and Malaga for his signature but are believed to be the frontrunners because of their financial muscle. The Hammers had reportedly enquired into the availability of the striker in May. Sandro was under contract for another season with the Catalan giants and had an option to extend that by an extra year, but Barcelona declined the option and are willing to release him.
Soon to turn 21, Sandro's promising Barcelona career hasn't worked out as well as he had hoped, scoring just three goals last season all in the Copa Del Rey and with places in the match-day squad highly contested, he will leave the Spanish giants. Sandro has been capped at Junior level with Spain from U17-U21 and has scored 12 goals for his country. If he joins the Hammers this Summer he'll be the second young Spanish striker to join the ranks after the Hammers signed Anthony Martinez from Valencia
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Payet tops UEFA player barometer & dream team
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham's Dimitri Payet tops the official UEFA player Barometer for Euro 2016 and makes the dream team. The SOCAR Player Barometer has been updated live with every performance of the opening set of matches, and we have selected a first dream XI based on its findings.
The XI was picked from the top players in each position, though in midfield the second-best defensive midfielder Eric Dier (9th overall) was chosen ahead of the top winger Antonio Candreva (17th). Sergio Ramos (8th) and Luka Modrić (10th) are the only top ten players to miss out, thus allowing the selection of a goalkeeper and two full-backs.
Team1
Current top players in each position
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (GER) 12th
Full-back: Juanfran (ESP) 18th
Centre-back: Shkodran Mustafi (GER) 3rd
Defensive midfielder: N'Golo Kanté (FRA) 7th
Central midfielder: Toni Kroos (GER) 2nd
Attacking midfielder: Dmitri Payet (FRA) 1st
Winger: Antonio Candreva (ITA) 17th
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) 4th
All eyes will be on Payet again tonight as France face Albania at 8pm. Unsurprisingly, Payet is in the starting line-up for France.
Payet Fact: Dimitri created eight chances against the Romanians – only three players had created more in a Euros game since 1980 (Ozil, 9 v Greece in 2012, McAllister, 10 v Germany in 1992 and Sneijder, 10 v Denmark in 2012).
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Rob Lee: "Elliot was never really given a chance"
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Former Newcastle and West Ham player, Rob Lee has explained how his son Elliot would be a good signing for Newcastle when writing his column for The Newcastle Chronicle, and how if they came in for him he would advise his son to make the move. Elliot Lee was released by the Hammers this summer and his father claims the Hammers did not give his son the chance he deserved.
"At West Ham, I thought he deserved a chance over the likes of Emmanuel Emenike and Nikica Jelavic, both of whom just sat on the bench, Elliot was never really given a chance even though he scored in the Europa League. You never know how good someone is going to be until you give them a Premier League chance; just look at Harry Kane."
"There's so many rumours of clubs out there, but if Newcastle did come in for him then I would certainly recommend to him that he goes there," Lee added. "With Rafa Benitez, they have a great manager again and the club will hopefully get back to what it was before."
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Valencia & Sakho linked in bizarre swap deals
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
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West Ham strikers Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho have been linked in bizarre swap deals according to ITK Thorshammer on Irons Internet forum KUMB.com
Thor claims West Ham looked at a straight swap between West Brom's Berahino and Diafra Sakho but nothing happened because Albion are said to value Berahino at £20m while West Ham value Sakho at £15m.
He goes on to claim Manchester City approached West Ham about swapping Wilfred Bony for Enner Valencia but says the Hammers knocked back the offer.
City purchased Bony for £25m plus up to £3m of add ons as revealed by the football leaks website after the contract was leaked online back in March. City paid £9m up front, plus £5m in VAT due on the total transfer. They paid Swansea a further £8m in January 2016 and are due to Swansea a further £8m in January 2017. Bony is thought to command a £100,000 per week salary at City.
In the early hours of this morning Thorshammer posted the following on KUMB.com
"Berahino has offers from Palace ,Watford and Stoke. West ham looked at a swap but nothing happened due to a difference in valuation between clubs regarding him/Sakho. City asked about swapping Valencia for Bony but were knocked back seems like Pep prefers pace over power"
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Valencia has eyes on spanish league
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Enner Valencia is keen to swap Premier League for La Liga according to Spanish media reports. Valencia moved to the Premier League in 2014 and has scored ten goals in 56 appearances for the Hammers. He scored two goals and two assists in Ecuador's Copa America tournament in recent weeks.
"I would love to play in the Spanish league, one of the best in the world. In Spain most teams play very well, seeking to have much possession and then look for the opposite goal. It is a very showy league," Valencia allegedly told Spanish sports journal, Marca after scoring for Ecuador in a 2-2 draw with Peru in the Copa America.
The Daily Mail makes new claims that Valencia is attracting interest from the Bundesliga but doesn't go into any further details to validate the random claim. Yesterday the Ecuadorian striker was linked to a possible move to West Ham Browich Albion alongside Diafra Sakho.
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Tore breaks silence on West Ham desire
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 15, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Turkish website www.yazbir.com has published a direct quote from Gokan Tore suggesting his time at Besiktas is coming to and end and he wants to play for West Ham. Tore is said to have said: "I have a contract until 2019 with Beşiktaş but I have completed my mission here. If they get my transfer fee, I want to play at West Ham"
West Ham have yet to agree a fee with Besiktas for Tore, according to reports in Turkey. According to Takvim, West Ham have failed to match Besiktas' valuations for Atiba Hutchinson and Gokan Tore. The Istanbul outfit are demanding a fee of around £16million for both players and have told West Ham they will not be available to discuss a deal until such a formal bid is made. "Yes I want Gokhan Tore and Atiba Hutchinson, they are targets," Slaven Bilic told Turkish television earlier this week. Bilic added "We also have others but they are major targets. Will it happen? Nobody can say yet but we want him. I want one transfer for both. More than one thing has to happen for this deal. When a club wants a player it depends on how much [Besiktas] want to sell a player and how much they are asking.There is a lot written in the Turkish press that is untrue. But I know them [Tore and Hutchinson], I spent two years with them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, June 16
Wednesday, June 15
Daily WHUFC News - Fixtures 2016/17
2016/17 Premier League fixtures
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will welcome AFC Bournemouth as the first Premier League
visitors to our new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park! The Hammers
kick-off 2016/17 with a London derby with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on
Saturday 13 August, where Slaven Bilic's men came within a whisker of
winning last term, before welcoming the Cherries to the London Stadium on
Saturday 20 August.
Other standout fixtures include the visit of Arsenal on Saturday 3 December,
Manchester United on Monday 2 January 2017, Manchester City on Saturday 31
January, champions Leicester City on Saturday 18 March and the closing two
home games with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on consecutive Saturdays in
May.
Of course, Hammers fans will hope to see many of the above fixtures move to
Sunday afternoons, as that will mean West Ham have progressed in the UEFA
Europa League, which is played on Thursday evenings.
Boxing Day will see Bilic take his squad to Swansea City, while 2016 will
come to an end with a New Year's Eve trip to face Claudio Ranieri's
Leicester.
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West Ham fixtures: Premier League 2016/17
Last Updated: 15/06/16 9:00am
SSN
West Ham will open their Premier League 2016/17 campaign with a trip to
Chelsea, and will host Bournemouth in their first game at the Olympic
Stadium on August 20.
The Hammers will travel to Stamford Bridge in Antonio Conte's first Premier
League game in charge of the Blues on August 13, before Eddie Howe's
Cherries travel to east London the following week.
A clash against rivals Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on November 19
is followed by games against Manchester United (a), Arsenal (h) and
Liverpool (a), before a Boxing Day fixture with Swansea City at the Liberty
Stadium.
An exciting season awaits West Ham, who will be competing in the Europa
League, and the Irons will conclude their campaign with a trip to Premier
League new-boys Burnley on May 21.
West Ham Premier League 2016/17 fixtures:
August
13: Chelsea (a)
20: Bournemouth (h)
27: Manchester City (a)
September
10: Watford (h)
17: West Bromwich Albion (a)
24: Southampton (h)
October
01: Middlesbrough (h)
15: Crystal Palace (a)
22: Sunderland (h)
29: Everton (a)
November
05: Stoke City (h)
19: Tottenham Hotspur (a)
26: Manchester United (a)
December
03: Arsenal (h)
10: Liverpool (a)
13: Burnley (h)
17: Hull City (h)
26: Swansea City (a)
31: Leicester City (a)
January
02: Manchester United (h)
14: Crystal Palace (h)
21: Middlesbrough (a)
31: Manchester City (h)
February
04: Southampton (a)
11: West Bromwich Albion (h)
25: Watford (a)
March
04: Chelsea (h)
11: A.F.C. Bournemouth (a)
18: Leicester City (h)
April
01: Hull City (a)
04: Arsenal (a)
08: Swansea City (h)
15: Sunderland (a)
22: Everton (h)
29: Stoke City (a)
May
06: Tottenham Hotspur (h)
13: Liverpool (h)
21: Burnley (a)
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will welcome AFC Bournemouth as the first Premier League
visitors to our new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park! The Hammers
kick-off 2016/17 with a London derby with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on
Saturday 13 August, where Slaven Bilic's men came within a whisker of
winning last term, before welcoming the Cherries to the London Stadium on
Saturday 20 August.
Other standout fixtures include the visit of Arsenal on Saturday 3 December,
Manchester United on Monday 2 January 2017, Manchester City on Saturday 31
January, champions Leicester City on Saturday 18 March and the closing two
home games with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on consecutive Saturdays in
May.
Of course, Hammers fans will hope to see many of the above fixtures move to
Sunday afternoons, as that will mean West Ham have progressed in the UEFA
Europa League, which is played on Thursday evenings.
Boxing Day will see Bilic take his squad to Swansea City, while 2016 will
come to an end with a New Year's Eve trip to face Claudio Ranieri's
Leicester.
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West Ham fixtures: Premier League 2016/17
Last Updated: 15/06/16 9:00am
SSN
West Ham will open their Premier League 2016/17 campaign with a trip to
Chelsea, and will host Bournemouth in their first game at the Olympic
Stadium on August 20.
The Hammers will travel to Stamford Bridge in Antonio Conte's first Premier
League game in charge of the Blues on August 13, before Eddie Howe's
Cherries travel to east London the following week.
A clash against rivals Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on November 19
is followed by games against Manchester United (a), Arsenal (h) and
Liverpool (a), before a Boxing Day fixture with Swansea City at the Liberty
Stadium.
An exciting season awaits West Ham, who will be competing in the Europa
League, and the Irons will conclude their campaign with a trip to Premier
League new-boys Burnley on May 21.
West Ham Premier League 2016/17 fixtures:
August
13: Chelsea (a)
20: Bournemouth (h)
27: Manchester City (a)
September
10: Watford (h)
17: West Bromwich Albion (a)
24: Southampton (h)
October
01: Middlesbrough (h)
15: Crystal Palace (a)
22: Sunderland (h)
29: Everton (a)
November
05: Stoke City (h)
19: Tottenham Hotspur (a)
26: Manchester United (a)
December
03: Arsenal (h)
10: Liverpool (a)
13: Burnley (h)
17: Hull City (h)
26: Swansea City (a)
31: Leicester City (a)
January
02: Manchester United (h)
14: Crystal Palace (h)
21: Middlesbrough (a)
31: Manchester City (h)
February
04: Southampton (a)
11: West Bromwich Albion (h)
25: Watford (a)
March
04: Chelsea (h)
11: A.F.C. Bournemouth (a)
18: Leicester City (h)
April
01: Hull City (a)
04: Arsenal (a)
08: Swansea City (h)
15: Sunderland (a)
22: Everton (h)
29: Stoke City (a)
May
06: Tottenham Hotspur (h)
13: Liverpool (h)
21: Burnley (a)
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Daily WHUFC News - 15th June 2016
U14s win Dutch tournament
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U14s ended the season by winning the SV Blerick International Tournament in the Netherlands. The Hammers participated in the event as part of the Club's Academy partnership with Dutch side VVV-Venlo, going through all seven matches without conceding a single goal. The group stage saw Danny Searle's side held goalless by Roda JC before beating fellow Dutch trio PSV (1-0), Willem II (2-0) and SV Bleric (4-0) before overcoming Germany's SV Rot-Weiss Essen 3-0. The semi-finals saw West Ham paired with fellow English club Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were beaten by a single goal. The final aptly gave the Hammers an opportunity to take on first opponents Roda JC again, and second time around the Claret and Blue youngsters proved too strong by winning 2-0. Unsurprisingly, West Ham's unbeatable stopper Serine Sanneh won the Goalkeeper of the Tournament after keeping seven straight clean sheets, while outfield teammate Sam Caiger won the Player of the Tournament award. Head of Coaching for the U15-18 age group Searle expressed his pride in the squad's performance, while also thanking his backroom staff. "This was a great opportunity for the players to finish the season against good foreign opposition," said Searle. "We met up with our partner club VVV-Venlo, who were also involved in SV Blerick's Tournament. "The players were very professional throughout the Tournament, which helped them in some tough situations against good opposition. "The performances improved over the two days and by the time we reached the semi-final and final you could see the team had grown in confidence. To win the Tournament was an excellent achievement and to do so not conceding a goal was even better. We would like to thank SV Blerick for their hospitality.
"I would also like to place on record my thanks to the staff – coach Anthony Limbrick, sports scientist Scott Carter, analyst Gavin Boorman, physiotherapist Charlotte Pilgrim, driver and kit man Tony Falco and driver Dennis Lepine."
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New Stadium progress report
WHUFC.com
Following the seeding of the pitch at West Ham United's new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park last week, whufc.com brings you all the developments from elsewhere at the new Stadium.
The brand new official Stadium Store is almost complete, with the vast majority of the fixtures and fittings in place - including three leaves of the John Lyall Gates and turnstiles relocated from the Boleyn Ground.
Manikins, ready to model the Hammers' new kits throughout the 2016/17 campaign, are also ready for the grand opening on Thursday 23 June.
Downstairs in the Store, which is three times the size of the its Boleyn Ground equivalent, supporters will be able to have their replica shirts printed with names of their Claret and Blue heroes at the printing desks, which are also near completion.
Supporters may take inspiration from the huge shirts which look down from high above the concourses.
Now hanging alongside the shirts of Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet, Mark Noble, Billy Bonds, Sir Trevor Brooking, Bobby Moore and others are those depicting the honours won during 121 years of history.
Also downstairs, making superb progress and looking the part is the West Ham United Coffee Co., where the aforementioned turnstiles have been specially adapted for fans to sit or stand alongside to enjoy their refreshments.
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Hammers catch winger Feghouli
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce the capture of exciting Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia CF. The 26-year-old will arrive from Spain on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 1 July, having successfully completed his medical at Spire Roding Hospital and agreed personal terms on Monday. The Paris-born wideman has been a regular in La Liga since joining Valencia from French side Grenoble in 2010, scoring 42 goals in 243 appearances for Los Che. Feghouli, who has scored eleven goals in 40 caps for the country of his parents' birth, is looking forward to playing under Hammers boss Slaven Bilic in the Premier League. "I am very happy to sign for the Hammers and for Slaven Bilic," Feghouli told whufc.com. "The history of the Club is important for me in my decision. "Playing in the Premier League is very important for players in their careers and I am happy to play for the Hammers."
Born in the northern Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret on Boxing Day 1989, Feghouli spent time with local clubs Red Star and Paris FC before joining Grenoble as a teenager. The winger spent six seasons in the Alps, helping Grenoble gain promotion to Ligue 1 in 2007/08, and moved on to Valencia following the club's relegation two years later. After a loan spell with Almeria, Feghouli was a first-team regular for his new club from the start of the 2011/12 season, averaging nearly 50 appearances over each of the last five campaigns.
Among them were 42 appearances in European competition, including 22 in the UEFA Champions League, which brought the Algerian an impressive haul of ten goals. The 2012 Algerian Footballer of the Year, Feghouli is an important figure for his national team, appearing at three major tournaments. The West Ham new boy played age-group football for France before pledging his allegiance to Algeria in 2011, scoring the winner on his debut in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against The Gambia in February 2012. After helping the Desert Foxes to qualify for the Brazil 2014, Feghouli netted his country's first FIFA World Cup goal in 28 years when he scored from the penalty spot against Spain. Feghouli could come face to face with new teammates Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho at the 2017 African Cup of Nations in January after both Algeria and Senegal clinched qualification earlier this month.
You can follow the new Hammers' winger's social media accounts now on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! He becomes the second senior signing of the summer, following Norway midfielder Havard Nordtveit.
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Ten Fast Facts - Sofiane Feghouli
WHUFC.com
Find out more about West Ham United's second summer signing - Algeria international winger Sofiane Feghouli...
Sofiane Feghouli hails from the same Paris suburb – Levallois-Perret – as 1905 Tour de France winning cyclist Louis Trousselier
Feghouli is the youngest of four sons of Algerian-born parents who emigrated to France
The winger played for Red Star and Paris FC in the French capital before moving to Grenoble Foot 38 as a teenager
Feghouli won promotion to Ligue 1 in 2007/08 – his first season as a regular in Grenoble's starting XI
The 26-year-old joined Spanish Primera Division club Valencia CF on a free transfer in summer 2010
The wideman made his UEFA Champions League debut for Valencia against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2010
Feghouli switched international allegiance from France to Algeria in 2011, scoring on his debut against The Gambia in February 2012
The Desert Foxes star won the Algerian Footballer of the Year award in 2012 – an award won last season by Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez
The Hammers new boy appeared at the 2013 and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and also scored against Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals
Feghouli has averaged more than 47 games per season over his five full campaigns with Valencia
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The Big Interview - Sofiane Feghouli
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's second summer signing Sofiane Feghouli says the Hammers' ambition was a key factor in his decision to move to east London. The 26-year-old opted to join Slaven Bilic's revolution amid interest from a host of Europe's top clubs, admitting the manager played a big role in his move from Spanish giants Valencia CF.
With a strong season behind them, a strong squad and a move to the 60,000-capacity London Stadium to look forward to, Feghouli told West Ham TV he cannot pull on the famous Claret and Blue shirt…
Sofiane, congratulations and welcome to West Ham United! How does it feel to sign for this Club and to be here in London?
"Thank you very much. I am very happy to have joined West Ham United and I am really looking forward to making my first appearance for the Club."
Why did you choose West Ham over the other clubs that were interested?
"First of all, it was the ambitious sporting project that was presented to me by the Club and the manager. After considering the options with my family, I think it became an option that instantly stood out from the others. The direction of the Club, the new Stadium, the squad, the manager and the opportunity to play in the Premier League made it an easy decision for me to join West Ham.
A new era is beginning at this club with the move to the New Stadium, how will it be for you to play in front of 60,000 people?
"For a footballer, to play in front of lots of fans is really important. I love the passion that comes from the crowd and as I said, I can't wait to get the season underway and to play for a club with a great history in England."
Last year was a success for the team and we have secured Europa League football for this season, what did you think of what the team achieved last year?
"What surprised me last year with this team is the spirit that it has. It was a team that fought hard in every game and gave their all. There is also great quality in the squad and so I think that this season, the team can go on and achieve some great things both in the Premier League and the Europa League."
How would you describe yourself as a player?
"I would describe myself as generous, it is always difficult to describe yourself, but I give my all every week."
You have played in Ligue 1, La Liga and now, in the Premier League, how do you feel about the opportunity to play here?
"I have played in both Ligue 1 and La Liga. I think that La Liga and the Premier League are the best leagues around at the moment. It is a great challenge for me to play in the Premier League and this opportunity makes me really happy to be here at West Ham."
Last year you worked with some English coaches at Valencia, how did you find that experience?
"I worked with Gary and Phil Neville at Valencia and it was a great experience for me. I have worked with a lot of coaches in my career and this was the first time I had worked with English-speaking coaches, so it was a good experience for me."
Do you know any of your teammates here at West Ham?
"I know the players here because I follow football all the time, but I don't know any of them personally yet."
Have you played against any of them?
"I played against Cheikhou Kouyate for the Algeria national team when he was playing for Senegal and I came up against Dimitri Payet in the Champions League when he was at Lille in 2012/13."
Your fellow countryman and Algerian national teammate Riyad Mahrez had a huge impact on the Premier League last year, do you feel you can have a similar impact?
"What he achieved last year was incredible and fully deserved as he worked hard to get to there. I have my own objectives, I am ambitious and want to achieve great things in Europe with the Hammers and to leave my mark."
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Joint-Chairman - He is an outstanding player
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan is thrilled to have secured the signing of Sofiane Feghouli and believes he is an 'outstanding player'. Mr Sullivan reveals the Club have been working hard to finalise a move for the 26-year-old who attracted interest from a number of big clubs across Europe. Feghouli showed his quality in La Liga producing some of his best form at Valencia and will look forward to facing his Algerian team-mate Riyad Mahrez who was voted PFA Player of the Year for Leicester last season. After securing the signings of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini last summer, Mr Sullivan feels the Club have brought in another special talent who has a wealth of experience and will be another big addition to the squad. Mr Sullivan said: "It's a deal myself and my team have been working on for many weeks. I had a lengthy meeting with his agent ten days ago. "He's an outstanding player and as big a star as Mahrez in his own country. "If he adapts to the Premier League we have signed another very special player with experience all over Europe via the Cup competitions for his club."
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Feghouli enticed by 'ambitious project'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Sofiane Feghouli says he was persuaded to join West Ham United as a result of the club's ambition. The 26-year-old winger rejected a series of offers from around the globe in order to put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Hammers, whom he joined on a free transfer today.
"I am very happy to have joined West Ham United and I am really looking forward to making my first appearance for the club," he told whufc.com.
"After considering the options with my family, I think it became an option that instantly stood out from the others. The direction of the club, the new stadium, the squad, the manager and the opportunity to play in the Premier League made it an easy decision for me to join. "There is great quality in the squad and so I think that this season, the team can go on and achieve some great things both in the Premier and Europa League."
Feghouli's arrival represents yet another major coup for chairman David Sullivan and chief scout Tony Henry, following the success of last season's transfer policy that netted stars such as Michail Antonio, Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet. "It's a deal myself and my team have been working on for many weeks," revealed the club's co-owner. "I had a lengthy meeting with his agent ten days ago. "He's an outstanding player and as big a star as Riyad Mahrez in his own country. If he adapts to the Premier League we have signed another very special player with experience all over Europe via the cup competitions for his club."
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Hammers sign Feghouli on three-year deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have completed the capture of Albanian international Sofiane Feghouli. The 26-year-old, French-born winger has joined West Ham after agreeing terms on a three-year contract, it has been revealed. Voted as La Liga's best African player in 2014/15, Feghouli spent the last six years at Valencia but only became a regular first team player during the 2011/12 season. Prior to agreeing terms with West Ham, he had also been strongly linked with Turkish Super Lig outfit Fenerbahce, Manchester United, Seville and an unnamed Chinese Super League club.
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No summer gambles, insists Bilic
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic says that player performances in Euro 16 will play a role in his summer transfer policy - but that he is unlikely to sign anyone purely based on their exploits in France. Bilic - who completed the capture of Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia on a free transfer earlier today - admitted that some players will be judged partly on their performances in the tournament, which kicked off last Friday. However he denied that the club would sign anyone based on their Euro 16 achievements alone, insisting that all main targets had been monitored throughout the last season (and beyond). Bilic - speaking from Paris, where he is currently part of ITV's European Championship team - also revealed that the club were keen to tie up one or two deals prior to the start of the competition, but were unable to do so. "We tried to do something before the Euros but it wasn't possible, it didn't happen", he said. "But as I said to the Board, we're not panicking. We have a good team and if we can add something to that team to make us better, then we're going to try."
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West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet transfer would cost ridiculous money, says agent
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 14/06/16 3:55pm
SSN
Dimitri Payet's agent says it would take "ridiculous money" to sign the West Ham midfielder this summer. Payet joined the Hammers from Marseille last summer and enjoyed a sensational debut season in the Premier League, earning a call-up for the France squad for Euro 2016. He justified his inclusion in Didier Deschamps' final 23-man squad with a dazzling display in France's opening Group A match against Romania, scoring a stunning last-minute goal to earn the hosts a 2-1 win. Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have since been linked in the national press with moves for the 29-year-old, with figures quoted as high as £60m. But Payet's agent, Mark McKay, insists his client is content at West Ham and feels only a mega-money offer could tempt the Hammers to sell their star man. "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," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "He's doing great now for France and to get him now, you've got to be talking ridiculous money. But football is football, so you never know." He added: "When he first came last year, we hoped for the best with him. We knew that he was a really good player, but I don't think anyone could really expect what he has gone on to do in the Premier League so far. "The game against Romania the other night was a joy to watch."
Mckay also confirmed West Ham forward Diafra Sakho is seeking assurances over his future at the club. Sky sources understand Sakho has told Hammers boss Slaven Bilic he wants to leave this summer, with Sunderland keen on signing him. "He has had conversations with people at West Ham and he wants to know where his future lies. He wants to start pre-season where he wants to be playing," McKay said. "West Ham are looking for that top, top striker and Diafra is a bit concerned, that once they find that striker, what his place in the team is going to be. "If he gets those assurances from West Ham, I am sure he'll be happy to stay there, but otherwise he may be looking elsewhere. "I think if you look at Diafra, he is a victim of the success West Ham have had. Now they are going to the Olympic Stadium, they want to kick on and he may just be left behind, he's not that star name they are looking for maybe. "So, we'll wait and see on that. It's up in the air at the moment. He's a West Ham player as it stands until David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic turn round and say differently."
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West Ham complete transfer of Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia, according to Jack Sullivan
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 14/06/16 2:58pm
SSN
West Ham have completed the transfer of Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli, according to the son of Hammers co-owner David Sullivan. Jack Sullivan confirmed on his Twitter account that the Algeria international has signed a three-year contract with the Londoners. The 26-year-old was a free agent after seeing out his contract at Valencia and leaves after six years at the La Liga club. Sullivan tweeted: "Feghouli has signed for West Ham for the next 3 years." West Ham have already been busy in the transfer market, having agreed to sign Norway international Havard Nordtveit from Borussia Monchengladbach. Feghouli, who represented France at U18 and U21 level before switching his allegiances to Algeria, joined Valencia from French side Grenoble in 2010 and scored 30 times during his six season stay at the Mestalla. His arrival at West Ham will be another boost to manager Slaven Bilic, who is looking to shape his squad ahead of the club's first season at the 60,000-seater Olympic Stadium. On Monday, Bilic confirmed to Turkish television he was interested in signing Besiktas duo Atiba Hutchinson and Gokhan Tore, while David Sullivan confirmed to Sky Sports News HQ in May that he was confident of acquiring a "top striker" this summer.
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Lyon demand £40m for star asset
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
According to our good friend, Darren Lewis over on the Daily Mirror, Lyon has rejected a second bid from West Ham for Alexandre Lacazette. Darren says West Ham have had an improved £32million bid rejected today. The French club are insistent that they will not do business for a fee less than their valuation of £40m before appearance fees and goal bonuses. The bid from West Ham was their second crack at 24-year-old Lacazette who has netted 23 times from 44 appearances this season.Last month West Ham had a package worth £31million rejected for Lacazette by Lyon. Last month Lyon confirmed they rejected a €40m offer for Lacazette from West Ham. "For a sale to be made, all three parties must agree. We have refused several offers, the most important from West Ham for 40m euros and we refused it," Lyon President, Aulas previously told French daily Le Progres.
Yesterday we reported that Lacazette screamed "Payeeeeeeeet" followed by eight smileys and the French flag on twitter to show his love for the West Ham midfielder but it appears both clubs are miles apart on their valuations.
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Payet linked with £40m bid from Real Madrid
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Real Madrid has been the latest club to be linked to a possible bid for Dimitri Payet tjis summer. French website, Le Sport10 claim "Real Madrid are understood to be readying a bid worth €50m (£40m) & offer Payet €160,000 (£128,000) weekly in wages to persuade him to come."
Yesterday, Darren Lewis on the Daily Mirror said Chelsea scouts have been urging incoming boss Antonio Conte to make a move for Payet but Lewis confirms our weekend story that West Ham's board are adamant they won't sell Payet at any cost and refuse to even put a potential valuation on his head that could tempt them to sell.
Over the weekend we spoke to West Ham chairman David Sullivan who told Claret and Hugh "It's as simple as this – we are not selling him – not at any price. West Ham United is building a team around Dimi Payet – he will not be moving anywhere and that is that."
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West Ham linked with another Senegalese striker
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham is reportedly looking at 23-year-old Senegalese striker Khouma Babacar of Fiorentina, who has been compared to a young Didier Drogba. Babacar scored seven goals in 24 games last season but is seen as a physical player who would be suited to the Premier League. The Fiorentina striker has been linked with Crystal Palace, Everton, Southampton and West Ham and last week the Italian press reported the 23-year-old could be available for just £10m. The agent of Khouma Babacar has remained coy over the striker's future amid links with Premier League clubs. Babacar was the subject of substantial interest in the January transfer window and was reportedly close to leaving Italian club Fiorentina. The forward's agent, Patrick Bastianelli, previously told Radio Blu: "What of Babacar's future? We'll see, at the moment he is contracted on the objective to be achieved with Fiorentina." Media speculation suggests that fellow Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho wants out of West Ham this summer suggesting he spoke to Slaven Bilic over the weekend and asked to be sold ahead of next season.
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Cherries man to join West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Head of media and communications at AFC Bournemouth, Max Fitzgerald will join West Ham as the new Hammers Head of media relations before the start of the new Premier league season.
The position was left vacant after West Ham fan, Paul Stringer left to join the Premier League after four years in charge of the press and media department. Max graduated from Bournemouth University in 2011 receiving a BA (Hons) in multimedia and journalism. During his time at University the life long Bournemouth fan was the editor for Bournemouth's official multimedia portal called 'Cherries player'. On leaving University he joined Bournemouth football club in May 2011 as a media and communications executive receiving a promotion to the top job as Cherries head of media and communications in August 2012. Max is likely to become a familiar face standing next to Slaven Bilic in press conferences next season fielding difficult questions and driving forward a new press and media strategy as we move to the former Olympic Stadium.
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Hammers update Sakho and Sunderland
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham have this morning denied any new bid from Sunerland for striker Diafra Sakho. The Daily Mail yesterday reported that Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce had come in with an offer and that he wanted a deal sorted out as soon as possible. However, a Hammers source revealed this morning: "There has been no new bid. That hasn't happened. Maybe after the first one that was lodged they feel to embarrassed to come back with another!" The Mail had appeared to hang their story on the suggestion that Sak is unhappy and that he and manager Slaven Bilic have had a meeting at which that was expressed. However, we were told: "There's no sugesstion that's the case at all. It's very very quiet with the Euros on but that is something that someone would definitely have heard about. "It seems a little bizarre given that Slav has been racing between England, Croatia and France and Diafra is away. "
The first Sunderland bid was reported at £11 million which was totally incorrect in REAL terms with CandH being told it was nearer £6 million up front with all sorts of "embarrassing clauses attached." One was that the player would need to make 30 appearances a season for three seasons in order for the fee to rise to the reported £11m. With his injury record that is ublikely to happen! And we were told regardless: £11 million is a ridicuus bid anyway. We would not even look at anything under £15m."
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Sullivan on marks with another bid
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in Fans Forum, Hammers Chat, News, Whispers
C and H
David Sullivan is ready to step up his bid for Alexandre Lacazette. The Hammers chairman saw a new £32 million bid rejected by Lyon yesterday but is encouraged by the falling of away of interest by both Paris St Germain and Spurs. Lyon are claiming that they want £40 milion for the 25 year old but with the Irons seemingly the only club in the frame at the moment that has zero chance of happening at this stage. We were told this morning that a fresh bid is likely and that the striker remains the prime target as the Hammers look to get their transfer business done as quickly as possible. Sullivan is a relentless negotiator and will go on until the bitter end in his pursuit of the player with a source saying this morning: "It's not over at this stage – there is likely to be another offer. As we have seen many times, David is not a man to throw his hands in the air and say: 'That's it.'
Lacazette showed his prowess for Lyon last season, scoring 21 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games, although he w as only placed on stand-by for France's Euro 2016 squad.
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Payet's agent breaks silence on Dimi's future
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Dimi Payet's agent, Mark McKay has told Sky Sports News today that Dimitri Payet is 'happy at West Ham' adding it would take "ridiculous money" to sign the West Ham midfielder in this summer transfer window. Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with interest or bids for the 29-year-old, with figures quoted as high as £60m. 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," McKay told Sky Sports News. "He's doing great now for France and to get him now, you've got to be talking ridiculous money. But football is football, so you never know." He added: "When he first came last year, we hoped for the best with him. We knew that he was a really good player, but I don't think anyone could really expect what he has gone on to do in the Premier League so far. The game against Romania the other night was a joy to watch."
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What will become of your Boleyn bricks
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
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A number of West Ham supporters have been asking me recently what will become of their Boleyn Ground commemorative bricks. The messages on the current bricks have been transcribed and will be transferred to new granite stones in Champions Place outside the Olympic Stadium free of charge.
Many fans missed the statement on the official website in November last year which stated:
"West Ham have decided that each message on the Commemorative Bricks will be inscribed on a brand new Champions Place Stone. The Club believes that this landscaped area of the new Stadium – a place for Hammers fans to meet and pay stoneshomage to their heroes – will be the most appropriate location to leave a permanent, individual tribute, engraved in granite, to all those loved ones.The Club will take on all the costs of this process, as part of its on-going commitment to ensure the new Stadium looks and feels, unmistakably, like the home of West Ham United."
A number of supporters have asked if the bricks can be removed from the Boleyn Ground, Claret and Hugh have been told that the club looked into this but the bricks are just thin brick veneers which would disintegrate on attempted removal. The named bricks will be demolished along with the stadium by Galliard homes some time after August when the club hand over the keys.
The granite stones are available to buy from £60 to supporters who did not commemorative bricks from https://championsplace.whufc.com/index.htm
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Bilic gives opinion on Irons new boy
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
The boss has hailed our summer recruit Sofiane Feghouli as a 'great signing after the Algerian winger joined on on a free transfer. Feghouli follows defender Havard Nordtveit into the Olympic Stadium and Bilic declared he had received a message earlier today notifying him that the deal had gone through. Speaking on ITV as a pundit for the Euro 2016 clash between Hungary and Austria, Bilic said of the 26 year old: "Today I got a message from the chairman that we had signed Feghouli. He's an Algerian winger from Valencia. "Top player. Top winger. We got him for free on a Bosman so, we're active. We are preparing. "He's a great signing for us."
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Baggies double Hammer striker swoop
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
New reports suggest that West Bromwich Albion have not yet given up on signing West Ham Striker Diafra Sakho and are willing to fight for his signature this summer. The article in the Daily Express says the Baggies see Sakho as a young, dynamic replacement for Victor Anichebe who was released at the end of the season.
Sakho scored 12 times in 26 appearances in his first debut season with West Ham, but last season he was plagued with injury yielding just seven goals from 24 games.The Express also claim Baggies are also interested in his West Ham striker team-mate Enner Valencia. Like Sakho, the 26-year-old who scored in Ecuador's 4-0 Copa America win over Haiti is open to a move away from West Ham this summer.
The Express also claim Baggies are also interested in his West Ham striker team-mate Enner Valencia. Like Sakho, the 26-year-old who scored in Ecuador's 4-0 Copa America win over Haiti is open to a move away from West Ham this summer as the Hammers look for a marque 20+ goal scorer . Valencia has scored 10 goals in 61 appearances since joining West Ham for £12m from the Mexican league in 2014 and can also play wide if required. West Ham put a valuation Valencia at £12m while Sakho is valued at £15m by the Irons. I am sure we would take £25m for cash if it was all up front for the pair though.
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Exclusive: Irons look for strikers AND defenders
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham – having brought Sofiane Feghouli to the club on a free transfer today – are on the trail of two strikers, a right back and central defender.
And that would bring the number of signings up to the six promised by David Gold towards the end of last season.
The Hammers see Feghouli as a replacement for Victor Moses and with him and Michail Antonio looking after the right side of midfield, the next requirement is for a right back with Paris St Germain's Gregory van Der Wiel still a target.
James Tomkins may not be an option for the position with Slaven Bilic believed ready to let him move on if the right sort of offer is received.
That would leave the Irons light on the right side of the back four with Sam Byram the only player who could naturally fill the position although Antonio could be used in emergencies.
A very well placed source told ClaretandHugh today: "Our shopping list is fairly pretty well set up; one very prolific striker as everybody knows plus a second given that Enner Valencia is likely to move on.
"We will definitely be bringing in a right back this summer as we are clearly light in that position and the manager is also keen to strength at central defence ."
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Agent McKay reveals Sakho's feelings
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Football agent Mark McKay has confirmed West Ham forward Diafra Sakho is seeking assurances over his future at the club. Speaking to Sky Sports News today Mckay said "He has had conversations with people at West Ham and he wants to know where his future lies. He wants to start pre-season where he wants to be playing," "West Ham are looking for that top, top striker and Diafra is a bit concerned, that once they find that striker, what his place in the team is going to be. " If he gets those assurances from West Ham, I am sure he'll be happy to stay there, but otherwise he may be looking elsewhere." "I think if you look at Diafra, he is a victim of the success West Ham have had. Now they are going to the Olympic Stadium, they want to kick on and he may just be left behind, he's not that star name they are looking for maybe. "So, we'll wait and see on that. It's up in the air at the moment. He's a West Ham player as it stands until David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic turn round and say differently."
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Slaven Bilic hails 'great signing' Sofiane Feghouli as he becomes West Ham's second summer recruit
20:15, 14 JUN 2016 UPDATED 20:15, 14 JUN 2016
BY JAMES WHALING
The Algerian winger has joined from Valencia on a free transfer after his contract with the La Liga side expired
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic has hailed West Ham's latest summer recruit Sofiane Feghouli as a 'great signing' after the Hammers confirmed his arrival. The Algerian winger has joined from Valencia on a free transfer after his contract with the La Liga side expired. Feghouli follows defender Havard Nordtveit through the door at the Olympic Stadium after he also joined on a free from Borussia Monchengladbach. Bilic confirmed he received a message earlier today notifying him that the deal had gone through and describes the tricky 26-year-old as 'a top player'. Speaking on ITV as a pundit for the Euro 2016 clash between Hungary and Austria, Bilic said: "Today I got a message from the chairman that we had signed Feghouli. He's an Algerian winger from Valencia.
On signing for the Irons, Feghouli said: "I am very happy to sign for the Hammers and for Slaven Bilic . The history of the club is important for me in my decision. "Playing in the Premier League is very important for players in their careers and I am happy to play for the Hammers."
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West Ham to be offered transfer swap of West Brom's Saido Berahino for fellow striker Diafra Sakho
22:30, 14 JUN 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Baggies' star has turned down a new deal, while his Hammers counterpart is unhappy about his playing time and pay and has seen two Sunderland bids rejected
The Mirror
West Brom are ready to offer Saido Berahino to West Ham in a swap for Diafra Sakho. The Hammers have rejected two bids from Sunderland for striker Sakho, because they did not meet their £15million valuation. And Sam Allardyce could be frustrated further with the player unsure about a move to Wearside and the Baggies prepared to offer Berahino in exchange for him. Everton, Stoke and Crystal Palace are also interested in Sakho, who has scored 19 times in 49 games since a £3.5m move from French club Metz two years ago. But he is unhappy about not playing more regularly and over his basic wage of £27,000 a week. He has told manager Slaven Bilic he wants to leave and the club will let him go if they get the right offer. Sunderland's improved bid was of £12m, but the East Londoners want £3m more and to have the bulk of the fee to be paid up front. The Baggies, however, believe Bilic could be tempted if Berahino is involved in any deal. The 22-year-old former England U21s regular has 12 months left on his contract, has rejected a new offer worth more than £50,000 a week and made it clear he does not intend to change his mind.
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France's Euro 2016 match-winner Dimitri Payet thanks the Premier League for making him a star
22:30, 14 JUN 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
"Patrice Evra told me playing in England would take my game to a new level — and he was right. There is no doubt I have become a better player there"
The Mirror
Dimitri Payet believes he has taken his game to a new level – thanks to the Premier League. Playmaker Payet continued his stunning season by lighting up the first game of Euro 2016 against Romania last Friday. The West Ham star ran the show for France and capped his brilliant individual performance with a last-minute wonder goal to fire the relieved hosts to a 2-1 victory in Paris. The Romania clash saw the 29-year-old win just his 20th cap — a low tally for a player of such huge talent. Payet has often been overlooked by his country and, even midway through this season, his chances of making Didier Deschamps' final 23 looked bleak. But he reckons moving to England helped him raise his game and become impossible to ignore. He said: "Many players in the French squad play in the Premier League, or have played in the Premier League, so I knew about the level. "Patrice Evra told me that playing in England would take my game to a new level — and he was right. It is the most competitive league in the world — every game you have to fight for. There is no doubt I have become a better player there." As well as for his goal and display, Payet also won praise for his emotional response when he was subbed at the Stade de France, which showed ho w much playing for his country means to him. A visibly-moved Payet broke down in tears as he received a deserved standing ovation from the home crowd. He said: "It was pure emotion that people saw from me the other night. "There were times when I didn't think I would even be at the European Championship. so to be walking off the field, having scored the winning goal in front of our home fans, just got too much for me. The emotion all came pouring out."
Payet's late heroics helped below-par France avoid making a false start to their bid to win a third successive home tournament, after Euro 1984 and the World Cup in 1998. He said: "I don't think we were at our best against Romania, but we got the job done which was the most important thing. Next up is Albania, and I am expecting another tough game. They fought hard against Switzerland, and I expect them to fight hard against us. "I think there is always an added incentive to play well against the host nation. There is pressure on France, but we are OK with that. We have an excellent team and are playing at home, so of course there will be pressure on us, but we expected that. "Our aim is the same as the fans', and that is to win the tournament."
Deschamps is considering making some bold changes for Wednesday's clash in Marseille, having been left underwhelmed by the performance against Romania. France's 1998 World Cup-winning captain raised eyebrows on Friday night when he hooked perceived star men Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba and switched from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1. But the changes paid off as Les Bleus improved in the closing stages and Payet won the game at the death. Deschamps is now weighing up leaving both Griezmann and Pogba out of his starting XI against Albania. France looked nervous at times in their opener with the weight of expectation from the nation on their shoulders. But legendary former midfielder Zinedine Zidane insists the French won't crumble and will instead feed off the backing of their fans. Zidane, who steered Real Madrid to European Cup final victory last month, said: "I faced the exact same experience in 1998. "The fact of having the cup in Paris and in France is a great support for the team – it's in their own country with all the fans, the supporters and the good energy."
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West Ham sign winger Sofiane Feghouli on three-year deal after beating Inter Milan and Sevilla to snap up free agent from Valencia
Sofiane Feghouli has signed for West Ham after sealing a three-year deal
Winger's contract ran down at Valencia and there was plenty of interest
Sevilla, Inter Milan, Fenerbahce, Villarreal and a club in China were keen
But Feghouli was convinced by Slaven Bilic and the Olympic Stadium
By ASHLEY CLEMENTS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:33, 14 June 2016 | UPDATED: 14:36, 14 June 2016
West Ham have agreed to sign Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli on a three-year contract. The 26-year-old free agent had a lucrative offer from China, plus proposals from France and Spain but has been lured by the prospect of playing under Slaven Bilic at West Ham's new Olympic Stadium home. Sevilla, Villarreal, Inter Milan and Fenerbahce were all among the clubs who had sounded out his representatives but the exciting Algeria international has made his choice.
SOFIANE FEGHOULI FACTFILE
Full name: Sofiane Feghouli
Age: 26
Nationality: Algeria
Position: Right winger
Previous clubs: Grenoble, Valencia, Almeria (loan)
Record this season
Appearances: 31, Goals: 4
Co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold are also continuing to work on the prospective transfer of Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon with a £32million deal on the table for the France international forward. Manager Bilic has also confirmed talks with Besiktas over the prospective transfer of former Chelsea forward Gokhan Tore and utility player Atiba Hutchinson. Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia are ready to leave the club though. Sakho has interest from Sunderland in particular while Valencia has interest from the Bundesliga.
Feghouli is the Hammers' second addition of the summer after they completed a move for Havard Nordtveit from Borussia Monchengladbach, again on a free transfer. Bilic is pushing on with his plans for the new season after guiding West Ham to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League in his first season in charge.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's U14s ended the season by winning the SV Blerick International Tournament in the Netherlands. The Hammers participated in the event as part of the Club's Academy partnership with Dutch side VVV-Venlo, going through all seven matches without conceding a single goal. The group stage saw Danny Searle's side held goalless by Roda JC before beating fellow Dutch trio PSV (1-0), Willem II (2-0) and SV Bleric (4-0) before overcoming Germany's SV Rot-Weiss Essen 3-0. The semi-finals saw West Ham paired with fellow English club Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were beaten by a single goal. The final aptly gave the Hammers an opportunity to take on first opponents Roda JC again, and second time around the Claret and Blue youngsters proved too strong by winning 2-0. Unsurprisingly, West Ham's unbeatable stopper Serine Sanneh won the Goalkeeper of the Tournament after keeping seven straight clean sheets, while outfield teammate Sam Caiger won the Player of the Tournament award. Head of Coaching for the U15-18 age group Searle expressed his pride in the squad's performance, while also thanking his backroom staff. "This was a great opportunity for the players to finish the season against good foreign opposition," said Searle. "We met up with our partner club VVV-Venlo, who were also involved in SV Blerick's Tournament. "The players were very professional throughout the Tournament, which helped them in some tough situations against good opposition. "The performances improved over the two days and by the time we reached the semi-final and final you could see the team had grown in confidence. To win the Tournament was an excellent achievement and to do so not conceding a goal was even better. We would like to thank SV Blerick for their hospitality.
"I would also like to place on record my thanks to the staff – coach Anthony Limbrick, sports scientist Scott Carter, analyst Gavin Boorman, physiotherapist Charlotte Pilgrim, driver and kit man Tony Falco and driver Dennis Lepine."
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New Stadium progress report
WHUFC.com
Following the seeding of the pitch at West Ham United's new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park last week, whufc.com brings you all the developments from elsewhere at the new Stadium.
The brand new official Stadium Store is almost complete, with the vast majority of the fixtures and fittings in place - including three leaves of the John Lyall Gates and turnstiles relocated from the Boleyn Ground.
Manikins, ready to model the Hammers' new kits throughout the 2016/17 campaign, are also ready for the grand opening on Thursday 23 June.
Downstairs in the Store, which is three times the size of the its Boleyn Ground equivalent, supporters will be able to have their replica shirts printed with names of their Claret and Blue heroes at the printing desks, which are also near completion.
Supporters may take inspiration from the huge shirts which look down from high above the concourses.
Now hanging alongside the shirts of Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet, Mark Noble, Billy Bonds, Sir Trevor Brooking, Bobby Moore and others are those depicting the honours won during 121 years of history.
Also downstairs, making superb progress and looking the part is the West Ham United Coffee Co., where the aforementioned turnstiles have been specially adapted for fans to sit or stand alongside to enjoy their refreshments.
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Hammers catch winger Feghouli
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce the capture of exciting Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia CF. The 26-year-old will arrive from Spain on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 1 July, having successfully completed his medical at Spire Roding Hospital and agreed personal terms on Monday. The Paris-born wideman has been a regular in La Liga since joining Valencia from French side Grenoble in 2010, scoring 42 goals in 243 appearances for Los Che. Feghouli, who has scored eleven goals in 40 caps for the country of his parents' birth, is looking forward to playing under Hammers boss Slaven Bilic in the Premier League. "I am very happy to sign for the Hammers and for Slaven Bilic," Feghouli told whufc.com. "The history of the Club is important for me in my decision. "Playing in the Premier League is very important for players in their careers and I am happy to play for the Hammers."
Born in the northern Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret on Boxing Day 1989, Feghouli spent time with local clubs Red Star and Paris FC before joining Grenoble as a teenager. The winger spent six seasons in the Alps, helping Grenoble gain promotion to Ligue 1 in 2007/08, and moved on to Valencia following the club's relegation two years later. After a loan spell with Almeria, Feghouli was a first-team regular for his new club from the start of the 2011/12 season, averaging nearly 50 appearances over each of the last five campaigns.
Among them were 42 appearances in European competition, including 22 in the UEFA Champions League, which brought the Algerian an impressive haul of ten goals. The 2012 Algerian Footballer of the Year, Feghouli is an important figure for his national team, appearing at three major tournaments. The West Ham new boy played age-group football for France before pledging his allegiance to Algeria in 2011, scoring the winner on his debut in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against The Gambia in February 2012. After helping the Desert Foxes to qualify for the Brazil 2014, Feghouli netted his country's first FIFA World Cup goal in 28 years when he scored from the penalty spot against Spain. Feghouli could come face to face with new teammates Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho at the 2017 African Cup of Nations in January after both Algeria and Senegal clinched qualification earlier this month.
You can follow the new Hammers' winger's social media accounts now on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! He becomes the second senior signing of the summer, following Norway midfielder Havard Nordtveit.
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Ten Fast Facts - Sofiane Feghouli
WHUFC.com
Find out more about West Ham United's second summer signing - Algeria international winger Sofiane Feghouli...
Sofiane Feghouli hails from the same Paris suburb – Levallois-Perret – as 1905 Tour de France winning cyclist Louis Trousselier
Feghouli is the youngest of four sons of Algerian-born parents who emigrated to France
The winger played for Red Star and Paris FC in the French capital before moving to Grenoble Foot 38 as a teenager
Feghouli won promotion to Ligue 1 in 2007/08 – his first season as a regular in Grenoble's starting XI
The 26-year-old joined Spanish Primera Division club Valencia CF on a free transfer in summer 2010
The wideman made his UEFA Champions League debut for Valencia against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2010
Feghouli switched international allegiance from France to Algeria in 2011, scoring on his debut against The Gambia in February 2012
The Desert Foxes star won the Algerian Footballer of the Year award in 2012 – an award won last season by Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez
The Hammers new boy appeared at the 2013 and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and also scored against Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals
Feghouli has averaged more than 47 games per season over his five full campaigns with Valencia
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The Big Interview - Sofiane Feghouli
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's second summer signing Sofiane Feghouli says the Hammers' ambition was a key factor in his decision to move to east London. The 26-year-old opted to join Slaven Bilic's revolution amid interest from a host of Europe's top clubs, admitting the manager played a big role in his move from Spanish giants Valencia CF.
With a strong season behind them, a strong squad and a move to the 60,000-capacity London Stadium to look forward to, Feghouli told West Ham TV he cannot pull on the famous Claret and Blue shirt…
Sofiane, congratulations and welcome to West Ham United! How does it feel to sign for this Club and to be here in London?
"Thank you very much. I am very happy to have joined West Ham United and I am really looking forward to making my first appearance for the Club."
Why did you choose West Ham over the other clubs that were interested?
"First of all, it was the ambitious sporting project that was presented to me by the Club and the manager. After considering the options with my family, I think it became an option that instantly stood out from the others. The direction of the Club, the new Stadium, the squad, the manager and the opportunity to play in the Premier League made it an easy decision for me to join West Ham.
A new era is beginning at this club with the move to the New Stadium, how will it be for you to play in front of 60,000 people?
"For a footballer, to play in front of lots of fans is really important. I love the passion that comes from the crowd and as I said, I can't wait to get the season underway and to play for a club with a great history in England."
Last year was a success for the team and we have secured Europa League football for this season, what did you think of what the team achieved last year?
"What surprised me last year with this team is the spirit that it has. It was a team that fought hard in every game and gave their all. There is also great quality in the squad and so I think that this season, the team can go on and achieve some great things both in the Premier League and the Europa League."
How would you describe yourself as a player?
"I would describe myself as generous, it is always difficult to describe yourself, but I give my all every week."
You have played in Ligue 1, La Liga and now, in the Premier League, how do you feel about the opportunity to play here?
"I have played in both Ligue 1 and La Liga. I think that La Liga and the Premier League are the best leagues around at the moment. It is a great challenge for me to play in the Premier League and this opportunity makes me really happy to be here at West Ham."
Last year you worked with some English coaches at Valencia, how did you find that experience?
"I worked with Gary and Phil Neville at Valencia and it was a great experience for me. I have worked with a lot of coaches in my career and this was the first time I had worked with English-speaking coaches, so it was a good experience for me."
Do you know any of your teammates here at West Ham?
"I know the players here because I follow football all the time, but I don't know any of them personally yet."
Have you played against any of them?
"I played against Cheikhou Kouyate for the Algeria national team when he was playing for Senegal and I came up against Dimitri Payet in the Champions League when he was at Lille in 2012/13."
Your fellow countryman and Algerian national teammate Riyad Mahrez had a huge impact on the Premier League last year, do you feel you can have a similar impact?
"What he achieved last year was incredible and fully deserved as he worked hard to get to there. I have my own objectives, I am ambitious and want to achieve great things in Europe with the Hammers and to leave my mark."
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Joint-Chairman - He is an outstanding player
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan is thrilled to have secured the signing of Sofiane Feghouli and believes he is an 'outstanding player'. Mr Sullivan reveals the Club have been working hard to finalise a move for the 26-year-old who attracted interest from a number of big clubs across Europe. Feghouli showed his quality in La Liga producing some of his best form at Valencia and will look forward to facing his Algerian team-mate Riyad Mahrez who was voted PFA Player of the Year for Leicester last season. After securing the signings of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini last summer, Mr Sullivan feels the Club have brought in another special talent who has a wealth of experience and will be another big addition to the squad. Mr Sullivan said: "It's a deal myself and my team have been working on for many weeks. I had a lengthy meeting with his agent ten days ago. "He's an outstanding player and as big a star as Mahrez in his own country. "If he adapts to the Premier League we have signed another very special player with experience all over Europe via the Cup competitions for his club."
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Feghouli enticed by 'ambitious project'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Sofiane Feghouli says he was persuaded to join West Ham United as a result of the club's ambition. The 26-year-old winger rejected a series of offers from around the globe in order to put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Hammers, whom he joined on a free transfer today.
"I am very happy to have joined West Ham United and I am really looking forward to making my first appearance for the club," he told whufc.com.
"After considering the options with my family, I think it became an option that instantly stood out from the others. The direction of the club, the new stadium, the squad, the manager and the opportunity to play in the Premier League made it an easy decision for me to join. "There is great quality in the squad and so I think that this season, the team can go on and achieve some great things both in the Premier and Europa League."
Feghouli's arrival represents yet another major coup for chairman David Sullivan and chief scout Tony Henry, following the success of last season's transfer policy that netted stars such as Michail Antonio, Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet. "It's a deal myself and my team have been working on for many weeks," revealed the club's co-owner. "I had a lengthy meeting with his agent ten days ago. "He's an outstanding player and as big a star as Riyad Mahrez in his own country. If he adapts to the Premier League we have signed another very special player with experience all over Europe via the cup competitions for his club."
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Hammers sign Feghouli on three-year deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have completed the capture of Albanian international Sofiane Feghouli. The 26-year-old, French-born winger has joined West Ham after agreeing terms on a three-year contract, it has been revealed. Voted as La Liga's best African player in 2014/15, Feghouli spent the last six years at Valencia but only became a regular first team player during the 2011/12 season. Prior to agreeing terms with West Ham, he had also been strongly linked with Turkish Super Lig outfit Fenerbahce, Manchester United, Seville and an unnamed Chinese Super League club.
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No summer gambles, insists Bilic
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 14th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic says that player performances in Euro 16 will play a role in his summer transfer policy - but that he is unlikely to sign anyone purely based on their exploits in France. Bilic - who completed the capture of Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia on a free transfer earlier today - admitted that some players will be judged partly on their performances in the tournament, which kicked off last Friday. However he denied that the club would sign anyone based on their Euro 16 achievements alone, insisting that all main targets had been monitored throughout the last season (and beyond). Bilic - speaking from Paris, where he is currently part of ITV's European Championship team - also revealed that the club were keen to tie up one or two deals prior to the start of the competition, but were unable to do so. "We tried to do something before the Euros but it wasn't possible, it didn't happen", he said. "But as I said to the Board, we're not panicking. We have a good team and if we can add something to that team to make us better, then we're going to try."
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West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet transfer would cost ridiculous money, says agent
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 14/06/16 3:55pm
SSN
Dimitri Payet's agent says it would take "ridiculous money" to sign the West Ham midfielder this summer. Payet joined the Hammers from Marseille last summer and enjoyed a sensational debut season in the Premier League, earning a call-up for the France squad for Euro 2016. He justified his inclusion in Didier Deschamps' final 23-man squad with a dazzling display in France's opening Group A match against Romania, scoring a stunning last-minute goal to earn the hosts a 2-1 win. Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have since been linked in the national press with moves for the 29-year-old, with figures quoted as high as £60m. But Payet's agent, Mark McKay, insists his client is content at West Ham and feels only a mega-money offer could tempt the Hammers to sell their star man. "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," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "He's doing great now for France and to get him now, you've got to be talking ridiculous money. But football is football, so you never know." He added: "When he first came last year, we hoped for the best with him. We knew that he was a really good player, but I don't think anyone could really expect what he has gone on to do in the Premier League so far. "The game against Romania the other night was a joy to watch."
Mckay also confirmed West Ham forward Diafra Sakho is seeking assurances over his future at the club. Sky sources understand Sakho has told Hammers boss Slaven Bilic he wants to leave this summer, with Sunderland keen on signing him. "He has had conversations with people at West Ham and he wants to know where his future lies. He wants to start pre-season where he wants to be playing," McKay said. "West Ham are looking for that top, top striker and Diafra is a bit concerned, that once they find that striker, what his place in the team is going to be. "If he gets those assurances from West Ham, I am sure he'll be happy to stay there, but otherwise he may be looking elsewhere. "I think if you look at Diafra, he is a victim of the success West Ham have had. Now they are going to the Olympic Stadium, they want to kick on and he may just be left behind, he's not that star name they are looking for maybe. "So, we'll wait and see on that. It's up in the air at the moment. He's a West Ham player as it stands until David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic turn round and say differently."
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West Ham complete transfer of Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia, according to Jack Sullivan
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 14/06/16 2:58pm
SSN
West Ham have completed the transfer of Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli, according to the son of Hammers co-owner David Sullivan. Jack Sullivan confirmed on his Twitter account that the Algeria international has signed a three-year contract with the Londoners. The 26-year-old was a free agent after seeing out his contract at Valencia and leaves after six years at the La Liga club. Sullivan tweeted: "Feghouli has signed for West Ham for the next 3 years." West Ham have already been busy in the transfer market, having agreed to sign Norway international Havard Nordtveit from Borussia Monchengladbach. Feghouli, who represented France at U18 and U21 level before switching his allegiances to Algeria, joined Valencia from French side Grenoble in 2010 and scored 30 times during his six season stay at the Mestalla. His arrival at West Ham will be another boost to manager Slaven Bilic, who is looking to shape his squad ahead of the club's first season at the 60,000-seater Olympic Stadium. On Monday, Bilic confirmed to Turkish television he was interested in signing Besiktas duo Atiba Hutchinson and Gokhan Tore, while David Sullivan confirmed to Sky Sports News HQ in May that he was confident of acquiring a "top striker" this summer.
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Lyon demand £40m for star asset
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
According to our good friend, Darren Lewis over on the Daily Mirror, Lyon has rejected a second bid from West Ham for Alexandre Lacazette. Darren says West Ham have had an improved £32million bid rejected today. The French club are insistent that they will not do business for a fee less than their valuation of £40m before appearance fees and goal bonuses. The bid from West Ham was their second crack at 24-year-old Lacazette who has netted 23 times from 44 appearances this season.Last month West Ham had a package worth £31million rejected for Lacazette by Lyon. Last month Lyon confirmed they rejected a €40m offer for Lacazette from West Ham. "For a sale to be made, all three parties must agree. We have refused several offers, the most important from West Ham for 40m euros and we refused it," Lyon President, Aulas previously told French daily Le Progres.
Yesterday we reported that Lacazette screamed "Payeeeeeeeet" followed by eight smileys and the French flag on twitter to show his love for the West Ham midfielder but it appears both clubs are miles apart on their valuations.
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Payet linked with £40m bid from Real Madrid
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Real Madrid has been the latest club to be linked to a possible bid for Dimitri Payet tjis summer. French website, Le Sport10 claim "Real Madrid are understood to be readying a bid worth €50m (£40m) & offer Payet €160,000 (£128,000) weekly in wages to persuade him to come."
Yesterday, Darren Lewis on the Daily Mirror said Chelsea scouts have been urging incoming boss Antonio Conte to make a move for Payet but Lewis confirms our weekend story that West Ham's board are adamant they won't sell Payet at any cost and refuse to even put a potential valuation on his head that could tempt them to sell.
Over the weekend we spoke to West Ham chairman David Sullivan who told Claret and Hugh "It's as simple as this – we are not selling him – not at any price. West Ham United is building a team around Dimi Payet – he will not be moving anywhere and that is that."
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West Ham linked with another Senegalese striker
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham is reportedly looking at 23-year-old Senegalese striker Khouma Babacar of Fiorentina, who has been compared to a young Didier Drogba. Babacar scored seven goals in 24 games last season but is seen as a physical player who would be suited to the Premier League. The Fiorentina striker has been linked with Crystal Palace, Everton, Southampton and West Ham and last week the Italian press reported the 23-year-old could be available for just £10m. The agent of Khouma Babacar has remained coy over the striker's future amid links with Premier League clubs. Babacar was the subject of substantial interest in the January transfer window and was reportedly close to leaving Italian club Fiorentina. The forward's agent, Patrick Bastianelli, previously told Radio Blu: "What of Babacar's future? We'll see, at the moment he is contracted on the objective to be achieved with Fiorentina." Media speculation suggests that fellow Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho wants out of West Ham this summer suggesting he spoke to Slaven Bilic over the weekend and asked to be sold ahead of next season.
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Cherries man to join West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Head of media and communications at AFC Bournemouth, Max Fitzgerald will join West Ham as the new Hammers Head of media relations before the start of the new Premier league season.
The position was left vacant after West Ham fan, Paul Stringer left to join the Premier League after four years in charge of the press and media department. Max graduated from Bournemouth University in 2011 receiving a BA (Hons) in multimedia and journalism. During his time at University the life long Bournemouth fan was the editor for Bournemouth's official multimedia portal called 'Cherries player'. On leaving University he joined Bournemouth football club in May 2011 as a media and communications executive receiving a promotion to the top job as Cherries head of media and communications in August 2012. Max is likely to become a familiar face standing next to Slaven Bilic in press conferences next season fielding difficult questions and driving forward a new press and media strategy as we move to the former Olympic Stadium.
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Hammers update Sakho and Sunderland
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham have this morning denied any new bid from Sunerland for striker Diafra Sakho. The Daily Mail yesterday reported that Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce had come in with an offer and that he wanted a deal sorted out as soon as possible. However, a Hammers source revealed this morning: "There has been no new bid. That hasn't happened. Maybe after the first one that was lodged they feel to embarrassed to come back with another!" The Mail had appeared to hang their story on the suggestion that Sak is unhappy and that he and manager Slaven Bilic have had a meeting at which that was expressed. However, we were told: "There's no sugesstion that's the case at all. It's very very quiet with the Euros on but that is something that someone would definitely have heard about. "It seems a little bizarre given that Slav has been racing between England, Croatia and France and Diafra is away. "
The first Sunderland bid was reported at £11 million which was totally incorrect in REAL terms with CandH being told it was nearer £6 million up front with all sorts of "embarrassing clauses attached." One was that the player would need to make 30 appearances a season for three seasons in order for the fee to rise to the reported £11m. With his injury record that is ublikely to happen! And we were told regardless: £11 million is a ridicuus bid anyway. We would not even look at anything under £15m."
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Sullivan on marks with another bid
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in Fans Forum, Hammers Chat, News, Whispers
C and H
David Sullivan is ready to step up his bid for Alexandre Lacazette. The Hammers chairman saw a new £32 million bid rejected by Lyon yesterday but is encouraged by the falling of away of interest by both Paris St Germain and Spurs. Lyon are claiming that they want £40 milion for the 25 year old but with the Irons seemingly the only club in the frame at the moment that has zero chance of happening at this stage. We were told this morning that a fresh bid is likely and that the striker remains the prime target as the Hammers look to get their transfer business done as quickly as possible. Sullivan is a relentless negotiator and will go on until the bitter end in his pursuit of the player with a source saying this morning: "It's not over at this stage – there is likely to be another offer. As we have seen many times, David is not a man to throw his hands in the air and say: 'That's it.'
Lacazette showed his prowess for Lyon last season, scoring 21 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games, although he w as only placed on stand-by for France's Euro 2016 squad.
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Payet's agent breaks silence on Dimi's future
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Dimi Payet's agent, Mark McKay has told Sky Sports News today that Dimitri Payet is 'happy at West Ham' adding it would take "ridiculous money" to sign the West Ham midfielder in this summer transfer window. Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with interest or bids for the 29-year-old, with figures quoted as high as £60m. 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," McKay told Sky Sports News. "He's doing great now for France and to get him now, you've got to be talking ridiculous money. But football is football, so you never know." He added: "When he first came last year, we hoped for the best with him. We knew that he was a really good player, but I don't think anyone could really expect what he has gone on to do in the Premier League so far. The game against Romania the other night was a joy to watch."
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What will become of your Boleyn bricks
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C and H
A number of West Ham supporters have been asking me recently what will become of their Boleyn Ground commemorative bricks. The messages on the current bricks have been transcribed and will be transferred to new granite stones in Champions Place outside the Olympic Stadium free of charge.
Many fans missed the statement on the official website in November last year which stated:
"West Ham have decided that each message on the Commemorative Bricks will be inscribed on a brand new Champions Place Stone. The Club believes that this landscaped area of the new Stadium – a place for Hammers fans to meet and pay stoneshomage to their heroes – will be the most appropriate location to leave a permanent, individual tribute, engraved in granite, to all those loved ones.The Club will take on all the costs of this process, as part of its on-going commitment to ensure the new Stadium looks and feels, unmistakably, like the home of West Ham United."
A number of supporters have asked if the bricks can be removed from the Boleyn Ground, Claret and Hugh have been told that the club looked into this but the bricks are just thin brick veneers which would disintegrate on attempted removal. The named bricks will be demolished along with the stadium by Galliard homes some time after August when the club hand over the keys.
The granite stones are available to buy from £60 to supporters who did not commemorative bricks from https://championsplace.whufc.com/index.htm
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Bilic gives opinion on Irons new boy
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
The boss has hailed our summer recruit Sofiane Feghouli as a 'great signing after the Algerian winger joined on on a free transfer. Feghouli follows defender Havard Nordtveit into the Olympic Stadium and Bilic declared he had received a message earlier today notifying him that the deal had gone through. Speaking on ITV as a pundit for the Euro 2016 clash between Hungary and Austria, Bilic said of the 26 year old: "Today I got a message from the chairman that we had signed Feghouli. He's an Algerian winger from Valencia. "Top player. Top winger. We got him for free on a Bosman so, we're active. We are preparing. "He's a great signing for us."
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Baggies double Hammer striker swoop
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
New reports suggest that West Bromwich Albion have not yet given up on signing West Ham Striker Diafra Sakho and are willing to fight for his signature this summer. The article in the Daily Express says the Baggies see Sakho as a young, dynamic replacement for Victor Anichebe who was released at the end of the season.
Sakho scored 12 times in 26 appearances in his first debut season with West Ham, but last season he was plagued with injury yielding just seven goals from 24 games.The Express also claim Baggies are also interested in his West Ham striker team-mate Enner Valencia. Like Sakho, the 26-year-old who scored in Ecuador's 4-0 Copa America win over Haiti is open to a move away from West Ham this summer.
The Express also claim Baggies are also interested in his West Ham striker team-mate Enner Valencia. Like Sakho, the 26-year-old who scored in Ecuador's 4-0 Copa America win over Haiti is open to a move away from West Ham this summer as the Hammers look for a marque 20+ goal scorer . Valencia has scored 10 goals in 61 appearances since joining West Ham for £12m from the Mexican league in 2014 and can also play wide if required. West Ham put a valuation Valencia at £12m while Sakho is valued at £15m by the Irons. I am sure we would take £25m for cash if it was all up front for the pair though.
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Exclusive: Irons look for strikers AND defenders
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham – having brought Sofiane Feghouli to the club on a free transfer today – are on the trail of two strikers, a right back and central defender.
And that would bring the number of signings up to the six promised by David Gold towards the end of last season.
The Hammers see Feghouli as a replacement for Victor Moses and with him and Michail Antonio looking after the right side of midfield, the next requirement is for a right back with Paris St Germain's Gregory van Der Wiel still a target.
James Tomkins may not be an option for the position with Slaven Bilic believed ready to let him move on if the right sort of offer is received.
That would leave the Irons light on the right side of the back four with Sam Byram the only player who could naturally fill the position although Antonio could be used in emergencies.
A very well placed source told ClaretandHugh today: "Our shopping list is fairly pretty well set up; one very prolific striker as everybody knows plus a second given that Enner Valencia is likely to move on.
"We will definitely be bringing in a right back this summer as we are clearly light in that position and the manager is also keen to strength at central defence ."
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Agent McKay reveals Sakho's feelings
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 14, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Football agent Mark McKay has confirmed West Ham forward Diafra Sakho is seeking assurances over his future at the club. Speaking to Sky Sports News today Mckay said "He has had conversations with people at West Ham and he wants to know where his future lies. He wants to start pre-season where he wants to be playing," "West Ham are looking for that top, top striker and Diafra is a bit concerned, that once they find that striker, what his place in the team is going to be. " If he gets those assurances from West Ham, I am sure he'll be happy to stay there, but otherwise he may be looking elsewhere." "I think if you look at Diafra, he is a victim of the success West Ham have had. Now they are going to the Olympic Stadium, they want to kick on and he may just be left behind, he's not that star name they are looking for maybe. "So, we'll wait and see on that. It's up in the air at the moment. He's a West Ham player as it stands until David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic turn round and say differently."
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Slaven Bilic hails 'great signing' Sofiane Feghouli as he becomes West Ham's second summer recruit
20:15, 14 JUN 2016 UPDATED 20:15, 14 JUN 2016
BY JAMES WHALING
The Algerian winger has joined from Valencia on a free transfer after his contract with the La Liga side expired
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic has hailed West Ham's latest summer recruit Sofiane Feghouli as a 'great signing' after the Hammers confirmed his arrival. The Algerian winger has joined from Valencia on a free transfer after his contract with the La Liga side expired. Feghouli follows defender Havard Nordtveit through the door at the Olympic Stadium after he also joined on a free from Borussia Monchengladbach. Bilic confirmed he received a message earlier today notifying him that the deal had gone through and describes the tricky 26-year-old as 'a top player'. Speaking on ITV as a pundit for the Euro 2016 clash between Hungary and Austria, Bilic said: "Today I got a message from the chairman that we had signed Feghouli. He's an Algerian winger from Valencia.
On signing for the Irons, Feghouli said: "I am very happy to sign for the Hammers and for Slaven Bilic . The history of the club is important for me in my decision. "Playing in the Premier League is very important for players in their careers and I am happy to play for the Hammers."
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West Ham to be offered transfer swap of West Brom's Saido Berahino for fellow striker Diafra Sakho
22:30, 14 JUN 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Baggies' star has turned down a new deal, while his Hammers counterpart is unhappy about his playing time and pay and has seen two Sunderland bids rejected
The Mirror
West Brom are ready to offer Saido Berahino to West Ham in a swap for Diafra Sakho. The Hammers have rejected two bids from Sunderland for striker Sakho, because they did not meet their £15million valuation. And Sam Allardyce could be frustrated further with the player unsure about a move to Wearside and the Baggies prepared to offer Berahino in exchange for him. Everton, Stoke and Crystal Palace are also interested in Sakho, who has scored 19 times in 49 games since a £3.5m move from French club Metz two years ago. But he is unhappy about not playing more regularly and over his basic wage of £27,000 a week. He has told manager Slaven Bilic he wants to leave and the club will let him go if they get the right offer. Sunderland's improved bid was of £12m, but the East Londoners want £3m more and to have the bulk of the fee to be paid up front. The Baggies, however, believe Bilic could be tempted if Berahino is involved in any deal. The 22-year-old former England U21s regular has 12 months left on his contract, has rejected a new offer worth more than £50,000 a week and made it clear he does not intend to change his mind.
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France's Euro 2016 match-winner Dimitri Payet thanks the Premier League for making him a star
22:30, 14 JUN 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
"Patrice Evra told me playing in England would take my game to a new level — and he was right. There is no doubt I have become a better player there"
The Mirror
Dimitri Payet believes he has taken his game to a new level – thanks to the Premier League. Playmaker Payet continued his stunning season by lighting up the first game of Euro 2016 against Romania last Friday. The West Ham star ran the show for France and capped his brilliant individual performance with a last-minute wonder goal to fire the relieved hosts to a 2-1 victory in Paris. The Romania clash saw the 29-year-old win just his 20th cap — a low tally for a player of such huge talent. Payet has often been overlooked by his country and, even midway through this season, his chances of making Didier Deschamps' final 23 looked bleak. But he reckons moving to England helped him raise his game and become impossible to ignore. He said: "Many players in the French squad play in the Premier League, or have played in the Premier League, so I knew about the level. "Patrice Evra told me that playing in England would take my game to a new level — and he was right. It is the most competitive league in the world — every game you have to fight for. There is no doubt I have become a better player there." As well as for his goal and display, Payet also won praise for his emotional response when he was subbed at the Stade de France, which showed ho w much playing for his country means to him. A visibly-moved Payet broke down in tears as he received a deserved standing ovation from the home crowd. He said: "It was pure emotion that people saw from me the other night. "There were times when I didn't think I would even be at the European Championship. so to be walking off the field, having scored the winning goal in front of our home fans, just got too much for me. The emotion all came pouring out."
Payet's late heroics helped below-par France avoid making a false start to their bid to win a third successive home tournament, after Euro 1984 and the World Cup in 1998. He said: "I don't think we were at our best against Romania, but we got the job done which was the most important thing. Next up is Albania, and I am expecting another tough game. They fought hard against Switzerland, and I expect them to fight hard against us. "I think there is always an added incentive to play well against the host nation. There is pressure on France, but we are OK with that. We have an excellent team and are playing at home, so of course there will be pressure on us, but we expected that. "Our aim is the same as the fans', and that is to win the tournament."
Deschamps is considering making some bold changes for Wednesday's clash in Marseille, having been left underwhelmed by the performance against Romania. France's 1998 World Cup-winning captain raised eyebrows on Friday night when he hooked perceived star men Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba and switched from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1. But the changes paid off as Les Bleus improved in the closing stages and Payet won the game at the death. Deschamps is now weighing up leaving both Griezmann and Pogba out of his starting XI against Albania. France looked nervous at times in their opener with the weight of expectation from the nation on their shoulders. But legendary former midfielder Zinedine Zidane insists the French won't crumble and will instead feed off the backing of their fans. Zidane, who steered Real Madrid to European Cup final victory last month, said: "I faced the exact same experience in 1998. "The fact of having the cup in Paris and in France is a great support for the team – it's in their own country with all the fans, the supporters and the good energy."
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West Ham sign winger Sofiane Feghouli on three-year deal after beating Inter Milan and Sevilla to snap up free agent from Valencia
Sofiane Feghouli has signed for West Ham after sealing a three-year deal
Winger's contract ran down at Valencia and there was plenty of interest
Sevilla, Inter Milan, Fenerbahce, Villarreal and a club in China were keen
But Feghouli was convinced by Slaven Bilic and the Olympic Stadium
By ASHLEY CLEMENTS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:33, 14 June 2016 | UPDATED: 14:36, 14 June 2016
West Ham have agreed to sign Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli on a three-year contract. The 26-year-old free agent had a lucrative offer from China, plus proposals from France and Spain but has been lured by the prospect of playing under Slaven Bilic at West Ham's new Olympic Stadium home. Sevilla, Villarreal, Inter Milan and Fenerbahce were all among the clubs who had sounded out his representatives but the exciting Algeria international has made his choice.
SOFIANE FEGHOULI FACTFILE
Full name: Sofiane Feghouli
Age: 26
Nationality: Algeria
Position: Right winger
Previous clubs: Grenoble, Valencia, Almeria (loan)
Record this season
Appearances: 31, Goals: 4
Co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold are also continuing to work on the prospective transfer of Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon with a £32million deal on the table for the France international forward. Manager Bilic has also confirmed talks with Besiktas over the prospective transfer of former Chelsea forward Gokhan Tore and utility player Atiba Hutchinson. Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia are ready to leave the club though. Sakho has interest from Sunderland in particular while Valencia has interest from the Bundesliga.
Feghouli is the Hammers' second addition of the summer after they completed a move for Havard Nordtveit from Borussia Monchengladbach, again on a free transfer. Bilic is pushing on with his plans for the new season after guiding West Ham to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League in his first season in charge.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 14
Daily WHUFC News - 14th June 2016
From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com
Italian sports journalist and author Gabriele Marcotti says Angelo Ogbonna earned his place in Italy's Euro 2016 squad…
It's a big transition coming to the Premier League and playing for a club like West Ham after being in a situation at Juventus where he trained a certain way. They would have double training sessions and there would be a lot more tactical instructions and here the game is a bit different, so I think it perhaps took Angelo a little bit of time to get used to it. Once he found his measure, he started to contribute. Something he has told me personally and that the senior players like Mark Noble and James Collins, who have been at the club a long time, went out of their way to make the newcomers feel welcome. West Ham have had a lot of players from a lot of different parts of the world over the last few years and the senior players have gone out of their way to make them feel welcome and include them in the squad. It's a credit to them and it's something we often under-estimate. Clubs sign players on good wages but often dump them in a new city where they don't know the language, but his transition to West Ham was made easily because the leaders in the dressing room went out of their way to make Angelo feel more comfortable. Once that became clear and he got into the starting XI, I think he has thrived.
Angelo is one of four centre-backs who have been picked by Italy manager Antonio Conte for Euro 2016, ironically alongside three of his old Juventus teammates. One of the reasons he left Juventus was to get more playing time at West Ham, although ironically he came into a club with senior centre-halves in Reid, Tomkins and Collins. However, he is a very versatile player and that's a reason why he has been included by Italy. He can also play at left-back and it's a position he played when he was younger, but West Ham fans haven't seen that as they have a fantastic left-back in Aaron Cresswell. Angelo also has tremendous football and tactical understanding and is very comfortable with managers who provide very complicated instructions, as that's what he was used to in Italy. Conte knows he can drop fancy schemes and Angelo is a very intelligent guy and can take those on board very easily.
Without getting too granular, a lot of people see Italy playing 3-5-2 but it's not quite like that – when they defend it's a back four and one of the wing-backs will slot in and one of the centre-backs will go into a full-back position. When they attack it is going to be a 3-3-4 formation with the full-backs way up the pitch. It's a hybrid system and not easy to take on board, but Angelo certainly has the athleticism and intelligence to do it. In my opinion this is the least-talented Italy squad in 50-60 years and they've lost two certain starters in midfield in Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti, so Conte has gone with a lot of versatile and intelligent players who can play multiple positions. Now, we will have to see how that formula works in practice at Euro 2016.
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Former Player Blog - Ken Brown
WHUFC.com
Ken Brown will never forget his spell at West Ham United where he made 474 appearances for the Club and forged a memorable partnership with Bobby Moore. Brown spent 14 years with the east London Club and was influential in helping the Hammers win the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup a year later. With the Club making a historic move into the new Stadium this summer, Brown says he will always remember the magical times he enjoyed at the Boleyn Ground.....
I was brought up at West Ham and had the best years of my life. I used to come into the Boleyn Ground in the early days with a fella called Dick Walker who taught me how to approach football and I have never forgotten that. There have been lots of other people at the club who have all made me feel welcome and always wanted me to do well. I didn't expect to be named Hammer of the Year but when I look back now it is something that I fully appreciate. No matter what anyone says no-one will ever take my memories away from this place. From day one it was such a pleasure to play with all my old team-mates. Dick Walker encouraged me how to behave as a footballer and everyone loved him. I would always try to live in his footsteps. Bobby Moore was different class. He was two or three steps ahead of anyone he played against and he was an incredible player. It was a privilege to play next to him. He certainly made my life a lot easier! The wonderful managers including Ron Greenwood who was fantastic for me and put so many ideas into our heads. I sometimes thought that I wasn't good enough to play under Ron because he had so many brainwaves of perfection that I could never live up to that! But I had so many magical memories and of course it was a pleasure for me to see my son Kenny play for the Hammers as well. I will take so many memories with me from the Boleyn Ground and it is a bit of everything that made it so special.
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Valencia's Ecuador reach Copa quarters
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia scored one and set up two as Ecuador thrashed Haiti 4-0 to qualify for the 2016 Copa America quarter-finals on Sunday night. Ecuador's victory, combined with Brazil's shock 1-0 defeat by Peru, saw Valencia and company finish second behind the Peruvians in Group B and qualify for the last-eight. The West Ham United forward continued his fine run of form with another impressive display for El Tri, putting the South Americans ahead in the ninth minute at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Christian Noboa played in the West Ham striker and he made no mistake in dispatching the ball past goalkeeper Johnny Placide. Just nine minutes later, Valencia turned provider when he collected a long ball from Walter Ayovi, beat defender Romain Genevois, drew Placide and set up Jaime Ayovi to tap into an empty net. Ecuador went further ahead when Noboa met Swansea City winger Jefferson Montero's cross on the half-volley and they wrapped it up 12 minutes from time when Hammers star Valencia beat the offside trap and assisted namesake and Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia to fire home.
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Impressive Randolph helps Ireland to draw
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph produced a fine individual performance as the Republic of Ireland were cruelly denied a UEFA Euro 2016 Group E victory over Sweden. The West Ham United goalkeeper was in outstanding form against Zlatan Ibrahimovic and company in Paris, only for a freak own-goal from defender Ciaran Clark to secure the Swedes a 1-1 draw. Earlier, Norwich City midfielder Wes Hoolahan – who pipped Randolph to the Man of the Match award – had fired Ireland into a deserved second-half lead. The Hammers stopper was then called into action, making a fine save to prevent Clark from putting through his own net and commanding his penalty area in imperious fashion. However, that man Ibrahimovic's awkward cross was headed home by Aston Villa centre-back Clark, leaving Randolph no chance. Ireland's draw means they will likely need to beat either Italy or Belgium in their final two group-stage fixtures to reach the round of 16.
The Boys in Green face the fancied Belgians in Bordeaux on Saturday afternoon at 14.00 BST, before closing out the opening round against Angelo Ogbonna's Italy in Lille next Wednesday evening at 20.00 BST. Something will have to give for Martin O'Neill's team to qualify, seeing Ireland have not beaten Belgium in 50 years, and their only previous win over Italy came through West Ham Academy graduate Ray Houghton's famous goal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals in the United States.
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The Insider
WHUFC.com
Speculation continues to intensify over which new players will be arriving at West Ham United during the summer. There have been a number of top stars linked with the Club in recent weeks as Slaven Bilic looks to make his squad even stronger for the historic move into the new Stadium.
The Club have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring in new additions and it is my understanding that there could be a major addition to the squad in the near future. I have been told that a top international player will be undergoing a medical with the Club and they hope to conclude a deal within the next 72 hours. There has been a lot of speculation linking the Hammers with moves for Besiktas duo Gokhan Tore and Atiba Hutchinson.
My sources have told me that negotiations have taken place and although the club remain hopeful, there is still some way to go before a deal can be agreed. I have been assured that there are many irons in the fire and the club will continue to get the best possible deals. Reports in the media have also linked Angelo Ogbonna with a move back to Serie A as Roma lead the chase to sign him. Ogbonna has been rewarded for his impressive form at West Ham with a call-up to the Italy squad for the Euro Finals in France. I have been told categorically that the talented defender is not for sale and will not be going anywhere. He remains a major part of the squad for next season.
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West Ham launch £32million offer
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are reported to have returned to Lyon with an improved offer for striker Alexandre Lacazette. David Amoyal, a columnist for gianlucadimarzio.com has reported within the last couple of hours that West Ham have launched a fresh bid for the highly-rated striker worth in the region of £32million - approximately €40million. The offer is now said to be in the hands of Lyon chiefs, who must decide whether to accept what would be a record-breaking transfer fee for West Ham or hold out for an improved bid from elsewhere. However the chances of that happening appear to be slim, with fellow suitors Tottenham and PSG reported in recent days to have moved onto other targets. West Ham launched an initial bid for the 24-year-old goalscorer last month when the club offered Lyon £26million. The club's current record transfer fee stands at £15million, the fee paid to Liverpool for Andy Carroll three years ago.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE: TRANSFER UPDATES, LACAZETTE- WINGERS TO JOIN BUT NO RBS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 JUNE 2016 AT 1:15PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This column was written yesterday during the day and send to the fanzine editor's, for which I have evidence, yesterday. I am writing this because on a popular forum "The binman" (me) apparently claims news after it was out. I am not going to say much more as it is childish and people clearly on a wind up but there was only one person who said Feghouli that was the winger that Jack spoke about (I must have heard it whilst picking up the banana skins)
As I said in my last column on the website it is important to remember that it is early days in the transfer window and not to panic. It is hard not to get carried away when the chairman has spoken of the exciting deals that we are trying to land but I am very confident that these will come. With the Euros and the Copa America in full swing now the transfers will take a bit of a hold now while we use these as a further opportunity to scout some of the players.
I will confirm it in the fanzine but I have deliberately avoided saying it on my twitter account. The club are not looking to sign another right back. Slaven Bilic surprisingly still believes that Antonio has the potential to be a brilliant right back and he also says that Byram and Tomkins provide him with enough options here. The club will use the money instead to buy at least two wingers possibly three.
We have 100% put in an offer for Feghouli of Valencia, he is a temperamental and skilful Algerian winger. There have been a number of clubs interested in him and we are said to be in pole position. He will be a free transfer and this gives us the option to spend money elsewhere. Tore is the winger that Bilic really wants to bring to the club having worked with him at Besiktas and this is likely to happen. Another player that we are trying to bring in from Besiktas is Atiba Hutchinson who is a defensive midfielder but the Canadian also play at right back, this move depends largely on Obiang staying or not. Matt Ritchie was on the radar and is someone we would consider if the fee was right (around £5m) because he is British born. As reported elsewhere the club are aware of Sosa from Besiktas because he obviously played with Bilic and again depending on player departures his future is unclear.
In terms of forwards we haven't ruled out signing Lacazette yet. He is clearly good friends with Payet and if he stays (which I think he will despite Madrid circulating) than this could tempt Lacazette. We will not give up on signing him until he has joined another club. Originally it did seem like he would join PSG but they seem to be tempted by signing a "bigger" name now to replace talisman Ibrahimovic. If this is the case Lacazette will be left with less options and Payet and his agent could be enough to lure him. Calleri is still an option too as well as Bacca. The Spanish forward Nolito could be an option and he is out of contract in a year. They face a lot of competition to sign him though, as is the case with most of forward. Minchy Batshuayi's wage demands have put Tottenham off signing him as they have a very strict wage structure.
One thing for certain is that the club will sign at least five players and have a substantial budget to do it. We really should not panic yet and have faith that DS will sign the players that we require as he has done in the last two windows.
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2015/16 in review: December & January
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Graeme Howlett
Join us as we take a look back at the 2015/16 season through the eyes of KUMB Editor Graeme Howlett, who penned a weekly column for the Echo newspaper throughout the campaign.
Today we look back at December and January in part five of our review...
20 December
West Ham secured a fifth draw in seven appearances at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday afternoon - although there was very little else to cheer on a dreadfully dull day in South Wales.
Slaven Bilic will probably be one of the few to return from Swansea satisfied with the result, being as he was without half of his favoured first team. However it was a dreadfully dour spectacle from the perspective of the club's travelling supporters, who saw West Ham eke out a third successive goalless draw for the first time in Premier League history.
On the face of it, a point away from home looks like a decent return - and James Collins in defence and goalkeeper Adrian were both magnificent in preserving a third successive clean sheet. However given Swansea's lowly Premier League position - and that West Ham enjoyed just 27 per cent of possession - it's no wonder there were rumblings of discontent amongst the West Ham fanbase post-match.
Minus the likes of Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho, West Ham pose very little threat in the final third of the field. With Andy Carroll also ruled out at the weekend, Bilic was left with just Mauro Zarate and Nikica Jelavic in attack - one of whom is frustratingly inconsistent, the other consistently substandard.
Despite those shortcomings, West Ham still managed to conjure up 11 shots at goal - even though just two of those were on target. Fortunately the hosts were just as profligate, with only two of their 21 efforts finding their intended target.
West Ham stay on the road for their next outing, away to Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The Villains have endured an even worse opening half of the season than Swansea, having failed to win since the opening day of the season and taking just seven points from their opening 17 matches.
So it's with renewed optimism that Bilic's boys go into that one, before completing their Christmas programme with home fixtures against Southampton (28th December) and Liverpool (2nd January) - two teams who, like Swansea, are in less than sensational form and must be considered beatable.
Prior to that, it just remains for me to wish all of my readers a very happy Christmas and thank you for following this column so far this season. Let's hope Santa can bring us at least one more win before the curtain falls on 2015. Come on you Irons!
27 December
Following the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Boxing Day, it's now two months since West Ham United fans have been able to celebrate a win. Merry Christmas, everybody!
On the face of it, that appears to be a desperate situation - although it's also the case that the Hammers have only been beaten twice during that period (at Tottenham and Watford).
Six draws in West Ham's last eight matches have kept the wolves from Slaven Bilic's door, although the first voices of discontent have been heard following the last two outings - both of which ended in stalemate - at lowly Swansea and Villa.
West Ham enjoyed just 27 per cent of possession in their goalless draw at the Liberty Stadium last week and whilst that figure was marginally better at Villa Park (41 per cent), there is growing concern regarding the squad's ability to cope with such an extensive injury list.
No less than SIX players who would be in contention for a spot in the starting XI were absent at Villa Park, where West Ham rarely threatened - despite scoring their first goal in four games (ironically perhaps by marauding defender Aaron Cresswell).
Yet given a bit more luck - and assistance from referee Mike Dean - the Hammers could have returned to London with all three points.
As it was Bilic's side were denied two penalty appeals - one, a cast-iron 'hand ball' shout against Ashley Westwood deep into added-on time - and to add insult to injury, conceded an equaliser from the spot after Angelo Ogbonna was deemed to have impeded Rudy Gestede when TV replays suggested the Villa man should have been penalised for shirt-pulling.
Defensively, West Ham are coping admirably without key man Winston Reid, who is out until February. James Collins, who agreed a two-year contract extension on Christmas Eve has been superb since winning a recall to the side and James Tomkins has performed admirably at full back, where he has been preferred to Carl Jenkinson in recent weeks.
However it's a different story entirely at the other end of the field, where the Hammers are struggling to make an impact having scored just once in their last four outings - and not having scored more than once since that last win against Chelsea back in October.
The club's crippling injury list should be reduced this week with Andy Carroll, Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini all expected to be available for the clash with Liverpool at the Boleyn on 2 January. Given the team's recent slide down the table, it's imperative that all three hit the ground running.
3 January
Not content with winning at Anfield for the first time since 1963 earlier in the season, West Ham completed the double over Liverpool at the Boleyn on Saturday with a thoroughly satisfying team performance.
The 2-0 win - courtesy of goals from Michail Antonio and Liverpool's record signing, Andy Carroll - means that the Hammers have put five goals past the once-mighty Merseysiders this season without reply and also ensured Slaven Bilic's team completed the double over Liverpool from the first time in 51 years.
Although Jurgen Klopp's arrival hints at a promising future for the Reds, the current squad is one of the weakest to have visited east London in the last half century and West Ham's win was no fluke, nor surprise. Despite seeing less of the ball the Irons were by far the better team on the day, created more goalscoring opportunities and could have won by an even greater margin.
All in all it was an overwhelmingly positive day for West Ham, who also welcomed the creative genius of Dimitri Payet back into the side. The French international wasted no time in showing the Boleyn faithful what they had missed in recent weeks as a sublime exhibition of trickery left three opponents looking foolish within seconds of his introduction as a second half substitute.
But West Ham being West Ham, something had to go wrong - and the sight of Manuel Lanzini limping off whilst clutching his thigh after just 39 minutes - in only his second game since returning from injury - was an all-too depressingly familiar sight in a season in which most of the club's key players have suffered from a serious injury at some stage.
The Argentine midfielder joins key men Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho on the sidelines - whilst Alex Song, Angelo Ogbonna, Enner Valencia, Andy Carroll and the aforementioned Payet have also experienced major injuries this season.
Yet West Ham continue to confound their critics and ended the day sixth in the Premier League - and remain unbeaten since losing at Tottenham back in November, some eight matches previously. Seven of the team's 32 points arrived over Christmas too - hopefully putting to bed the myth that West Ham come down with the Christmas decorations!
Next weekend the FA Cup takes centre stage as West Ham welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Boleyn Ground for the final time before we up sticks and move to Stratford this summer.
There have been some memorable meetings between the two teams over the years, although few will come close to matching the Barclays Division 1 clash in March 1993 when the current Championship side were the first visitors to an emotional Boleyn Ground awash with wreaths and flowers following the untimely death of Bobby Moore.
10 January
It may not have been the most memorable game ever to feature at the Boleyn Ground, but West Ham are in the hat for the fourth round of the FA Cup after successfully navigating a potential banana skin against Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Nikica Jelavic's first goal since moving to east London back in September was good enough to send Slaven Bilic's team through to the next stage of the competition, although a packed Boleyn Ground had to wait until five minutes from the end of normal time to celebrate the game's only goal.
Until that point the 30-year-old striker, signed by West Ham on transfer deadline day last September had been largely anonymous - although that could equally apply to most, if not all of his teammates too. However he was in the right place at the right time to convert Andy Carroll's delivery and send Wolves tumbling out of the Cup.
Although he made a number of changes to his starting XI, Slaven Bilic insisted prior to the game that the competition remains a priority. "Win a Cup and I could hold it up!", he told the media when asked if he'd prefer to win a trophy or qualify for the Champions League. And that was music to the ears of Hammers fans who have been starved of success having witnessed West Ham fail to lift a proper trophy for 35 years (1999's Intertoto Cup success notwithstanding).
For a team with a notable FA Cup pedigree, West Ham's form in recent seasons has been atrocious. The Hammers have progressed beyond the fifth round of the competition just once since appearing in the 2005/06 Final a decade ago - whilst having failed to get past the initial (third round) stage three times in the last four years under Sam Allardyce, whose utter contempt for the Cups was no secret.
Of course Lady Luck has a major role to play in any successful Cup run. Draw the likes of Colchester or Peterborough at home in the next round and you stand a good chance of progressing further; get a trip to The Emirates or the City of Manchester Stadium and your chances are greatly reduced, even if West Ham have won at both already this season!
Following Monday's evening's Cup draw (which takes place live on BBC1), it's off to Bournemouth where West Ham will be attempting to make a better fist of things than the last occasion upon which the two teams met. Back in August, the Cherries secured a surprise 4-3 win at the Boleyn Ground in what was only Bilic's third Premier League game.
Since that disappointment, West Ham have only been beaten twice in the league (by Watford and Tottenham) - a run of 17 games and a very impressive statistic to take into the second half of the campaign.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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With love from Slaven
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic sent Dimitri Payet a text ahead of his Euro 16 debut for France telling him he'll be the best player at the tournament. And Bilic, who is acting as a pundit for ITV during their coverage of the championships also stated how proud he was to boast Friday's night's match-winner in his squad. "Before France played Romania on Friday night, I texted Dimitri Payet to wish him all the best," he said. ""The text read: 'Enjoy it, you have nothing to prove, you are the best player there.' "I wasn't wrong, was I? He was fantastic, not only with his late match-winning goal but overall. France were playing everything through him. And he got his chance because of his brilliant season at West Ham.
"We are proud he is at our club. Some will say it is a double-edged sword for West Ham, and myself and that if Dimitri continues to play like that, there will be other big clubs circling. "I don't think about that though. We are so proud to have him and apart from Luka Modric, or someone else from the Croatia team, I would like nothing better than if he was the player of the tournament. "After that, what happens, happens but we know he is happy at West Ham."
Bilic, who also revealed he tried to sign Payet whilst manager of Besiktas, his previous club, refused to take the credit for Payet's rapid emergence ontot the world stage,
"Since he came to our club he has improved again," he added. "He has matured, he has been consistent. Yes, my staff and I at West Ham have helped him but mainly he's done it himself. "It was easy because his team-mates at West Ham recognised he was that special player. They also saw he was humble, he didn't want special treatment and he was happy to be there. He was also prepared to do the 'dirty' work to the level of his capabilities. "I don't think that his performances will encourage a club bigger than us to try and get him — I just enjoy his football and I am glad for him."
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Zarate surplus to requirements again
KUMB,com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Mauro Zarate could be set to leave Fiorentina this summer - just six months after joining the Serie A side. Slaven Bilic offloaded the Argentine striker during the winter transfer window having been unimpressed by Zarate's contribution during the manager's first six months at West Ham. Since then the 29-year-old has made 17 appearances for La Viola, but crucially scoring just three goals. And fresh reports emerging from Italy (Di Marzio) this weekend suggest that Fiorentina boss Paulo Sousa is already willing to sell the much-travelled forward in order to fund a replacement - such as Partizan youngster Nemanja Mihajlovic. Since leaving Lazio in 2013, where he had spent the preceding five seasons, Zarate has featured for five clubs - including Queens Park Rangers, to whom he was sent on loan by Sam Allardyce in January 2015 before being sent back just two months later. He made just 14 Premier League starts for the Hammers after joining on a free transfer in May 2014.
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Valencia strike fires La Tri into QFs
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Enner Valencia's second goal of the Copa America was the catalyst for Ecuador's 4-0 win against Haiti last night - a victory that sent La Tri into a quarter final clash with hosts USA. The West Ham forward opened his account for the tournament in the 2-2 draw with eventual group winners Peru on Wednesday evening. And he doubled his account in East Rutherford when he scored the first of four goals as Ecuador breezed past the group's whipping boys. Rostov midfielder Christian Noboa was involved in the build-up to the 11th-minute striker which Valencia despatched with aplomb - before strikes from Jaime Ayoví (20 minutes), Christian Noboa (57) and Antonio Valencia (78) sealed the win and secured passage into the competitions' knock-out phase. Peru's surprise 1-0 win over Brazil in Group B's other game ensured they topped the group, leaving La Blanquirroja facing a tie with Colombia in the quarter finals whilst the Brazilians failed to qualify. Ecuador will face the USA this Friday, 17 June
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Ogbonna more than happy in England
by Brian Knox on 12 June 2016 at 12:59pm
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Quoted by Inside Futbol, West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna has played down speculation linking him with a move to Roma. It was reported this week that the 28-year-old, who joined West Ham from Juventus last summer, had courted interest from his former club's Serie A rivals (Gianluca Di Marzio). However, the Italy international, who is with the Azzurri for Euro 2016 and had never played club football outside his country before this past season, says that he has retained no nostalgia for Italian football whatsoever in a claim which is sure to please West Ham supporters. "The English league is very good," he told a press conference, via Inside Futbol."There the players are chosen on the basis of merit; I have no nostalgia for Serie A."
The news will undoubtedly please fans, given how excellent the centre-back looked during his first season in England, but it was also reported by Di Marzio that Chelsea were also interested. Italy manager Antonio Conte will take charge of the Blues this summer following Euro 2016. Ogbonna is a big part of what manager Slaven Bilic is trying to build with the Irons, so keeping him at the club would be a massive priority.
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Gabbiadini Bundesliga bound despite Hammers interest?
by Brian Knox on 12 June 2016 at 2:00pm
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Manolo Gabbiadini seems to be heading to Germany, as Wolfsburg and Schalke 04 emerge as favourites for the Napoli striker. He struggled for playing time this season, mainly thanks to the extraordinary form of record-shattering Gonzalo Higuain. He still managed to score nine goals with three assists in 30 competitive games. As negotiations are at an advanced stage for Pescara hitman Gianluca Lapadula, the 24-year-old is expected to move on. There is interest from Italy with Inter, Milan and his old club Bologna. Premier League sides West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City are also tracking his progress. However, the Corriere dello Sport is confident the Bundesliga will be Gabbiadini's next destination. Wolfsburg had already tried to sign him in January, but they face competition from Schalke 04.
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Hammers up their offer for Lacazette?
by Brian Knox on 13 June 2016 at 11:48am
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham have submitted a club-record £32m bid to sign Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette this summer. According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham want to make another big splash in the Ligue 1 market a year after signing Dimitri Payet from Marseille. The Hammers have been linked with a move for Lacazette for much of the summer with the club reportedly having already seen a £26m offer for the striker turned down. However, they have upped their bid to £32m, again reminding Lyon that they are prepared to pay a huge fee for their star striker. Lyon are yet to respond to the offer which they will continue to consider. Despite scoring 23 goals this past season – his third straight season scoring 20+ goals in French football, Lacazette was omitted from France's Euro 2016 squad by manager Didier Deschamps in favour of the likes of Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial.
The 25-year-old striker looks destined to leave Lyon this summer with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal all having been linked with moves for the Frenchman.
West Ham are determined to land a big-money striker before the start of the season and their latest offer for Lacazette is a real statement of intent.
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Feghouli set to agree 3 year deal with Hammers?
by Brian Knox on 13 June 2016 at 11:41am
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Former Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli is expected to join West Ham this summer after agreeing terms to a three-year deal. According to French source L'Equipe, there was a very hotly contested race to sign the attacker the summer who has finally opted for a move to East London with the Hammers. The Algerian international ran down his contract with the La Liga outfit so he could have his pick of clubs this summer and after receiving offers from the likes of Manchester United, Sevilla, Villarreal, Inter Milan and Fenerbahce, Feghouli will join West Ham on a three-year deal. It's understood that the 26-year-old had a sit down with Slaven Bilic, who showed the most desire in securing his signature this summer, and has bought into the project in place at West Ham and impressed with the direction the club are heading in. Feghouli plays primarily as a right-winger but can operate across the attacking midfield line and would offer another goal-threat from that area of the pitch along with the likes of Dimitri Payet, Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini. The report states that West Ham hope to complete the transfer of Sofiane Feghouli this week which would represent a remarkable coup for the club considering the European interest in his services.
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Slaven Bilic: I texted Dimitri Payet 'you are the best'
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 13/06/16 9:48am
SSN
Slaven Billic has revealed he told Dimitri Payet he was the 'best player' at Euro 2016 before the West Ham midfielder's match-winning performance for France. Payet snatched a 2-1 victory over Romania for the hosts when he found the target with a stunning curling shot in the 89th minute of their opening match of the tournament on Friday night. "Before France played Romania on Friday night, I texted Dimitri Payet to wish him all the best," wrote the Hammers boss in the Daily Mail. "The text read: 'Enjoy it, you have nothing to prove, you are the best player there.' "I wasn't wrong, was I? He was fantastic, not only with his late match-winning goal but overall. France were playing everything through him.
"When he was on the left side they attacked on that side - when he went into the middle they did the same. "It is incredible how, in this strong French team, most of the players, when they had the ball, were looking for Dimitri. It's amazing, particularly because he hasn't been a regular for the French team. He had to prove himself. "He got his chance because of his brilliant season at West Ham. We are proud he is at our club - and, yes, he has a long contract!"
The West Ham boss, who is working as a TV pundit during the tournament, said he is proud to have Payet as a player and added that he does not care if the 29-year-old's starring role for the hosts is likely to attract the attention of other clubs. "Some will say it is a double-edged sword for West Ham, and myself and that if Dimitri continues to play like that, there will be other big clubs circling. "I don't think about that though. We are so proud to have him and apart from Luka Modric, or someone else from the Croatia team, I would like nothing better than if he was the player of the tournament. "After that, what happens, happens but we know he is happy at West Ham."
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Slaven Bilic confirms he wants to sign Atiba Hutchinson and Gokhan Tore for West Ham
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 13/06/16 11:05am
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed he wants to sign Besiktas duo Atiba Hutchinson and Gokhan Tore. Canada international Hutchinson, 33, established himself at Turkish champions Besiktas under Bilic and can play as a holding midfielder or right-back. Tore, 24, once a Chelsea youth team player, is a left winger and Turkey international. "Yes I want Gokhan Tore and Atiba Hutchinson, they are targets," Bilic told Turkish television. "We also have others but they are major targets. "Will it happen? Nobody can say yet but we want him." "I want one transfer for both. More than one thing has to happen for this deal. When a club wants a player it depends on how much [Besiktas] want to sell a player and how much they are asking. "There is a lot written in the Turkish press that is untrue. But I know them [Tore and Hutchinson], I spent two years with them."
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West Ham forward Diafra Sakho tells Slaven Bilic he wants to leave - Sky sources
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 13/06/16 2:30pm
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Diafra Sakho has told Slaven Bilic he wants to leave West Ham this summer, according to Sky sources. Sky sources understand the Hammers forward spoke with Bilic over the weekend and asked to be sold ahead of next season. Sunderland are keen on Sakho and tabled an £11m bid to sign him earlier this month. The 26-year-old was signed by Sam Allardyce, now of Sunderland, from Metz in the summer of 2014 and was the top scorer for West Ham the following season with 12 goals in 26 games. He was not as prolific last term, finishing with seven Premier League goals after missing time between November and March due to a thigh injury.
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan told Sky Sports News HQ in May he was confident of securing a "top class forward" ahead of the club's move to the Olympic Stadium. They have already had bids for Carlos Bacca, Alexandre Lacazette and Callum Wilson turned down, while Sky sources understand they remain interested in Michy Batshuayi and Christian Benteke.
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Sakho wants to move on
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Diafra Sakho has reportedly asked to leave the Irons following what the Mail calls "a revised offer from Sunderland." The report claims Sak and Slaven Bilic have met and the striker has revealed he sees his future away from the club. Sunderland have made a revised offer of around £12m for Sakho with manager Sam Allardyce being reported as keen to get a deal done quickly. However, the Hammers have already told ClaretandHugh that the original bid for the striker was nowhere near the £11m reported earlier and contained clauses which would have seen the striker having to play 30 games a season minimum for them to get the figure. They value Sakho at a minimum of £15m anyway so it seems there may be a long way to go on these negotiations whether Sakho wants a move or not. A source told us this afternoon: "The situation is as it always has been – no players will be leaving this club until we have better players to replace them."
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Hammers linked with Barcelona striker
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Unfortunately, it is not Neymar or Suarez we have been linked to but a Barcelona B striker called Sandro Ramirez. According to Spanish media outlet 'Sport' West Ham are interested in the services of Ramirez.
The report says sporting director of Barcelona, Robert Fernandez has announced that Sandro Ramirez , has permission to leave Barcelona and seek a new club, they say there have been many clubs which have contacted the player and his representatives to hear their offers.
The twenty year old Barcelona graduate has spent the last two seasons with the Barca first team, making just 17 La Liga appearances.He only scored three goals during 2015-16, a hat trick against Villanovense in the Copa del Rey.
The article says Slaven Bilic has had good scouting reports about the player and, according to the newspaper, they recommended the club make a bid for him. Ramirez is said to have received an offer from Turkish club Galatasary. Spurs were linked with a £10m bid for the striker in the January transfer window. He is thought to be valued at around 8 million Euros.
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Gonzo's "I'm sorry" letter to Slav
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 13, 2016 in Fans Forum, Hammers Chat, News, Whispers
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Dear Mr Bilic,
I would like to humbly apologise to you and make an honest admission . . . . . . . . . .I never really wanted you. Before you turn on your heels and walk away in disgust please let me explain.
You were never my first choice Slaven, there is a fella called Rafa Benitez (you may know him, he's friends with Sam Allardyce I think) who has won lots of trophies and he was really my first choice. At one point it actually looked like Rafa was going to arrive but in the end he spurned me and went to Spain to manage his boyhood club who have a really good player with an earing apparently. As it turned out East London was too far away from Spain which is strange because he has since moved to a Championship club in the North East.
Just as I was getting over my rejection it was suggested that Rafa's predecessor Carlo Ancelotti might fancy coming to Green Street directly from Madrid. The word on the grapevine was that he really liked London and still had an apartment here but unfortunately he had a bit of a sore knee so was unable to take the job and instead he went back to his house on Lake Como (strange choice) to await a call from Bayern Munich.
By this point I was starting to get used to rejection but I'd set my eyes on a new potential candidate who was leaving his job in Germany, his club were near the bottom of the league but they used to be decent and that was good enough for me. He had an amusing demeanor, could grow a full beard as opposed to my patchy effort and he managed to look cool in glasses. Unfortunately he decided that he wanted to have a year away from the game and travel the world (it turned out 4 months and a move to Merseyside would suffice) .
I am ashamed to say that even at this desperate stage I still did not want you Slaven, I even posted on the internet that I thought Eddie Howe would be a better match. In all honesty I think I was still wounded from you walking out and leaving us for Everton all those years ago and the way you treated that famous Dutch manger Schteve Van McClaren did you no favours either.
Anyway, I had now set my sights on another famous coach. Well I say famous, I'd never actually heard of him but everyone else said he was really talented and that was a decent enough endorsement. His name was Unai Emery, I thought he sounded a bit odd if I'm honest but he'd just won the UEFA Cup or whatever it's called these days.
I usually think that tournament is a bit crap, it's the one Man U will participate in next season alongside us but who cares . . . a trophy is a trophy right? Our Chairman Mr Sullivan promised to make Emery the 9th highest paid manager in the world which would have been amazing because our last coach was the 13th best manager in the world so I was excited.
You can probably guess what happened next, he turned us down to remain at Sevilla for half the money and contest a trophy called the Champions League which funnily enough doesn't even require it's entrants to be Champions. I could accept that rejection if I'm honest, my third choice was David Moyes and surely he would want the job.
Our owners like to appoint a British manager (with the exception of the Israeli one but that is a very different letter entirely) and surely he would prefer come to East London and be rich rather than fight relegation in Spain and appear in the TV studio.
I was now down to you and some bloke from Marseilles who was a bit of a nutter and could not speak English and it was at this point that I realised you were my man . . . . . . .it was never in doubt.
The truth is that I got it wrong and I hope that you can forgive me, you have given me back my West Ham and I now look forward to every game with a genuine belief that we can win and be entertained at the same time. I love the way you seem to try and play as many attackers as you can and if it's not working you chuck some more on the pitch just for good measure.
Remarkably I'm even excited about the Europa League, you've masterminded victories against Arsenal,Chelsea, City, Man U, Spurs and Liverpool and as a result my normal paranoia and defeatist realism has been replaced with hope.
Thanks for the hope and the happiness Mr Bilic and sorry I thought Eddie Howe was better than you.
Lots of Love
Gonzo
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No delay on Olympic Stadium conversion
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Despite rumours on social media and West Ham chat forums, there will be no delay in finishing the Olympic Stadium before the start of the Premier League season.
Supporters attending the final days of the Farewell Boleyn tour were incorrectly told of possible delays of up to 11 weeks.
It was added that the Premier League would be asked to look at the possibility of playing our first four league games away from home if the stadium was not finished. Both this rumours are not true.
ClaretandHugh understands while building work stopped for seven days to host the AC/DC concert, the stadium is on schedule to host the great Newham run followed by the Athletics anniversary games at the end of July.
Once the athletics finish on Sunday 24th the conversion to football mode can begin which should take a maximum of ten days.
Worst case scenario is the retractable seating is completed on Wednesday 3rd August ready for a Europa League third round match on Thursday 4th August. Should West Ham draw an Europa League home tie on Thursday 28th July they will simply ask UEFA to swap their home and away legs around.
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Winger agrees three year deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 13, 2016 in News
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Algerian international Sofiane Feghouli is expected to join West Ham this summer after agreeing terms to a three-year deal. According to French source L'Equipe, the former Valencia winger has opted for a move to East London with the Hammers. It's understood that the 26-year-old had a sit down with Slaven Bilic, who showed the most desire in securing his signature this summer. Feghouli plays primarily as a right-winger but can operate across the attacking midfield line and would offer another goal-threat from that area of the pitch along with the likes of Dimitri Payet, Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini. The report adds the Irons are expecting to complete the deal this week .
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I texted Dimitri Payet to tell him: 'You are the best player there' before he lit up Euro 2016 - and I'm loving my work as an ITV pundit
Dimitri Payet scored the winning goal for France in Euro 2016 opener
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic not worried about bigger clubs coming in for Payet and insists his star man is happy at the club
Former Croatia manager Bilic impressed by Luka Modric in their win
Bilic gave Modric his debut for Croatia Under 21s
By SLAVEN BILIC FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 12 June 2016 | UPDATED: 10:47, 13 June 2016
Before France played Romania on Friday night, I texted Dimitri Payet to wish him all the best. The text read: 'Enjoy it, you have nothing to prove, you are the best player there.'
I wasn't wrong, was I? He was fantastic, not only with his late match-winning goal but overall. France were playing everything through him. When he was on the left side they attacked on that side — when he went into the middle they did the same. It is incredible how, in this strong French team, most of the players, when they had the ball, were looking for Dimitri. It's amazing, particularly because he hasn't been a regular for the French team. He had to prove himself. He got his chance because of his brilliant season at West Ham. We are proud he is at our club — and, yes, he has a long contract! He has practically forced the France coach Didier Deschamps to give him an opportunity but up until the other night they were all friendly matches. Everything about him was great, he was making other players better, he was making simple passes, through balls, he was making an assist for Olivier Giroud — and then he was topping it off with that thing; that flick he has done in the middle of the park so many times for West Ham, which is good for the crowd and gives confidence to the team. His goal on Friday night, when it came, was unbelievable. We are all glad for him and that is what he needed. Of course, he isn't going to score like that every time but now I am expecting him to play better and better. And some will say it is a double-edged sword for West Ham, and myself and that if Dimitri continues to play like that, there will be other big clubs circling. I don't think about that though. We are so proud to have him and apart from Luka Modric, or someone else from the Croatia team, I would like nothing better than if he was the player of the tournament. After that, what happens, happens but we know he is happy at West Ham.
I don't think that his performances will encourage a club bigger than us to try and get him — I just enjoy his football and I am glad for him. When I was at the Turkish club Besiktas I tried to get him there but it was quite impossible. He was already playing in a big league for Olympique Marseille, one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and he had proved himself for them. OK, he maybe hadn't had such a great season as he went on to have at West Ham but he was a key player for them too. Since he came to our club he has improved again. He has matured, he has been consistent. Yes, I and my staff at the club have helped him but mainly he's done it himself. It was easy because his team-mates at West Ham recognised he was that special player. They also saw he was humble, he didn't want special treatment and he was happy to be there. He was also prepared to do the 'dirty' work to the level of his capabilities.
He will never be a Mark Noble or a Cheikhou Kouyate in a defensive way, but he is always trying, he is coming back into position and pressing when he can. When the other players recognised that, they were more than happy to run a few extra yards to cover him. That is ideal for the manager. I didn't have to tell them, 'Listen, you have to do this or that'. It became natural for them. And Dimitri is like other special players, he is emotional. He cried after he scored that fantastic goal the other night and also when he came off the pitch with a few minutes to go. He knew he had to prove himself. Now he has broken through that barrier. He is one of the lads, though. From what I have seen last season they all like him and because of that, he feels important. They respect him and it is reciprocated.
As for England, I thought they were excellent. OK, Russia were poor but that was because England played so well. They deserved to win, big-time but the problem is that when they say at the end, 'We controlled the game,' that is a delusion. You can be in control only when, in the dying minutes, you are at least two goals up. However, I don't see that England, despite that draw, are under enormous pressure. If I was Roy Hodgson, I would focus totally on the positive. Sometimes, when you are not happy with the result, you will go to the players and say: 'Guys, let's forget about this game, let's put it to bed.' After this game, though, I would say: 'Let's talk about it, because we were good.' I'm enjoying working on the Euros for ITV and being in Paris. My family is here and it good to be with them. It is good to talk about the game with football people. I like to have fun when I do the TV. It is not a seminar — the viewers want to be entertained as well as informed.
Modric the master
Talking about little masters, I watched another one on Sunday — Luka Modric. He is extra special to me because, as the Under-21 coach of Croatia, I gave him his first cap when he was two years younger than the rest — and then made him captain because I saw he was responsible and reliable. Luka is a magnificent player, not only with his skill when he has the ball but with his incredible thirst for work when the opposition have possession. He tracks back, he doesn't stop for 90 minutes, he gives everything on the pitch and not all players of his kind are prepared to do that. I was privileged last week to present him with his Croatian player of the year award in Zagreb.
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Diafra Sakho hands Slaven Bilic huge blow as he asks to leave West Ham United following more interest from Sunderland
Diafra Sakho has attracted a revised bid from Premier League Sunderland
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:29, 13 June 2016 | UPDATED: 14:37, 13 June 2016
Diafra Sakho has asked to leave West Ham after Sunderland put in a revised bid for the striker. The 26-year-old has spoken to manager Slaven Bilic and told him that he sees his future away from West Ham as the club continue to press to recruit more forwards. West Ham have made a revised offer for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette, remain in talks over Valencia free agent Sofiane Feghouli while Bilic has confirmed his desire to bring in Gokhan Toure and 33-year-old right-back Atiba Hutchinson from Besiktas. Sunderland have made a revised offer of around £12million for Sakho and manager Sam Allardyce is keen to get a deal done quickly. Sakho has spoken to Allardyce and is keen on the chance of more regular football at the Stadium of Light. He has scored 19 goals in 49 games since joining from Metz for £3.5million and has interest from other clubs such as West Brom, Crystal Palace and clubs abroad but is hopeful of West Ham agreeing a deal with Sunderland. Allardyce, who has an interest in Rennes defender Cheikh M'Bengue, has released Steven Fletcher who is weighing up offers from abroad while Danny Graham has also been released and has spoken to Celtic and Blackburn Rovers. Wes Brown and goalkeeper Steve Harper were also released last week while Allardyce is looking to sell Jeremain Lens, Emanuele Giaccherini, Jordi Gomez, Liam Bridcutt, Will Buckley, Adam Matthews and Santiago Vergini.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Italian sports journalist and author Gabriele Marcotti says Angelo Ogbonna earned his place in Italy's Euro 2016 squad…
It's a big transition coming to the Premier League and playing for a club like West Ham after being in a situation at Juventus where he trained a certain way. They would have double training sessions and there would be a lot more tactical instructions and here the game is a bit different, so I think it perhaps took Angelo a little bit of time to get used to it. Once he found his measure, he started to contribute. Something he has told me personally and that the senior players like Mark Noble and James Collins, who have been at the club a long time, went out of their way to make the newcomers feel welcome. West Ham have had a lot of players from a lot of different parts of the world over the last few years and the senior players have gone out of their way to make them feel welcome and include them in the squad. It's a credit to them and it's something we often under-estimate. Clubs sign players on good wages but often dump them in a new city where they don't know the language, but his transition to West Ham was made easily because the leaders in the dressing room went out of their way to make Angelo feel more comfortable. Once that became clear and he got into the starting XI, I think he has thrived.
Angelo is one of four centre-backs who have been picked by Italy manager Antonio Conte for Euro 2016, ironically alongside three of his old Juventus teammates. One of the reasons he left Juventus was to get more playing time at West Ham, although ironically he came into a club with senior centre-halves in Reid, Tomkins and Collins. However, he is a very versatile player and that's a reason why he has been included by Italy. He can also play at left-back and it's a position he played when he was younger, but West Ham fans haven't seen that as they have a fantastic left-back in Aaron Cresswell. Angelo also has tremendous football and tactical understanding and is very comfortable with managers who provide very complicated instructions, as that's what he was used to in Italy. Conte knows he can drop fancy schemes and Angelo is a very intelligent guy and can take those on board very easily.
Without getting too granular, a lot of people see Italy playing 3-5-2 but it's not quite like that – when they defend it's a back four and one of the wing-backs will slot in and one of the centre-backs will go into a full-back position. When they attack it is going to be a 3-3-4 formation with the full-backs way up the pitch. It's a hybrid system and not easy to take on board, but Angelo certainly has the athleticism and intelligence to do it. In my opinion this is the least-talented Italy squad in 50-60 years and they've lost two certain starters in midfield in Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti, so Conte has gone with a lot of versatile and intelligent players who can play multiple positions. Now, we will have to see how that formula works in practice at Euro 2016.
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Former Player Blog - Ken Brown
WHUFC.com
Ken Brown will never forget his spell at West Ham United where he made 474 appearances for the Club and forged a memorable partnership with Bobby Moore. Brown spent 14 years with the east London Club and was influential in helping the Hammers win the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup a year later. With the Club making a historic move into the new Stadium this summer, Brown says he will always remember the magical times he enjoyed at the Boleyn Ground.....
I was brought up at West Ham and had the best years of my life. I used to come into the Boleyn Ground in the early days with a fella called Dick Walker who taught me how to approach football and I have never forgotten that. There have been lots of other people at the club who have all made me feel welcome and always wanted me to do well. I didn't expect to be named Hammer of the Year but when I look back now it is something that I fully appreciate. No matter what anyone says no-one will ever take my memories away from this place. From day one it was such a pleasure to play with all my old team-mates. Dick Walker encouraged me how to behave as a footballer and everyone loved him. I would always try to live in his footsteps. Bobby Moore was different class. He was two or three steps ahead of anyone he played against and he was an incredible player. It was a privilege to play next to him. He certainly made my life a lot easier! The wonderful managers including Ron Greenwood who was fantastic for me and put so many ideas into our heads. I sometimes thought that I wasn't good enough to play under Ron because he had so many brainwaves of perfection that I could never live up to that! But I had so many magical memories and of course it was a pleasure for me to see my son Kenny play for the Hammers as well. I will take so many memories with me from the Boleyn Ground and it is a bit of everything that made it so special.
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Valencia's Ecuador reach Copa quarters
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia scored one and set up two as Ecuador thrashed Haiti 4-0 to qualify for the 2016 Copa America quarter-finals on Sunday night. Ecuador's victory, combined with Brazil's shock 1-0 defeat by Peru, saw Valencia and company finish second behind the Peruvians in Group B and qualify for the last-eight. The West Ham United forward continued his fine run of form with another impressive display for El Tri, putting the South Americans ahead in the ninth minute at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Christian Noboa played in the West Ham striker and he made no mistake in dispatching the ball past goalkeeper Johnny Placide. Just nine minutes later, Valencia turned provider when he collected a long ball from Walter Ayovi, beat defender Romain Genevois, drew Placide and set up Jaime Ayovi to tap into an empty net. Ecuador went further ahead when Noboa met Swansea City winger Jefferson Montero's cross on the half-volley and they wrapped it up 12 minutes from time when Hammers star Valencia beat the offside trap and assisted namesake and Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia to fire home.
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Impressive Randolph helps Ireland to draw
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph produced a fine individual performance as the Republic of Ireland were cruelly denied a UEFA Euro 2016 Group E victory over Sweden. The West Ham United goalkeeper was in outstanding form against Zlatan Ibrahimovic and company in Paris, only for a freak own-goal from defender Ciaran Clark to secure the Swedes a 1-1 draw. Earlier, Norwich City midfielder Wes Hoolahan – who pipped Randolph to the Man of the Match award – had fired Ireland into a deserved second-half lead. The Hammers stopper was then called into action, making a fine save to prevent Clark from putting through his own net and commanding his penalty area in imperious fashion. However, that man Ibrahimovic's awkward cross was headed home by Aston Villa centre-back Clark, leaving Randolph no chance. Ireland's draw means they will likely need to beat either Italy or Belgium in their final two group-stage fixtures to reach the round of 16.
The Boys in Green face the fancied Belgians in Bordeaux on Saturday afternoon at 14.00 BST, before closing out the opening round against Angelo Ogbonna's Italy in Lille next Wednesday evening at 20.00 BST. Something will have to give for Martin O'Neill's team to qualify, seeing Ireland have not beaten Belgium in 50 years, and their only previous win over Italy came through West Ham Academy graduate Ray Houghton's famous goal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals in the United States.
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The Insider
WHUFC.com
Speculation continues to intensify over which new players will be arriving at West Ham United during the summer. There have been a number of top stars linked with the Club in recent weeks as Slaven Bilic looks to make his squad even stronger for the historic move into the new Stadium.
The Club have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring in new additions and it is my understanding that there could be a major addition to the squad in the near future. I have been told that a top international player will be undergoing a medical with the Club and they hope to conclude a deal within the next 72 hours. There has been a lot of speculation linking the Hammers with moves for Besiktas duo Gokhan Tore and Atiba Hutchinson.
My sources have told me that negotiations have taken place and although the club remain hopeful, there is still some way to go before a deal can be agreed. I have been assured that there are many irons in the fire and the club will continue to get the best possible deals. Reports in the media have also linked Angelo Ogbonna with a move back to Serie A as Roma lead the chase to sign him. Ogbonna has been rewarded for his impressive form at West Ham with a call-up to the Italy squad for the Euro Finals in France. I have been told categorically that the talented defender is not for sale and will not be going anywhere. He remains a major part of the squad for next season.
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West Ham launch £32million offer
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are reported to have returned to Lyon with an improved offer for striker Alexandre Lacazette. David Amoyal, a columnist for gianlucadimarzio.com has reported within the last couple of hours that West Ham have launched a fresh bid for the highly-rated striker worth in the region of £32million - approximately €40million. The offer is now said to be in the hands of Lyon chiefs, who must decide whether to accept what would be a record-breaking transfer fee for West Ham or hold out for an improved bid from elsewhere. However the chances of that happening appear to be slim, with fellow suitors Tottenham and PSG reported in recent days to have moved onto other targets. West Ham launched an initial bid for the 24-year-old goalscorer last month when the club offered Lyon £26million. The club's current record transfer fee stands at £15million, the fee paid to Liverpool for Andy Carroll three years ago.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE: TRANSFER UPDATES, LACAZETTE- WINGERS TO JOIN BUT NO RBS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 JUNE 2016 AT 1:15PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This column was written yesterday during the day and send to the fanzine editor's, for which I have evidence, yesterday. I am writing this because on a popular forum "The binman" (me) apparently claims news after it was out. I am not going to say much more as it is childish and people clearly on a wind up but there was only one person who said Feghouli that was the winger that Jack spoke about (I must have heard it whilst picking up the banana skins)
As I said in my last column on the website it is important to remember that it is early days in the transfer window and not to panic. It is hard not to get carried away when the chairman has spoken of the exciting deals that we are trying to land but I am very confident that these will come. With the Euros and the Copa America in full swing now the transfers will take a bit of a hold now while we use these as a further opportunity to scout some of the players.
I will confirm it in the fanzine but I have deliberately avoided saying it on my twitter account. The club are not looking to sign another right back. Slaven Bilic surprisingly still believes that Antonio has the potential to be a brilliant right back and he also says that Byram and Tomkins provide him with enough options here. The club will use the money instead to buy at least two wingers possibly three.
We have 100% put in an offer for Feghouli of Valencia, he is a temperamental and skilful Algerian winger. There have been a number of clubs interested in him and we are said to be in pole position. He will be a free transfer and this gives us the option to spend money elsewhere. Tore is the winger that Bilic really wants to bring to the club having worked with him at Besiktas and this is likely to happen. Another player that we are trying to bring in from Besiktas is Atiba Hutchinson who is a defensive midfielder but the Canadian also play at right back, this move depends largely on Obiang staying or not. Matt Ritchie was on the radar and is someone we would consider if the fee was right (around £5m) because he is British born. As reported elsewhere the club are aware of Sosa from Besiktas because he obviously played with Bilic and again depending on player departures his future is unclear.
In terms of forwards we haven't ruled out signing Lacazette yet. He is clearly good friends with Payet and if he stays (which I think he will despite Madrid circulating) than this could tempt Lacazette. We will not give up on signing him until he has joined another club. Originally it did seem like he would join PSG but they seem to be tempted by signing a "bigger" name now to replace talisman Ibrahimovic. If this is the case Lacazette will be left with less options and Payet and his agent could be enough to lure him. Calleri is still an option too as well as Bacca. The Spanish forward Nolito could be an option and he is out of contract in a year. They face a lot of competition to sign him though, as is the case with most of forward. Minchy Batshuayi's wage demands have put Tottenham off signing him as they have a very strict wage structure.
One thing for certain is that the club will sign at least five players and have a substantial budget to do it. We really should not panic yet and have faith that DS will sign the players that we require as he has done in the last two windows.
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2015/16 in review: December & January
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Graeme Howlett
Join us as we take a look back at the 2015/16 season through the eyes of KUMB Editor Graeme Howlett, who penned a weekly column for the Echo newspaper throughout the campaign.
Today we look back at December and January in part five of our review...
20 December
West Ham secured a fifth draw in seven appearances at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday afternoon - although there was very little else to cheer on a dreadfully dull day in South Wales.
Slaven Bilic will probably be one of the few to return from Swansea satisfied with the result, being as he was without half of his favoured first team. However it was a dreadfully dour spectacle from the perspective of the club's travelling supporters, who saw West Ham eke out a third successive goalless draw for the first time in Premier League history.
On the face of it, a point away from home looks like a decent return - and James Collins in defence and goalkeeper Adrian were both magnificent in preserving a third successive clean sheet. However given Swansea's lowly Premier League position - and that West Ham enjoyed just 27 per cent of possession - it's no wonder there were rumblings of discontent amongst the West Ham fanbase post-match.
Minus the likes of Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho, West Ham pose very little threat in the final third of the field. With Andy Carroll also ruled out at the weekend, Bilic was left with just Mauro Zarate and Nikica Jelavic in attack - one of whom is frustratingly inconsistent, the other consistently substandard.
Despite those shortcomings, West Ham still managed to conjure up 11 shots at goal - even though just two of those were on target. Fortunately the hosts were just as profligate, with only two of their 21 efforts finding their intended target.
West Ham stay on the road for their next outing, away to Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The Villains have endured an even worse opening half of the season than Swansea, having failed to win since the opening day of the season and taking just seven points from their opening 17 matches.
So it's with renewed optimism that Bilic's boys go into that one, before completing their Christmas programme with home fixtures against Southampton (28th December) and Liverpool (2nd January) - two teams who, like Swansea, are in less than sensational form and must be considered beatable.
Prior to that, it just remains for me to wish all of my readers a very happy Christmas and thank you for following this column so far this season. Let's hope Santa can bring us at least one more win before the curtain falls on 2015. Come on you Irons!
27 December
Following the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Boxing Day, it's now two months since West Ham United fans have been able to celebrate a win. Merry Christmas, everybody!
On the face of it, that appears to be a desperate situation - although it's also the case that the Hammers have only been beaten twice during that period (at Tottenham and Watford).
Six draws in West Ham's last eight matches have kept the wolves from Slaven Bilic's door, although the first voices of discontent have been heard following the last two outings - both of which ended in stalemate - at lowly Swansea and Villa.
West Ham enjoyed just 27 per cent of possession in their goalless draw at the Liberty Stadium last week and whilst that figure was marginally better at Villa Park (41 per cent), there is growing concern regarding the squad's ability to cope with such an extensive injury list.
No less than SIX players who would be in contention for a spot in the starting XI were absent at Villa Park, where West Ham rarely threatened - despite scoring their first goal in four games (ironically perhaps by marauding defender Aaron Cresswell).
Yet given a bit more luck - and assistance from referee Mike Dean - the Hammers could have returned to London with all three points.
As it was Bilic's side were denied two penalty appeals - one, a cast-iron 'hand ball' shout against Ashley Westwood deep into added-on time - and to add insult to injury, conceded an equaliser from the spot after Angelo Ogbonna was deemed to have impeded Rudy Gestede when TV replays suggested the Villa man should have been penalised for shirt-pulling.
Defensively, West Ham are coping admirably without key man Winston Reid, who is out until February. James Collins, who agreed a two-year contract extension on Christmas Eve has been superb since winning a recall to the side and James Tomkins has performed admirably at full back, where he has been preferred to Carl Jenkinson in recent weeks.
However it's a different story entirely at the other end of the field, where the Hammers are struggling to make an impact having scored just once in their last four outings - and not having scored more than once since that last win against Chelsea back in October.
The club's crippling injury list should be reduced this week with Andy Carroll, Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini all expected to be available for the clash with Liverpool at the Boleyn on 2 January. Given the team's recent slide down the table, it's imperative that all three hit the ground running.
3 January
Not content with winning at Anfield for the first time since 1963 earlier in the season, West Ham completed the double over Liverpool at the Boleyn on Saturday with a thoroughly satisfying team performance.
The 2-0 win - courtesy of goals from Michail Antonio and Liverpool's record signing, Andy Carroll - means that the Hammers have put five goals past the once-mighty Merseysiders this season without reply and also ensured Slaven Bilic's team completed the double over Liverpool from the first time in 51 years.
Although Jurgen Klopp's arrival hints at a promising future for the Reds, the current squad is one of the weakest to have visited east London in the last half century and West Ham's win was no fluke, nor surprise. Despite seeing less of the ball the Irons were by far the better team on the day, created more goalscoring opportunities and could have won by an even greater margin.
All in all it was an overwhelmingly positive day for West Ham, who also welcomed the creative genius of Dimitri Payet back into the side. The French international wasted no time in showing the Boleyn faithful what they had missed in recent weeks as a sublime exhibition of trickery left three opponents looking foolish within seconds of his introduction as a second half substitute.
But West Ham being West Ham, something had to go wrong - and the sight of Manuel Lanzini limping off whilst clutching his thigh after just 39 minutes - in only his second game since returning from injury - was an all-too depressingly familiar sight in a season in which most of the club's key players have suffered from a serious injury at some stage.
The Argentine midfielder joins key men Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho on the sidelines - whilst Alex Song, Angelo Ogbonna, Enner Valencia, Andy Carroll and the aforementioned Payet have also experienced major injuries this season.
Yet West Ham continue to confound their critics and ended the day sixth in the Premier League - and remain unbeaten since losing at Tottenham back in November, some eight matches previously. Seven of the team's 32 points arrived over Christmas too - hopefully putting to bed the myth that West Ham come down with the Christmas decorations!
Next weekend the FA Cup takes centre stage as West Ham welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Boleyn Ground for the final time before we up sticks and move to Stratford this summer.
There have been some memorable meetings between the two teams over the years, although few will come close to matching the Barclays Division 1 clash in March 1993 when the current Championship side were the first visitors to an emotional Boleyn Ground awash with wreaths and flowers following the untimely death of Bobby Moore.
10 January
It may not have been the most memorable game ever to feature at the Boleyn Ground, but West Ham are in the hat for the fourth round of the FA Cup after successfully navigating a potential banana skin against Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Nikica Jelavic's first goal since moving to east London back in September was good enough to send Slaven Bilic's team through to the next stage of the competition, although a packed Boleyn Ground had to wait until five minutes from the end of normal time to celebrate the game's only goal.
Until that point the 30-year-old striker, signed by West Ham on transfer deadline day last September had been largely anonymous - although that could equally apply to most, if not all of his teammates too. However he was in the right place at the right time to convert Andy Carroll's delivery and send Wolves tumbling out of the Cup.
Although he made a number of changes to his starting XI, Slaven Bilic insisted prior to the game that the competition remains a priority. "Win a Cup and I could hold it up!", he told the media when asked if he'd prefer to win a trophy or qualify for the Champions League. And that was music to the ears of Hammers fans who have been starved of success having witnessed West Ham fail to lift a proper trophy for 35 years (1999's Intertoto Cup success notwithstanding).
For a team with a notable FA Cup pedigree, West Ham's form in recent seasons has been atrocious. The Hammers have progressed beyond the fifth round of the competition just once since appearing in the 2005/06 Final a decade ago - whilst having failed to get past the initial (third round) stage three times in the last four years under Sam Allardyce, whose utter contempt for the Cups was no secret.
Of course Lady Luck has a major role to play in any successful Cup run. Draw the likes of Colchester or Peterborough at home in the next round and you stand a good chance of progressing further; get a trip to The Emirates or the City of Manchester Stadium and your chances are greatly reduced, even if West Ham have won at both already this season!
Following Monday's evening's Cup draw (which takes place live on BBC1), it's off to Bournemouth where West Ham will be attempting to make a better fist of things than the last occasion upon which the two teams met. Back in August, the Cherries secured a surprise 4-3 win at the Boleyn Ground in what was only Bilic's third Premier League game.
Since that disappointment, West Ham have only been beaten twice in the league (by Watford and Tottenham) - a run of 17 games and a very impressive statistic to take into the second half of the campaign.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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With love from Slaven
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic sent Dimitri Payet a text ahead of his Euro 16 debut for France telling him he'll be the best player at the tournament. And Bilic, who is acting as a pundit for ITV during their coverage of the championships also stated how proud he was to boast Friday's night's match-winner in his squad. "Before France played Romania on Friday night, I texted Dimitri Payet to wish him all the best," he said. ""The text read: 'Enjoy it, you have nothing to prove, you are the best player there.' "I wasn't wrong, was I? He was fantastic, not only with his late match-winning goal but overall. France were playing everything through him. And he got his chance because of his brilliant season at West Ham.
"We are proud he is at our club. Some will say it is a double-edged sword for West Ham, and myself and that if Dimitri continues to play like that, there will be other big clubs circling. "I don't think about that though. We are so proud to have him and apart from Luka Modric, or someone else from the Croatia team, I would like nothing better than if he was the player of the tournament. "After that, what happens, happens but we know he is happy at West Ham."
Bilic, who also revealed he tried to sign Payet whilst manager of Besiktas, his previous club, refused to take the credit for Payet's rapid emergence ontot the world stage,
"Since he came to our club he has improved again," he added. "He has matured, he has been consistent. Yes, my staff and I at West Ham have helped him but mainly he's done it himself. "It was easy because his team-mates at West Ham recognised he was that special player. They also saw he was humble, he didn't want special treatment and he was happy to be there. He was also prepared to do the 'dirty' work to the level of his capabilities. "I don't think that his performances will encourage a club bigger than us to try and get him — I just enjoy his football and I am glad for him."
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Zarate surplus to requirements again
KUMB,com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Mauro Zarate could be set to leave Fiorentina this summer - just six months after joining the Serie A side. Slaven Bilic offloaded the Argentine striker during the winter transfer window having been unimpressed by Zarate's contribution during the manager's first six months at West Ham. Since then the 29-year-old has made 17 appearances for La Viola, but crucially scoring just three goals. And fresh reports emerging from Italy (Di Marzio) this weekend suggest that Fiorentina boss Paulo Sousa is already willing to sell the much-travelled forward in order to fund a replacement - such as Partizan youngster Nemanja Mihajlovic. Since leaving Lazio in 2013, where he had spent the preceding five seasons, Zarate has featured for five clubs - including Queens Park Rangers, to whom he was sent on loan by Sam Allardyce in January 2015 before being sent back just two months later. He made just 14 Premier League starts for the Hammers after joining on a free transfer in May 2014.
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Valencia strike fires La Tri into QFs
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 13th June 2016
By: Staff Writer
Enner Valencia's second goal of the Copa America was the catalyst for Ecuador's 4-0 win against Haiti last night - a victory that sent La Tri into a quarter final clash with hosts USA. The West Ham forward opened his account for the tournament in the 2-2 draw with eventual group winners Peru on Wednesday evening. And he doubled his account in East Rutherford when he scored the first of four goals as Ecuador breezed past the group's whipping boys. Rostov midfielder Christian Noboa was involved in the build-up to the 11th-minute striker which Valencia despatched with aplomb - before strikes from Jaime Ayoví (20 minutes), Christian Noboa (57) and Antonio Valencia (78) sealed the win and secured passage into the competitions' knock-out phase. Peru's surprise 1-0 win over Brazil in Group B's other game ensured they topped the group, leaving La Blanquirroja facing a tie with Colombia in the quarter finals whilst the Brazilians failed to qualify. Ecuador will face the USA this Friday, 17 June
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Ogbonna more than happy in England
by Brian Knox on 12 June 2016 at 12:59pm
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Quoted by Inside Futbol, West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna has played down speculation linking him with a move to Roma. It was reported this week that the 28-year-old, who joined West Ham from Juventus last summer, had courted interest from his former club's Serie A rivals (Gianluca Di Marzio). However, the Italy international, who is with the Azzurri for Euro 2016 and had never played club football outside his country before this past season, says that he has retained no nostalgia for Italian football whatsoever in a claim which is sure to please West Ham supporters. "The English league is very good," he told a press conference, via Inside Futbol."There the players are chosen on the basis of merit; I have no nostalgia for Serie A."
The news will undoubtedly please fans, given how excellent the centre-back looked during his first season in England, but it was also reported by Di Marzio that Chelsea were also interested. Italy manager Antonio Conte will take charge of the Blues this summer following Euro 2016. Ogbonna is a big part of what manager Slaven Bilic is trying to build with the Irons, so keeping him at the club would be a massive priority.
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Gabbiadini Bundesliga bound despite Hammers interest?
by Brian Knox on 12 June 2016 at 2:00pm
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Manolo Gabbiadini seems to be heading to Germany, as Wolfsburg and Schalke 04 emerge as favourites for the Napoli striker. He struggled for playing time this season, mainly thanks to the extraordinary form of record-shattering Gonzalo Higuain. He still managed to score nine goals with three assists in 30 competitive games. As negotiations are at an advanced stage for Pescara hitman Gianluca Lapadula, the 24-year-old is expected to move on. There is interest from Italy with Inter, Milan and his old club Bologna. Premier League sides West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City are also tracking his progress. However, the Corriere dello Sport is confident the Bundesliga will be Gabbiadini's next destination. Wolfsburg had already tried to sign him in January, but they face competition from Schalke 04.
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Hammers up their offer for Lacazette?
by Brian Knox on 13 June 2016 at 11:48am
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham have submitted a club-record £32m bid to sign Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette this summer. According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham want to make another big splash in the Ligue 1 market a year after signing Dimitri Payet from Marseille. The Hammers have been linked with a move for Lacazette for much of the summer with the club reportedly having already seen a £26m offer for the striker turned down. However, they have upped their bid to £32m, again reminding Lyon that they are prepared to pay a huge fee for their star striker. Lyon are yet to respond to the offer which they will continue to consider. Despite scoring 23 goals this past season – his third straight season scoring 20+ goals in French football, Lacazette was omitted from France's Euro 2016 squad by manager Didier Deschamps in favour of the likes of Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial.
The 25-year-old striker looks destined to leave Lyon this summer with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal all having been linked with moves for the Frenchman.
West Ham are determined to land a big-money striker before the start of the season and their latest offer for Lacazette is a real statement of intent.
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Feghouli set to agree 3 year deal with Hammers?
by Brian Knox on 13 June 2016 at 11:41am
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Former Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli is expected to join West Ham this summer after agreeing terms to a three-year deal. According to French source L'Equipe, there was a very hotly contested race to sign the attacker the summer who has finally opted for a move to East London with the Hammers. The Algerian international ran down his contract with the La Liga outfit so he could have his pick of clubs this summer and after receiving offers from the likes of Manchester United, Sevilla, Villarreal, Inter Milan and Fenerbahce, Feghouli will join West Ham on a three-year deal. It's understood that the 26-year-old had a sit down with Slaven Bilic, who showed the most desire in securing his signature this summer, and has bought into the project in place at West Ham and impressed with the direction the club are heading in. Feghouli plays primarily as a right-winger but can operate across the attacking midfield line and would offer another goal-threat from that area of the pitch along with the likes of Dimitri Payet, Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini. The report states that West Ham hope to complete the transfer of Sofiane Feghouli this week which would represent a remarkable coup for the club considering the European interest in his services.
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Slaven Bilic: I texted Dimitri Payet 'you are the best'
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 13/06/16 9:48am
SSN
Slaven Billic has revealed he told Dimitri Payet he was the 'best player' at Euro 2016 before the West Ham midfielder's match-winning performance for France. Payet snatched a 2-1 victory over Romania for the hosts when he found the target with a stunning curling shot in the 89th minute of their opening match of the tournament on Friday night. "Before France played Romania on Friday night, I texted Dimitri Payet to wish him all the best," wrote the Hammers boss in the Daily Mail. "The text read: 'Enjoy it, you have nothing to prove, you are the best player there.' "I wasn't wrong, was I? He was fantastic, not only with his late match-winning goal but overall. France were playing everything through him.
"When he was on the left side they attacked on that side - when he went into the middle they did the same. "It is incredible how, in this strong French team, most of the players, when they had the ball, were looking for Dimitri. It's amazing, particularly because he hasn't been a regular for the French team. He had to prove himself. "He got his chance because of his brilliant season at West Ham. We are proud he is at our club - and, yes, he has a long contract!"
The West Ham boss, who is working as a TV pundit during the tournament, said he is proud to have Payet as a player and added that he does not care if the 29-year-old's starring role for the hosts is likely to attract the attention of other clubs. "Some will say it is a double-edged sword for West Ham, and myself and that if Dimitri continues to play like that, there will be other big clubs circling. "I don't think about that though. We are so proud to have him and apart from Luka Modric, or someone else from the Croatia team, I would like nothing better than if he was the player of the tournament. "After that, what happens, happens but we know he is happy at West Ham."
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Slaven Bilic confirms he wants to sign Atiba Hutchinson and Gokhan Tore for West Ham
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 13/06/16 11:05am
SSN
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed he wants to sign Besiktas duo Atiba Hutchinson and Gokhan Tore. Canada international Hutchinson, 33, established himself at Turkish champions Besiktas under Bilic and can play as a holding midfielder or right-back. Tore, 24, once a Chelsea youth team player, is a left winger and Turkey international. "Yes I want Gokhan Tore and Atiba Hutchinson, they are targets," Bilic told Turkish television. "We also have others but they are major targets. "Will it happen? Nobody can say yet but we want him." "I want one transfer for both. More than one thing has to happen for this deal. When a club wants a player it depends on how much [Besiktas] want to sell a player and how much they are asking. "There is a lot written in the Turkish press that is untrue. But I know them [Tore and Hutchinson], I spent two years with them."
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West Ham forward Diafra Sakho tells Slaven Bilic he wants to leave - Sky sources
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 13/06/16 2:30pm
SSN
Diafra Sakho has told Slaven Bilic he wants to leave West Ham this summer, according to Sky sources. Sky sources understand the Hammers forward spoke with Bilic over the weekend and asked to be sold ahead of next season. Sunderland are keen on Sakho and tabled an £11m bid to sign him earlier this month. The 26-year-old was signed by Sam Allardyce, now of Sunderland, from Metz in the summer of 2014 and was the top scorer for West Ham the following season with 12 goals in 26 games. He was not as prolific last term, finishing with seven Premier League goals after missing time between November and March due to a thigh injury.
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan told Sky Sports News HQ in May he was confident of securing a "top class forward" ahead of the club's move to the Olympic Stadium. They have already had bids for Carlos Bacca, Alexandre Lacazette and Callum Wilson turned down, while Sky sources understand they remain interested in Michy Batshuayi and Christian Benteke.
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Sakho wants to move on
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Diafra Sakho has reportedly asked to leave the Irons following what the Mail calls "a revised offer from Sunderland." The report claims Sak and Slaven Bilic have met and the striker has revealed he sees his future away from the club. Sunderland have made a revised offer of around £12m for Sakho with manager Sam Allardyce being reported as keen to get a deal done quickly. However, the Hammers have already told ClaretandHugh that the original bid for the striker was nowhere near the £11m reported earlier and contained clauses which would have seen the striker having to play 30 games a season minimum for them to get the figure. They value Sakho at a minimum of £15m anyway so it seems there may be a long way to go on these negotiations whether Sakho wants a move or not. A source told us this afternoon: "The situation is as it always has been – no players will be leaving this club until we have better players to replace them."
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Hammers linked with Barcelona striker
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Unfortunately, it is not Neymar or Suarez we have been linked to but a Barcelona B striker called Sandro Ramirez. According to Spanish media outlet 'Sport' West Ham are interested in the services of Ramirez.
The report says sporting director of Barcelona, Robert Fernandez has announced that Sandro Ramirez , has permission to leave Barcelona and seek a new club, they say there have been many clubs which have contacted the player and his representatives to hear their offers.
The twenty year old Barcelona graduate has spent the last two seasons with the Barca first team, making just 17 La Liga appearances.He only scored three goals during 2015-16, a hat trick against Villanovense in the Copa del Rey.
The article says Slaven Bilic has had good scouting reports about the player and, according to the newspaper, they recommended the club make a bid for him. Ramirez is said to have received an offer from Turkish club Galatasary. Spurs were linked with a £10m bid for the striker in the January transfer window. He is thought to be valued at around 8 million Euros.
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Gonzo's "I'm sorry" letter to Slav
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 13, 2016 in Fans Forum, Hammers Chat, News, Whispers
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Dear Mr Bilic,
I would like to humbly apologise to you and make an honest admission . . . . . . . . . .I never really wanted you. Before you turn on your heels and walk away in disgust please let me explain.
You were never my first choice Slaven, there is a fella called Rafa Benitez (you may know him, he's friends with Sam Allardyce I think) who has won lots of trophies and he was really my first choice. At one point it actually looked like Rafa was going to arrive but in the end he spurned me and went to Spain to manage his boyhood club who have a really good player with an earing apparently. As it turned out East London was too far away from Spain which is strange because he has since moved to a Championship club in the North East.
Just as I was getting over my rejection it was suggested that Rafa's predecessor Carlo Ancelotti might fancy coming to Green Street directly from Madrid. The word on the grapevine was that he really liked London and still had an apartment here but unfortunately he had a bit of a sore knee so was unable to take the job and instead he went back to his house on Lake Como (strange choice) to await a call from Bayern Munich.
By this point I was starting to get used to rejection but I'd set my eyes on a new potential candidate who was leaving his job in Germany, his club were near the bottom of the league but they used to be decent and that was good enough for me. He had an amusing demeanor, could grow a full beard as opposed to my patchy effort and he managed to look cool in glasses. Unfortunately he decided that he wanted to have a year away from the game and travel the world (it turned out 4 months and a move to Merseyside would suffice) .
I am ashamed to say that even at this desperate stage I still did not want you Slaven, I even posted on the internet that I thought Eddie Howe would be a better match. In all honesty I think I was still wounded from you walking out and leaving us for Everton all those years ago and the way you treated that famous Dutch manger Schteve Van McClaren did you no favours either.
Anyway, I had now set my sights on another famous coach. Well I say famous, I'd never actually heard of him but everyone else said he was really talented and that was a decent enough endorsement. His name was Unai Emery, I thought he sounded a bit odd if I'm honest but he'd just won the UEFA Cup or whatever it's called these days.
I usually think that tournament is a bit crap, it's the one Man U will participate in next season alongside us but who cares . . . a trophy is a trophy right? Our Chairman Mr Sullivan promised to make Emery the 9th highest paid manager in the world which would have been amazing because our last coach was the 13th best manager in the world so I was excited.
You can probably guess what happened next, he turned us down to remain at Sevilla for half the money and contest a trophy called the Champions League which funnily enough doesn't even require it's entrants to be Champions. I could accept that rejection if I'm honest, my third choice was David Moyes and surely he would want the job.
Our owners like to appoint a British manager (with the exception of the Israeli one but that is a very different letter entirely) and surely he would prefer come to East London and be rich rather than fight relegation in Spain and appear in the TV studio.
I was now down to you and some bloke from Marseilles who was a bit of a nutter and could not speak English and it was at this point that I realised you were my man . . . . . . .it was never in doubt.
The truth is that I got it wrong and I hope that you can forgive me, you have given me back my West Ham and I now look forward to every game with a genuine belief that we can win and be entertained at the same time. I love the way you seem to try and play as many attackers as you can and if it's not working you chuck some more on the pitch just for good measure.
Remarkably I'm even excited about the Europa League, you've masterminded victories against Arsenal,Chelsea, City, Man U, Spurs and Liverpool and as a result my normal paranoia and defeatist realism has been replaced with hope.
Thanks for the hope and the happiness Mr Bilic and sorry I thought Eddie Howe was better than you.
Lots of Love
Gonzo
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No delay on Olympic Stadium conversion
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 13, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Despite rumours on social media and West Ham chat forums, there will be no delay in finishing the Olympic Stadium before the start of the Premier League season.
Supporters attending the final days of the Farewell Boleyn tour were incorrectly told of possible delays of up to 11 weeks.
It was added that the Premier League would be asked to look at the possibility of playing our first four league games away from home if the stadium was not finished. Both this rumours are not true.
ClaretandHugh understands while building work stopped for seven days to host the AC/DC concert, the stadium is on schedule to host the great Newham run followed by the Athletics anniversary games at the end of July.
Once the athletics finish on Sunday 24th the conversion to football mode can begin which should take a maximum of ten days.
Worst case scenario is the retractable seating is completed on Wednesday 3rd August ready for a Europa League third round match on Thursday 4th August. Should West Ham draw an Europa League home tie on Thursday 28th July they will simply ask UEFA to swap their home and away legs around.
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Winger agrees three year deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 13, 2016 in News
C and H
Algerian international Sofiane Feghouli is expected to join West Ham this summer after agreeing terms to a three-year deal. According to French source L'Equipe, the former Valencia winger has opted for a move to East London with the Hammers. It's understood that the 26-year-old had a sit down with Slaven Bilic, who showed the most desire in securing his signature this summer. Feghouli plays primarily as a right-winger but can operate across the attacking midfield line and would offer another goal-threat from that area of the pitch along with the likes of Dimitri Payet, Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini. The report adds the Irons are expecting to complete the deal this week .
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I texted Dimitri Payet to tell him: 'You are the best player there' before he lit up Euro 2016 - and I'm loving my work as an ITV pundit
Dimitri Payet scored the winning goal for France in Euro 2016 opener
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic not worried about bigger clubs coming in for Payet and insists his star man is happy at the club
Former Croatia manager Bilic impressed by Luka Modric in their win
Bilic gave Modric his debut for Croatia Under 21s
By SLAVEN BILIC FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 12 June 2016 | UPDATED: 10:47, 13 June 2016
Before France played Romania on Friday night, I texted Dimitri Payet to wish him all the best. The text read: 'Enjoy it, you have nothing to prove, you are the best player there.'
I wasn't wrong, was I? He was fantastic, not only with his late match-winning goal but overall. France were playing everything through him. When he was on the left side they attacked on that side — when he went into the middle they did the same. It is incredible how, in this strong French team, most of the players, when they had the ball, were looking for Dimitri. It's amazing, particularly because he hasn't been a regular for the French team. He had to prove himself. He got his chance because of his brilliant season at West Ham. We are proud he is at our club — and, yes, he has a long contract! He has practically forced the France coach Didier Deschamps to give him an opportunity but up until the other night they were all friendly matches. Everything about him was great, he was making other players better, he was making simple passes, through balls, he was making an assist for Olivier Giroud — and then he was topping it off with that thing; that flick he has done in the middle of the park so many times for West Ham, which is good for the crowd and gives confidence to the team. His goal on Friday night, when it came, was unbelievable. We are all glad for him and that is what he needed. Of course, he isn't going to score like that every time but now I am expecting him to play better and better. And some will say it is a double-edged sword for West Ham, and myself and that if Dimitri continues to play like that, there will be other big clubs circling. I don't think about that though. We are so proud to have him and apart from Luka Modric, or someone else from the Croatia team, I would like nothing better than if he was the player of the tournament. After that, what happens, happens but we know he is happy at West Ham.
I don't think that his performances will encourage a club bigger than us to try and get him — I just enjoy his football and I am glad for him. When I was at the Turkish club Besiktas I tried to get him there but it was quite impossible. He was already playing in a big league for Olympique Marseille, one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and he had proved himself for them. OK, he maybe hadn't had such a great season as he went on to have at West Ham but he was a key player for them too. Since he came to our club he has improved again. He has matured, he has been consistent. Yes, I and my staff at the club have helped him but mainly he's done it himself. It was easy because his team-mates at West Ham recognised he was that special player. They also saw he was humble, he didn't want special treatment and he was happy to be there. He was also prepared to do the 'dirty' work to the level of his capabilities.
He will never be a Mark Noble or a Cheikhou Kouyate in a defensive way, but he is always trying, he is coming back into position and pressing when he can. When the other players recognised that, they were more than happy to run a few extra yards to cover him. That is ideal for the manager. I didn't have to tell them, 'Listen, you have to do this or that'. It became natural for them. And Dimitri is like other special players, he is emotional. He cried after he scored that fantastic goal the other night and also when he came off the pitch with a few minutes to go. He knew he had to prove himself. Now he has broken through that barrier. He is one of the lads, though. From what I have seen last season they all like him and because of that, he feels important. They respect him and it is reciprocated.
As for England, I thought they were excellent. OK, Russia were poor but that was because England played so well. They deserved to win, big-time but the problem is that when they say at the end, 'We controlled the game,' that is a delusion. You can be in control only when, in the dying minutes, you are at least two goals up. However, I don't see that England, despite that draw, are under enormous pressure. If I was Roy Hodgson, I would focus totally on the positive. Sometimes, when you are not happy with the result, you will go to the players and say: 'Guys, let's forget about this game, let's put it to bed.' After this game, though, I would say: 'Let's talk about it, because we were good.' I'm enjoying working on the Euros for ITV and being in Paris. My family is here and it good to be with them. It is good to talk about the game with football people. I like to have fun when I do the TV. It is not a seminar — the viewers want to be entertained as well as informed.
Modric the master
Talking about little masters, I watched another one on Sunday — Luka Modric. He is extra special to me because, as the Under-21 coach of Croatia, I gave him his first cap when he was two years younger than the rest — and then made him captain because I saw he was responsible and reliable. Luka is a magnificent player, not only with his skill when he has the ball but with his incredible thirst for work when the opposition have possession. He tracks back, he doesn't stop for 90 minutes, he gives everything on the pitch and not all players of his kind are prepared to do that. I was privileged last week to present him with his Croatian player of the year award in Zagreb.
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Diafra Sakho hands Slaven Bilic huge blow as he asks to leave West Ham United following more interest from Sunderland
Diafra Sakho has attracted a revised bid from Premier League Sunderland
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:29, 13 June 2016 | UPDATED: 14:37, 13 June 2016
Diafra Sakho has asked to leave West Ham after Sunderland put in a revised bid for the striker. The 26-year-old has spoken to manager Slaven Bilic and told him that he sees his future away from West Ham as the club continue to press to recruit more forwards. West Ham have made a revised offer for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette, remain in talks over Valencia free agent Sofiane Feghouli while Bilic has confirmed his desire to bring in Gokhan Toure and 33-year-old right-back Atiba Hutchinson from Besiktas. Sunderland have made a revised offer of around £12million for Sakho and manager Sam Allardyce is keen to get a deal done quickly. Sakho has spoken to Allardyce and is keen on the chance of more regular football at the Stadium of Light. He has scored 19 goals in 49 games since joining from Metz for £3.5million and has interest from other clubs such as West Brom, Crystal Palace and clubs abroad but is hopeful of West Ham agreeing a deal with Sunderland. Allardyce, who has an interest in Rennes defender Cheikh M'Bengue, has released Steven Fletcher who is weighing up offers from abroad while Danny Graham has also been released and has spoken to Celtic and Blackburn Rovers. Wes Brown and goalkeeper Steve Harper were also released last week while Allardyce is looking to sell Jeremain Lens, Emanuele Giaccherini, Jordi Gomez, Liam Bridcutt, Will Buckley, Adam Matthews and Santiago Vergini.
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