Hammers learn Europa League opponents
WHUFC.com
Following this afternoon's draw for the UEFA Europa League third qualifying
round, West Ham United are pleased to update supporters on the historic
first fixture at London Stadium. In order to give Stadium owners E20 Stadium
LLP as much time as possible to prepare the arena for its first taste of
European football, the Club have today made official representation to
request that the fixture be reversed. If successful, Shakhtyor Soligorsk of
Belarus or NK Domžale of Slovenia will visit Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
for the return leg on Thursday 4 August. Owing to the date of the Europa
League fixture, the Club has had to agree to work to a capacity of 54,000
for the Hammers' first two fixtures at London Stadium. And, given the
proximity of the Anniversary Games to those opening two West Ham games,
Stadium owners E20 Stadium PLP are doing their utmost to prepare the venue
fully into football mode accordingly.
On behalf of its supporters, the Club went to great lengths in contractual
negotiations with E20 Stadium LLP to ensure that the Stadium would be fully
ready for the first two fixtures, in order to accommodate as many supporters
as possible and offer the best matchday experience.
This is a necessary step for the ramp up to the Stadium opening in full
football mode at its full 60,000 capacity for the eagerly-awaited opening
Premier League fixture against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday 21 August.
Crucially, capacity for both the Europa League fixture and the Betway Cup
will be sufficient to accommodate all requests from Season Ticket Holders.
Further details for the Europa League clash will be communicated on
whufc.com ahead of tickets going on sale on Tuesday 19 July.
The visit of AFC Bournemouth will also see the innovative, retractable
seating solution in its entirety for the first time, with bold West Ham
branding, showing off the Hammers' famous Claret and Blue, set for
installation in the coming weeks.
Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: "We're delighted to be welcoming our
supporters to the opening of our magnificent new home against Italian
champions Juventus. "It's fantastic to be kicking off this exciting new era
for the Club with European football, in preparation for the all-important
first Premier League fixture against Bournemouth."
Third qualifying first leg ties will be played in week commencing Monday 25
July, with second leg matches being played in week commencing Monday 1
August. The Hammers will be competing in Europe for the eighth time in their
history, having previously won the European Cup Winners' Cup at the first
attempt in 1965 and reached the final of the same competition in 1976. West
Ham have won 24 of their 48 ties across the UEFA Cup/Europa League, Cup
Winners' Cup and Intertoto Cup, scoring 79 goals and conceding 57.
Shakhtyor Soligorsk
Shakhtyor Soligorsk were formed in 1961 and are managed by the club's former
striker Syarhey Nikifarenka. The 2005 Belarussian champions are based at
4,200-capacity Stroitel Stadium and finished third in the Premier League
last season. A successful side in recent years, Soligorsk have finished in
the top three in each of the last five seasons and won the Belarussian Cup
in 2014. They have qualified for Europe in each of the last six seasons.
Defeated NSI Runavik of the Faroe Islands 7-0 on aggregate in the first
qualifying round.
NK Domžale
NK Domžale were formed in 1921 and are based in town of Domzale in the
foothills of the Kamnik Alps in central Slovenia. The club finished third in
the Slovenian PrvaLiga last season, having won the title in 2007 and 2008,
and are based at the 2,813-capacity Sports Park. Domžale, who possess a
cosmopolitan squad including players from Slovenia, Spain, Bosnia, Brazil,
Azerbaijan, Serbia, France, Macedonia, Croatia and Argentina, defeated West
Ham's 2015 opponents Lusitanos of Andorra 5-2 on aggregate in the first
qualifying round.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, July 15
Daily WHUFC News - 15th July 2016
Spiegel sets 'game-time' target
WHUFC.com
Raphael Spiegel says West Ham United's US Tour was a fantastic experience on
and off the pitch. The young Swiss goalkeeper trained intensively with
goalkeeper coach Chris Woods and fellow stopper Adrian, initially at the
Seattle Seahawks' stunning VMAC training complex, then in hot and humid
conditions at Carolina RailHawks' WakeMed Soccer Park. Spiegel played the
full second half of both pre-season fixtures, making a number of fine saves
against Seattle Sounders and conceding just a penalty to the RailHawks. The
23-year-old also enjoyed the cultural aspects of the Tour, taking a trip to
downtown Seattle to view the historic Space Needle, Pike Place Market and
first-ever Starbucks Coffee House. "It's always nice to go away in
pre-season and the further you go, the more exciting it is," he confirmed.
"It has been really good in America and I enjoyed every day and every
training. It was a good experience and we came together as a squad. "In
training, it's a bit harder when you have only two goalkeepers, but at this
stage of the pre-season it's perfect because you get very fit. I'm happy to
have played two halves and got them under my belt. "I didn't really have a
chance with the goals I conceded. I made one or two good saves in the first
game and had a solid game in the second one, but didn't really have much to
do. Obviously I can't control the game, so I just try to do my best when I
have something to do and try to help the team. "In the other pre-season
games ahead, I'm sure I'll have more work and I can show what I'm about."
Spiegel particularly enjoyed visiting Seattle, where his love of discovering
new cultures and sightseeing were fulfilled with a visit to the Emerald
City's iconic landmarks.
"Seattle was amazing – it was an unbelievable experience to train where the
NFL team [Seattle Seahawks] train," he said. "It was a nice city and the
weather was good to train in, as it wasn't too hot. "In North Carolina,
again the facilities and pitches were good, but the weather was really hot
and challenging. Overall, it was a good experience and I enjoyed it."
The US Tour squad enjoyed a well-earned day or two off at the end of the
week before packing their bags again for a training camp and three further
pre-season matches in Austria.
With Darren Randolph granted time off after his Euro 2016 heroics with
Ireland, Spiegel is again set to enjoy plenty of match action there – and
potentially during a loan spell next season. "I will work every day with
Chris to get better and the games I get, I will give my best and see what
happens," he continued. "For my development, I need to get more game-time,
wherever that is. That's my main goal. "It's been a very good year. I had a
good season last season, helping the team to win the U21 Premier League Cup
and making a lot of progress with Chris as well. Now, I feel I am ready to
play and ready for more."
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Tore and Valencia put through their paces
WHUFC.com
New signing Gokhan Tore was joined in the gym by Enner Valencia as both
players went through a rigorous session to build up their fitness ahead of
the new season. Tore has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings
following his season-long loan from Besiktas last week and has been working
hard at the training ground while the rest of the first-team squad finish
their pre-season tour in America. The Turkey international was joined by
Valencia who returned slightly later to training after playing for Ecuador
in the Copa America where he reached the quarter-final stage. Both players
have been working hard with fitness coach Eamon Swift on the training ground
and also in the gym where they worked on building up their core strength.
West Ham TV went behind the scenes to see Tore and Valencia put through
their paces.
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Hurst - It's a brilliant time for the Club
WHUFC.com
West Ham United legend Sir Geoff Hurst has nothing but praise for the way
his former Club have managed to sell out the new Stadium and feels they can
become an even stronger force over the next few years. Hurst will never
forget his memorable spell with the east London Club where he came through
the ranks at the Boleyn Ground and became one of the best strikers of his
generation. He will always be remembered for his famous hat-trick against
West Germany in the World Cup Final back in 1966 which helped England lift
the Jules Rimet trophy. Hurst, who made 503 appearances and scored 249 goals
during his 14-year association with the Hammers, will never forget the
atmosphere that was created inside the Boleyn Ground. But the 74-year-old
completely understands why the Club are making a historic move to the new
Stadium and believes it will now take them onto another level.
Hurst is thrilled the new Stadium will be sold out every week and that West
Ham will now boast the highest number of Season Ticket Holders in London,
and the highest percentage of Season Ticket Holders in the whole of the
Premier League. Hurst said: "For us it's brilliant, great season last year,
52,000 season tickets we've sold, absolutely unbelievable.
"The big issue initially two years ago was whether we were going to fill the
stadium. "We're now looking to extend it before we've even kicked a ball
there. "It's a brilliant time for the club and I think selling 52,000
(season tickets) from an average gate at the Boleyn in the past of 35,000,
is astonishing. "The way they've marketed it is brilliant and giving kids
the chance to buy a season ticket for £99, that is developing you new fans,
it's a great move."
Hurst will certainly feel part of the new Stadium after he became the latest
legend to have a stone installed on Champions Place. Academy starlet Dylan
Tombides and former World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore have already had
stones placed on the specially-designed walkway at the north entrance of
London Stadium, which enables supporters to see their very own tributes
immortalised alongside Hammers legends. Hurst has been joined this week by
former managers John Lyall and Billy Bonds, the 1980 FA Cup-winning team and
the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup winners.
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Cullen set for Clarets' test
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio and Ashley Fletcher are likely to feature in the Dev Squad's
friendly with Chelmsford City on Friday 15 July, KO 7.45pm
West Ham United's Development Squad get their pre-season preparations under
way on Friday night with a local friendly against Vanarama National League
South side Chelmsford City. One player likely to feature is ever-present
midfielder Josh Cullen who will pull on his beloved West Ham jersey for the
first time since returning from a successful loan spell at Bradford City.
Having missed the Hammers' pre-season tour of the US through injury, the
20-year-old is eager to impress before the start of the competitive season.
Speaking ahead of the Dev Squad's friendly with the Clarets, Cullen said:
"It was gutting not to be in America. I was really looking forward to the
trip. "I missed it by a week or so, and it's unfortunate but there's no time
to dwell on it. I need to be ready to have a good season."
Alongside Cullen, Michail Antonio is likely to feature for the Hammers, as
well as new striker Ashley Fletcher, who will make his Hammers' debut having
signed from Manchester United. With the Club entering a new era at the
fantastic London Stadium, Cullen is excited about the direction in which the
Club is heading. "It's exciting times for West Ham at the moment," he
continued. "You can see, with the players pledging their futures to the
Club, they're quality players, so it's important that the squad we've got is
as strong as it can be It's as strong as I can remember. We're attracting
players and locking our players down to long term deals.
"With the new Stadium as well; it would be incredible to be a part of the
Juventus game, and it shows how much the Club is developing, to attract a
team like Juventus who were only in the Champions League final so recently.
"It shows the direction the Club is heading in. It will be a great day for
the Club, the players and staff and everyone involved. We're itching to go
when that comes around."
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Declan Rice blogs for whufc.com following the US Tour
Hello everyone,
If you had told me a couple of weeks ago that I would have travelled with
the first-team squad on their pre-season US Tour and played in both matches,
I would have been very surprised.
It's definitely been an amazing experience to come out with the first team
to America for nearly two weeks.
Seattle and North Carolina were fantastic places to train and play and I've
learnt a lot from all of the players I've trained alongside and from playing
in the games themselves.
I was shocked when I was told I was coming out to the US. I was sitting with
my Mum and Dad when we got a call and literally I had two days to prepare
and get ready.
We got straight into things, training on the first day on arrival in
Seattle, but it's been a great experience.
I've played in both games and I thought I did well. I felt confident because
you can't go into those games with any fear.
The likes of Mark Noble and Winston Reid really helped me on the field and
it was good to get 45 minutes in the first game and half-an-hour in the
second.
When you come away with the first team, you can't be acting like a child any
more. You have to act your age and be more mature about things.
I am still young and relatively inexperienced, but if I keep training and
playing well, there is no reason to think that I can't show that the Club
doesn't need to go out and spend money on a new centre-half. We'll see what
the future brings.
I have trained alongside Reece Burke in the US and I think I could benefit a
lot from a loan deal like the one he had at Bradford City last season, where
he did really well and won the Player of the Year award.
I think I need a year with the Development Squad first, though, and see how
that goes. Then, hopefully I'll get a good loan move.
The best thing about the Tour has been just being around the senior players,
really. The training, the facilities and the sessions and games have been
really good.
The manager has spoken to me and he said he was pleased with the way I
played, that I looked composed and he hopes I will take that with me going
forward.
I am a West Ham fan and the new Stadium is going to keep attracting top
players to our Club and getting big-name opponents like Juventus, who we
face on 7 August, to play against us.
I just want to be in and around the squad for those matches!
Declan
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DON'T PANIC!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 10:15AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
It seems that there was a bit of a Twitter meltdown last night. With many
West Ham fans, and popular fan pages, calling for Gold and Sullivan to just
"pay up" for Bacca. However, I personally do not feel as though this
meltdown is justified.
We had similar tantrum's thrown last summer, with people complaining that we
had been too tight fisted in the transfer window. We then went on to sign
Jelavic, Moses and Antonio on deadline day. Jelavic got game time until
January, Moses was a regular squad player, both on and off the bench, and
Antonio went on to play a key part in our Top 7 finish that season. As well
as this, all the prior signings (Payet, Lanzini, Ogbonna etc.) were all
fantastic, one of them even world class. Just a little reminder… For those
of you with short memories.
This also isn't just a case of money, and our owners being "tight". To just
lob 165k a week at Bacca could destroy the whole team morale. How would
players like Kouyate, Cresswell, Reid-all of which have been top class for
us for at least a couple of seasons-feel if Bacca was automatically on over
100k a week more than them, just because he plays a fancier position? There
is more to it than money, we must respect our current wage structure to
ensure players don't feel looked down on and under-appreciated by the West
Ham hierarchy.
People have also been mentioning the offer to Tevez to try and justify their
point, but there may also be more than meets the eye with this. How do we
know that the 150k a week offered to Tevez was 150k up-front? David Sullivan
didn't actually mention the structure of the offer he made to Carlos Tevez.
It could have been a contract similar to the one Dimitri Payet is on. For
example, it may have been an offer of:
Admittedly, I could very well be wrong. It may have been 150k lumped all at
once; but what I'm saying is keep an open mind, there is always more than
meets the eye, especially in Football!
The board have rarely let us down before, and Bilic has already proven he
can get the best out of the players he brings into the club. I would urge
all my fellow Hammers to just be patient, as well as optimistic, we will get
our man eventually!.
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14/07/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 11:03AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Zaza slipping away…
West Ham target and Italian international forward Simone Zaza has held
contract talks with Wolfsburg, according to Di Marzio. They are also
reporting that the talks went very well, and Wolfsburg are now odds on
favourites to sign the Italian forward.
Valencia to leave if Bacca signs?
I believe I have mentioned this before, but again, it is being reported by
Sky Italia that Enner Valencia will join Lazio for 10-12 million pounds if
Carlos Bacca does make a move from Milan to Stratford.
Premier League Champions to poach West Ham target?
The Express are reporting that Leicester City are leading the race for
highly rated Rico Henry. The 19-year old left-back is very highly rated, and
would make a great understudy to Aaron Cresswell. However, the foxes are
currently leading the race.
Again it is another quiet morning on the transfer front, with all the
rumours and tension revolving around the Carlos Bacca saga. But keep an eye
out for my afternoon round-up.
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WEST HAM IN THE OLD SOUTH: LIKE A VERY, VERY STRANGE DREAM
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 11:36AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
By @WestHamAmerican
My excitement at the announcement of a two-coast USA tour for West Ham was
great when I bought my tickets and made my travel plans. It dropped when the
reality of taking two trips in the middle of the summer while running my
business and raising three children all occurred to me. But not wanting to
miss the match closest to my home, I flew a King Air small turboprop plane
my company co-owns to Raleigh so I could arrive right before the match and
return home immediately after the match. (Right now I am starting the
rumour that Ex lets his staff fly private charter to the matches, just so
all the other rival West Ham fan site reporters can give their publishers a
lot of grief.)
This mode of travel, while convenient didn't allow me to spend time with
West Ham supporters at the local pubs, get a feel for life in Raleigh, and
possibly interact with the team during their training sessions. Basically,
it was a very short and direct trip. But since I had room on the plane, I
brought my 11 year old daughter and four of her U12 academy ladies
teammates; to brainwash them into the West Ham family. Two girls brought
their own fathers to help out, and I figured I could make this an
educational trip for my own U12 Hammers.
Arriving on the grounds I was struck by how the cars were parked in a very
large and grassy area. Other than the main stadium, the grounds also
featured four or five other nice pitches, and plenty of parking on a nicely
manicured grass car park. Prior to any game of any sport, a great American
tradition is tailgating: basically picnicking, drinking, hanging out near
your car before you head into the stadium. Since most London stadiums are
in dense, urban areas, that's a part of sporting life England misses out on
(Unless anyone tried bringing a bar-b-que grill to the Upton Park
underground station.)
I was surprised to see the large number of claret clad fans walking about
the tailgate area. I spoke with a few from the UK, but most were just
American supporters like me. It seemed most of the English visitors were
older. Not as many 20-30 year old fans like I saw in Seattle. I was also
surprised to see what kits people actually wore to this match. Since North
Carolina is far from any MLS team, anyone who had any love of world football
came to this match. I saw a number of Manchester United shirts, Barcelona,
one older gent in a Tottenham jersey. The most absurd was the car full of
young men, all wearing Newcastle tops. The lads were all American. I'm not
sure how that happened.
Equally surprising were the American West Ham Supporters' kits. There were
a few wearing Andy Carroll, Dimitri Payet, and even a sharp-looking Jack
Collison jersey. But I saw one guy in an Alex Song and another wearing
Zarate's jersey. I don't know that I would have thought to pick Zarate when
ordering from the West Ham club store.
The weather at the opening kickoff was miserable. It was 90 degrees (32
Celsius) and the sun had yet to set at 8 PM. My seats were in the shade of
the West stands, but I was a sweaty miserable mess. Unlike Seattle, I
didn't have big, frightening-looking East Enders sitting near me. While
there were a lot of West Ham fans, they were mainly Americans.
Unfortunately, some mouthy young Railhawks fans sat immediately behind me.
I was filled with regret that there were no intimidating Brits to deal with
them. Also, I had five children with me, so I really couldn't get into
drunken banter with them, so I was stuck.
"You have 3,000 people watching your periscope?!? You're a god!"
"You have a strange concept of divinity."
Early into the match my Twitter was blowing up with people in London upset
because there was no live stream. I took it upon myself to be the savior to
my late night friends in Essex. Alas, after a half a day my office, a short
flight listening to music, and a lot of photos, my iPhone was already on a
weak battery. Even though I had thousands of people tuning in to watch the
match, by the 30 minute mark my phone was down to 15%. Knowing I wouldn't
make it to the halftime break, I worried if my Periscope died, the entire UK
would fall into chaos. Like they might leave Europe or sack their Prime
Minister. I looked to my daughter. Her iPhone was on 80% and my plan was
to resume my broadcast after the break on her phone.
Once the ref sounded the half, I looked over and my daughter was gone. She
and her friend Sarah had gone for a walk, according to the other girls. As
I waited through halftime, I called and texted her on my dying phone but no
response. Once the second half began, and I couldn't find my 11 year old, I
turned into Liam Neeson, running through the dark streets of Paris looking
for my child. Finally after a few minutes, she texted me to say that she
and Sarah were in a long queue for popcorn. After reuniting with them, then
the sky opened up. A driving rain came down and the lightning came
dangerously close to the pitch.
Standing under a stadium with five 11-year old girls, waiting 40 minutes on
a severe thunderstorm to pass isn't the best way to spend a Tuesday night.
Once play resumed and the Hammers surrendered that late penalty kick and
gave away the win, we were ready to fly in our little plane through the
storm clouds back home. The next obstacle was finding our rental car in the
dark of a large open field. It isn't like Disney World where they tell you
to remember you parked your car in the Donald Duck section. But after some
aimless searching we loaded up and left the grounds: wet and tired but at
least I think I brought a few new converts into the West Ham family.
When people question the merits of playing these worthless matches far from
East London, I think of the new West Ham supporters that we have made
because they were able to attend the games. That, after all, is the best
purpose of the USA tour, in my humble opinion. I have to wonder though, if
these new young fans are going to spend the week worrying about Bacca's
transfer options like the rest of us?
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14/07/16 AFTERNOON NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 4:22PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Bacca blow…
Carlos Bacca has personally stated at a sponsorship event that it is his
"dream" to play in the Champions League. This seems to be a huge blow for
the Hammers, and with Athletico Madrid lurking, is he just inviting a bid
from the Spanish club?
Europa League Draw
Just a quick bit of information; the Europa League draw is tomorrow at 12pm
BST. I would suggest following the Europa League Twitter page for links to a
stream and for updates.
Mandragora bid rejected…
According to Italian publication, Gazza Mercato, Juventus have rejected a
loan bid from West Ham for the Italian starlet. It is believed in Italy that
the young midfielder is so talented that Juventus are planning to keep hold
of him for the season ahead.
Stoke and Irons to battle it out?
TuttoMercatoWeb are reporting that Stoke and West Ham will battle it out for
Napoli striker Gabbiadini. The striker has scored 20 goals in 60 games for
the Italian side, and apparently the Italian is looking for a fresh start at
a new club. Could he be our man if Bacca ends up elsewhere?
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 10:38PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Bacca Deal
So everyone is still talking about the Bacca deal and as one of my followers
pointed out I was repeating the same thing a lot about Payet last year. The
situation has not really changed. It does appear that Bacca is trying to
play difficult with any deal in order to increase his wages. In a published
interview Bacca claimed to have interest from many leagues. He may believe
there is all this interest but the bottom line is none of the clubs seem as
determined to follow up on their interest as we are. The offer for him is
on the table from us. The club believe he is waiting to see if any other
offers come in so that he can evaluate those and use them to get more out of
the deal. So when accounts claim, "just give him the money", it really
isn't as simple as that. Any bids coming in for Bacca depend on a domino
reaction over Europe with certain clubs signing other targets instead of
him. I think we should just sit back and not stress about it and trust that
the board will get it right with either Bacca or other targets.
Bacca situation helping with our deals
As I have said in my last few reports the Bacca deal is actually taking the
spotlight off other deals that we aim to push through. One of those top
targets who I have often spoke about is Calleri. We have had a loan offer
in for him for a long time as those who have followed me for a while will
remember reading about. There was talk that Spurs were in for him after his
dad said so but you will recall I reported that Spurs had no interest. It
appears that his club have accepted that he will leave and it just leaves
Calleri to decide out of the options which club he prefers. He is a target
that we hope to complete. We have seven other offers in for forwards.. We
expect to get answers from their clubs soon and as we have said for over a
month now that player will not be Benteke (to the relief of most fans).
Henry to join the coaching staff
When I asked my top source this he said he hadn't heard anything at the
start of the week. That situation was still the same yesterday and I don't
think it is something we will do. Whilst I think some members of the
coaching staff like the idea, there has been no such offer at this point.
Kit Launch
The club are keeping the kit launch on Saturday very secretive. I am lead
to believe there will be a number of top players there and there will be
some exciting events including a live band and the revealing of stadium
features. Everyone involved has had to sign a non disclosure form, so the
club obviously believe that it is big.
Thanks to all those getting involved with our forum. It is great to read
all your opinions and I hope to join with it all soon.
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Who could West Ham face in the Europa League third qualifying round?
By Michael Hincks
Last Updated: 14/07/16 12:20pm
SSN
A trip to Wales or Azerbaijan could await West Ham in the Europa League
third qualifying round, with the draw set to take place at 1pm on Friday.
The Hammers secured European football after finishing seventh in the Premier
League, and will be looking to join Manchester United and Southampton in the
group stage this season. Slaven Bilic's side must progress beyond the third
qualifying round and play-off stage to reach the groups, which start in
mid-September. The third round takes place on July 29 and August 4, while
the first leg of the play-offs is on August 18, three days after West Ham
begin their Premier League campaign against Chelsea. This means one of the
Europa League legs will be the first West Ham game to be played at the
Olympic Stadium, with their friendly against Juventus scheduled for August
7.
How does the draw work?
Friday's draw in Nyon takes place just one day after the second qualifying
round first leg, meaning the fixtures cannot be finalised until after the
second-leg games on July 21.
The 33 winners from the second round will be joined by 25 sides, including
West Ham, who officially enter qualifying at the third round stage. The
teams will then be split into five groups, all containing an equal number of
seeded and unseeded teams. The winners will then make the pot for the
play-off stage, which will also feature 15 losers from the Champions League
third qualifying round.
To Wales, Scotland, or Azerbaijan?
West Ham will be one of 29 seeds for the draw, which also features Danish
side FC Midtjylland, who famously beat Man United 2-1 in their Europa League
last-32 first leg in February.
Possible opponents for the Hammers include the unseeded Scottish trio of
Hibernian, Hearts and Aberdeen, who are also featuring in the second round.
Meanwhile, Welsh Premier League outfit Connah's Quay must overcome Serbian
side Vojvodina to reach the third round in their first ever season in
Europe. Further from home, three Azerbaijani teams - Neftçi PFK, Käpäz and
Gabala - are all unseeded, meaning West Ham could clock up some serious air
miles before their league campaign begins. Gabala, who were once managed by
Arsenal legend Tony Adams, finished bottom in a Europa League group last
season which featured Borussia Dortmund.
Other potential opponents for the Hammers include Swiss side Grasshoppers
and Greek club AEK Athens.
Hammers beware
West Ham will be sure not to underestimate any challenge, having fallen 4-3
on aggregate to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the third qualifying round
last season.
West Ham lost 4-3 on aggregate against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the
third qualifying round last season
West Ham lost 4-3 on aggregate against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the
third qualifying round last season
The Hammers led 2-0 in their first leg at home last year, but slipped to a
2-2 draw before losing the return leg 2-1 in Romania.
That defeat came as Bilic was just getting started as West Ham manager, but
after a successful season at the helm, fans will be hoping the Croatian can
guide them on a Europa League journey running long into 2017
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlos Bacca to West Ham: Colombian striker 'dreams' of Champions League
football amid Atletico Madrid interest
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard
Carlos Bacca has expressed his desire to play in the Champions League as
West Ham and Atletico Madrid lead the clubs battling for the Colombian
striker's signature. West Ham expect to have an answer from Bacca over
whether he intends to move to the Olympic Stadium in the coming days, having
had a £26million offer accepted by AC Milan. Bacca scored 18 goals in 38
Serie A matches for one of the fallen giants of Italian football last season
but was unable to fire the Rossoneri any higher than seventh, meaning
Vincenzo Montella's side will be out of European competition for the third
season in a row. Whilst the offer of some form of European football may
stand in West Ham's favour – Slaven Bilic's side are due to begin their
Europa League qualification campaign later this month – but Bacca made clear
his "dream" was to play in the Champions League. Atletico Madrid have also
targeted Bacca and the 29-year-old suggested the Champions League football
they could offer him this season would be a key consideration when he
decides where he will play his football in the coming months. "My future is
in God's hands," he said. "I have 4 years on my contract with Milan, but I
know of the interest of English, Spanish, German, French and Italian teams.
It's not a simple decision, but we are calm because there is time and my
agent is in contact with these clubs and Milan. "The Champions League with
Atletico? It's my dream to play in it and I work for it. "Unfortunately the
struggles at Milan is one of the reasons for the discussions with the club.
Now Berlusconi has sold to new investors and based on the project and the
new purchases I'll decide."
Co-owner David Sullivan has made clear that his side are at least targeting
a Champions League berth in their first season at their new stadium and said
in June that he saw no reason why West Ham could not replicate Leicester's
title triumph in May. West Ham have already seen several striking targets
fall by the wayside. The club have had bids rejected for Alexandre
Lacazette, saw Michy Batshuayi join Chelsea and refused to pay the
£250,000-a-week that Carlos Tevez demanded to return to east London.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer news: West Brom could capitalise on Diafra Sakho
uncertainty as Sam Allardyce talks over England job
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Brom have emerged as an alternative for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho
following the uncertainty regarding his proposed move to Sunderland. The
Senegal striker looked likely to link up again with former West Ham manager
Sam Allardyce at the Stadium of Light but the move would be in jeopardy if
England decide to make Allardyce, 61, head coach. West Ham have rejected an
£11million offer from Sunderland but would be prepared to let the former
Metz man, 26, go if and when they find a replacement. Sakho lodged a
transfer request last week, and West Brom have now also shown an interest in
the player. Standard Sport understands that West Ham were looking to bring a
new forward before sanctioning Sakho's exit.
Allardyce, meanwhile, has returned to Sunderland following talks with the FA
this week. The formers Hammers boss flew back from Sunderland's pre-season
tour of Austria to meet with Football Association officials.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic ready to offload Enner Valencia as Italian giants Lazio make
approach
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Lazio have made West Ham forward Enner Valencia their No.1 transfer target
this summer, according to reports in Italy. West Ham are desperately
searching for a striker this summer, meaning the Ecuadorian is unlikely to
be first choice at the Olympic Stadium next season. Slaven Bilic has
reportedly given Valencia permission to speak to other clubs but he may have
to wait until his current side finally land a forward. According to Sky
Italia, Lazio are at the front of the queue in the chase for Valencia and
have been in contact with the Premier League side on numerous occasions to
seek talks.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
How Bilic can make new home a fortress
thepremierleague.com
Adrian Clarke on what West Ham must do to scale even greater heights this
season
Slaven Bilic did an outstanding job in his first campaign at West Ham United
and the club's final one at the Boleyn Ground, transforming his team into a
tactically unpredictable, yet consistent outfit. His task now is not only to
maintain standards but raise them higher as they move to a new stadium. To
do so, I believe the club need a front-line striker who can score 15-20
goals per season. No player in Bilic's squad topped nine goals in 2015/16,
with Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia all scoring far too
sporadically.
West Ham top PL scorers 2015/16 Goals
Dimitri Payet 9
Andy Carroll 9
Michail Antonio 8
Mark Noble 7
Manuel Lanzini 6
Carroll is a great tactical weapon, but you sense Bilic is looking for a
striker with pace and movement to be his first choice in the long term. With
Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Mark Noble providing the chances,
attracting a forward of quality should not be too difficult. Indeed, the
summer acquisitions of players such as Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore
paints a promising picture for the weeks ahead. Defensively there was a weak
link at right-back for much of the previous campaign. James Tomkins and
Michail Antonio were played out of position, so a full-time specialist is
needed. Youngster Sam Byram, drafted in from Leeds United in January, could
fill that void if he stays injury-free. The departure of Tomkins to Crystal
Palace also leaves a hole in the defence. I expect a footballing centre-back
to come on board, one who is comfortable operating in a back three or back
four. It's hard to be critical of West Ham after their exploits of last
season, but one other aspect that may be playing on Bilic's mind is the way
his side started so slowly in front of their own fans. Only two Premier
League teams conceded more early goals at home in 2015/16 than West Ham.
Home goals conceded inside 30mins in 2015/16 Goals conceded
AFC Bournemouth
14
Aston Villa
11
West Ham United
9
Everton
9
Manchester City
9
Norwich City
9
Too many sloppy errors gifted early goals to opponents at the Boleyn Ground,
and that habit has to be eradicated in the unfamiliar surroundings of the
new stadium. Constantly changing formations (seven were used throughout the
campaign) may not have helped, but Bilic is more likely to see it as an
issue of mentality. Clawing back deficits is not sustainable and the club's
slow starts need to be addressed. Major surgery is not required at West Ham
this summer. With one or tweaks the Hammers can continue their upward curve.
They took maximum points from visits to Emirates Stadium and Anfield last
August, so trips to Chelsea and Manchester City next month won't fill them
with fear. They will be dangerous early-season opponents for any PL side.
The schedule set for them at their new stadium is not as intimidating as it
might have been. Southampton, Stoke City and Arsenal are the only top-half
teams from 2015/16 to play them on home turf before the New Year. Bilic's
men have an opportunity to make it a fortress.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham to wait for Carlos Bacca deal before agreeing £11m Enner Valencia
sale
Enner Valencia is set to hold talks over a proposed £11m move to Lazio
Ecuadorian winger will meet with West Ham to discuss the transfer
Hammers want to sign Carlos Bacca before releasing Valencia
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 00:34, 14 July 2016 | UPDATED: 00:34, 14 July 2016
Enner Valencia is expected to hold talks with West Ham today about his
proposed move to Lazio. West Ham want to make progress on their deal for
Carlos Bacca before allowing Valencia and Diafra Sakho to leave. Talks are
ongoing with Bacca's representatives over his personal terms. Lazio have
made an offer to take Valencia on loan with a fee plus a view to an
£11million permanent deal. The Hammers signed the Valencia from Mexican side
Pachuca for £12million in the summer of 2014. The Ecuadorian scored five
goals in each of his first two seasons at Upton Park but only played a
peripheral role under Slaven Bilic last season. Valencia isn't the only West
Ham star who could be on his way out, with Manchester United interested in
highly-rated youngster Reece Oxford. Jose Mourinho has arranged to have the
17-year-old scouted at the Under 19 European Championships. Valencia was a
bit-part player under new manager Slaven Bilic during last season's
campaign.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Raphael Spiegel says West Ham United's US Tour was a fantastic experience on
and off the pitch. The young Swiss goalkeeper trained intensively with
goalkeeper coach Chris Woods and fellow stopper Adrian, initially at the
Seattle Seahawks' stunning VMAC training complex, then in hot and humid
conditions at Carolina RailHawks' WakeMed Soccer Park. Spiegel played the
full second half of both pre-season fixtures, making a number of fine saves
against Seattle Sounders and conceding just a penalty to the RailHawks. The
23-year-old also enjoyed the cultural aspects of the Tour, taking a trip to
downtown Seattle to view the historic Space Needle, Pike Place Market and
first-ever Starbucks Coffee House. "It's always nice to go away in
pre-season and the further you go, the more exciting it is," he confirmed.
"It has been really good in America and I enjoyed every day and every
training. It was a good experience and we came together as a squad. "In
training, it's a bit harder when you have only two goalkeepers, but at this
stage of the pre-season it's perfect because you get very fit. I'm happy to
have played two halves and got them under my belt. "I didn't really have a
chance with the goals I conceded. I made one or two good saves in the first
game and had a solid game in the second one, but didn't really have much to
do. Obviously I can't control the game, so I just try to do my best when I
have something to do and try to help the team. "In the other pre-season
games ahead, I'm sure I'll have more work and I can show what I'm about."
Spiegel particularly enjoyed visiting Seattle, where his love of discovering
new cultures and sightseeing were fulfilled with a visit to the Emerald
City's iconic landmarks.
"Seattle was amazing – it was an unbelievable experience to train where the
NFL team [Seattle Seahawks] train," he said. "It was a nice city and the
weather was good to train in, as it wasn't too hot. "In North Carolina,
again the facilities and pitches were good, but the weather was really hot
and challenging. Overall, it was a good experience and I enjoyed it."
The US Tour squad enjoyed a well-earned day or two off at the end of the
week before packing their bags again for a training camp and three further
pre-season matches in Austria.
With Darren Randolph granted time off after his Euro 2016 heroics with
Ireland, Spiegel is again set to enjoy plenty of match action there – and
potentially during a loan spell next season. "I will work every day with
Chris to get better and the games I get, I will give my best and see what
happens," he continued. "For my development, I need to get more game-time,
wherever that is. That's my main goal. "It's been a very good year. I had a
good season last season, helping the team to win the U21 Premier League Cup
and making a lot of progress with Chris as well. Now, I feel I am ready to
play and ready for more."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tore and Valencia put through their paces
WHUFC.com
New signing Gokhan Tore was joined in the gym by Enner Valencia as both
players went through a rigorous session to build up their fitness ahead of
the new season. Tore has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings
following his season-long loan from Besiktas last week and has been working
hard at the training ground while the rest of the first-team squad finish
their pre-season tour in America. The Turkey international was joined by
Valencia who returned slightly later to training after playing for Ecuador
in the Copa America where he reached the quarter-final stage. Both players
have been working hard with fitness coach Eamon Swift on the training ground
and also in the gym where they worked on building up their core strength.
West Ham TV went behind the scenes to see Tore and Valencia put through
their paces.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hurst - It's a brilliant time for the Club
WHUFC.com
West Ham United legend Sir Geoff Hurst has nothing but praise for the way
his former Club have managed to sell out the new Stadium and feels they can
become an even stronger force over the next few years. Hurst will never
forget his memorable spell with the east London Club where he came through
the ranks at the Boleyn Ground and became one of the best strikers of his
generation. He will always be remembered for his famous hat-trick against
West Germany in the World Cup Final back in 1966 which helped England lift
the Jules Rimet trophy. Hurst, who made 503 appearances and scored 249 goals
during his 14-year association with the Hammers, will never forget the
atmosphere that was created inside the Boleyn Ground. But the 74-year-old
completely understands why the Club are making a historic move to the new
Stadium and believes it will now take them onto another level.
Hurst is thrilled the new Stadium will be sold out every week and that West
Ham will now boast the highest number of Season Ticket Holders in London,
and the highest percentage of Season Ticket Holders in the whole of the
Premier League. Hurst said: "For us it's brilliant, great season last year,
52,000 season tickets we've sold, absolutely unbelievable.
"The big issue initially two years ago was whether we were going to fill the
stadium. "We're now looking to extend it before we've even kicked a ball
there. "It's a brilliant time for the club and I think selling 52,000
(season tickets) from an average gate at the Boleyn in the past of 35,000,
is astonishing. "The way they've marketed it is brilliant and giving kids
the chance to buy a season ticket for £99, that is developing you new fans,
it's a great move."
Hurst will certainly feel part of the new Stadium after he became the latest
legend to have a stone installed on Champions Place. Academy starlet Dylan
Tombides and former World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore have already had
stones placed on the specially-designed walkway at the north entrance of
London Stadium, which enables supporters to see their very own tributes
immortalised alongside Hammers legends. Hurst has been joined this week by
former managers John Lyall and Billy Bonds, the 1980 FA Cup-winning team and
the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup winners.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cullen set for Clarets' test
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio and Ashley Fletcher are likely to feature in the Dev Squad's
friendly with Chelmsford City on Friday 15 July, KO 7.45pm
West Ham United's Development Squad get their pre-season preparations under
way on Friday night with a local friendly against Vanarama National League
South side Chelmsford City. One player likely to feature is ever-present
midfielder Josh Cullen who will pull on his beloved West Ham jersey for the
first time since returning from a successful loan spell at Bradford City.
Having missed the Hammers' pre-season tour of the US through injury, the
20-year-old is eager to impress before the start of the competitive season.
Speaking ahead of the Dev Squad's friendly with the Clarets, Cullen said:
"It was gutting not to be in America. I was really looking forward to the
trip. "I missed it by a week or so, and it's unfortunate but there's no time
to dwell on it. I need to be ready to have a good season."
Alongside Cullen, Michail Antonio is likely to feature for the Hammers, as
well as new striker Ashley Fletcher, who will make his Hammers' debut having
signed from Manchester United. With the Club entering a new era at the
fantastic London Stadium, Cullen is excited about the direction in which the
Club is heading. "It's exciting times for West Ham at the moment," he
continued. "You can see, with the players pledging their futures to the
Club, they're quality players, so it's important that the squad we've got is
as strong as it can be It's as strong as I can remember. We're attracting
players and locking our players down to long term deals.
"With the new Stadium as well; it would be incredible to be a part of the
Juventus game, and it shows how much the Club is developing, to attract a
team like Juventus who were only in the Champions League final so recently.
"It shows the direction the Club is heading in. It will be a great day for
the Club, the players and staff and everyone involved. We're itching to go
when that comes around."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Declan Rice blogs for whufc.com following the US Tour
Hello everyone,
If you had told me a couple of weeks ago that I would have travelled with
the first-team squad on their pre-season US Tour and played in both matches,
I would have been very surprised.
It's definitely been an amazing experience to come out with the first team
to America for nearly two weeks.
Seattle and North Carolina were fantastic places to train and play and I've
learnt a lot from all of the players I've trained alongside and from playing
in the games themselves.
I was shocked when I was told I was coming out to the US. I was sitting with
my Mum and Dad when we got a call and literally I had two days to prepare
and get ready.
We got straight into things, training on the first day on arrival in
Seattle, but it's been a great experience.
I've played in both games and I thought I did well. I felt confident because
you can't go into those games with any fear.
The likes of Mark Noble and Winston Reid really helped me on the field and
it was good to get 45 minutes in the first game and half-an-hour in the
second.
When you come away with the first team, you can't be acting like a child any
more. You have to act your age and be more mature about things.
I am still young and relatively inexperienced, but if I keep training and
playing well, there is no reason to think that I can't show that the Club
doesn't need to go out and spend money on a new centre-half. We'll see what
the future brings.
I have trained alongside Reece Burke in the US and I think I could benefit a
lot from a loan deal like the one he had at Bradford City last season, where
he did really well and won the Player of the Year award.
I think I need a year with the Development Squad first, though, and see how
that goes. Then, hopefully I'll get a good loan move.
The best thing about the Tour has been just being around the senior players,
really. The training, the facilities and the sessions and games have been
really good.
The manager has spoken to me and he said he was pleased with the way I
played, that I looked composed and he hopes I will take that with me going
forward.
I am a West Ham fan and the new Stadium is going to keep attracting top
players to our Club and getting big-name opponents like Juventus, who we
face on 7 August, to play against us.
I just want to be in and around the squad for those matches!
Declan
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DON'T PANIC!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 10:15AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
It seems that there was a bit of a Twitter meltdown last night. With many
West Ham fans, and popular fan pages, calling for Gold and Sullivan to just
"pay up" for Bacca. However, I personally do not feel as though this
meltdown is justified.
We had similar tantrum's thrown last summer, with people complaining that we
had been too tight fisted in the transfer window. We then went on to sign
Jelavic, Moses and Antonio on deadline day. Jelavic got game time until
January, Moses was a regular squad player, both on and off the bench, and
Antonio went on to play a key part in our Top 7 finish that season. As well
as this, all the prior signings (Payet, Lanzini, Ogbonna etc.) were all
fantastic, one of them even world class. Just a little reminder… For those
of you with short memories.
This also isn't just a case of money, and our owners being "tight". To just
lob 165k a week at Bacca could destroy the whole team morale. How would
players like Kouyate, Cresswell, Reid-all of which have been top class for
us for at least a couple of seasons-feel if Bacca was automatically on over
100k a week more than them, just because he plays a fancier position? There
is more to it than money, we must respect our current wage structure to
ensure players don't feel looked down on and under-appreciated by the West
Ham hierarchy.
People have also been mentioning the offer to Tevez to try and justify their
point, but there may also be more than meets the eye with this. How do we
know that the 150k a week offered to Tevez was 150k up-front? David Sullivan
didn't actually mention the structure of the offer he made to Carlos Tevez.
It could have been a contract similar to the one Dimitri Payet is on. For
example, it may have been an offer of:
Admittedly, I could very well be wrong. It may have been 150k lumped all at
once; but what I'm saying is keep an open mind, there is always more than
meets the eye, especially in Football!
The board have rarely let us down before, and Bilic has already proven he
can get the best out of the players he brings into the club. I would urge
all my fellow Hammers to just be patient, as well as optimistic, we will get
our man eventually!.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
14/07/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 11:03AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Zaza slipping away…
West Ham target and Italian international forward Simone Zaza has held
contract talks with Wolfsburg, according to Di Marzio. They are also
reporting that the talks went very well, and Wolfsburg are now odds on
favourites to sign the Italian forward.
Valencia to leave if Bacca signs?
I believe I have mentioned this before, but again, it is being reported by
Sky Italia that Enner Valencia will join Lazio for 10-12 million pounds if
Carlos Bacca does make a move from Milan to Stratford.
Premier League Champions to poach West Ham target?
The Express are reporting that Leicester City are leading the race for
highly rated Rico Henry. The 19-year old left-back is very highly rated, and
would make a great understudy to Aaron Cresswell. However, the foxes are
currently leading the race.
Again it is another quiet morning on the transfer front, with all the
rumours and tension revolving around the Carlos Bacca saga. But keep an eye
out for my afternoon round-up.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM IN THE OLD SOUTH: LIKE A VERY, VERY STRANGE DREAM
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 11:36AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
By @WestHamAmerican
My excitement at the announcement of a two-coast USA tour for West Ham was
great when I bought my tickets and made my travel plans. It dropped when the
reality of taking two trips in the middle of the summer while running my
business and raising three children all occurred to me. But not wanting to
miss the match closest to my home, I flew a King Air small turboprop plane
my company co-owns to Raleigh so I could arrive right before the match and
return home immediately after the match. (Right now I am starting the
rumour that Ex lets his staff fly private charter to the matches, just so
all the other rival West Ham fan site reporters can give their publishers a
lot of grief.)
This mode of travel, while convenient didn't allow me to spend time with
West Ham supporters at the local pubs, get a feel for life in Raleigh, and
possibly interact with the team during their training sessions. Basically,
it was a very short and direct trip. But since I had room on the plane, I
brought my 11 year old daughter and four of her U12 academy ladies
teammates; to brainwash them into the West Ham family. Two girls brought
their own fathers to help out, and I figured I could make this an
educational trip for my own U12 Hammers.
Arriving on the grounds I was struck by how the cars were parked in a very
large and grassy area. Other than the main stadium, the grounds also
featured four or five other nice pitches, and plenty of parking on a nicely
manicured grass car park. Prior to any game of any sport, a great American
tradition is tailgating: basically picnicking, drinking, hanging out near
your car before you head into the stadium. Since most London stadiums are
in dense, urban areas, that's a part of sporting life England misses out on
(Unless anyone tried bringing a bar-b-que grill to the Upton Park
underground station.)
I was surprised to see the large number of claret clad fans walking about
the tailgate area. I spoke with a few from the UK, but most were just
American supporters like me. It seemed most of the English visitors were
older. Not as many 20-30 year old fans like I saw in Seattle. I was also
surprised to see what kits people actually wore to this match. Since North
Carolina is far from any MLS team, anyone who had any love of world football
came to this match. I saw a number of Manchester United shirts, Barcelona,
one older gent in a Tottenham jersey. The most absurd was the car full of
young men, all wearing Newcastle tops. The lads were all American. I'm not
sure how that happened.
Equally surprising were the American West Ham Supporters' kits. There were
a few wearing Andy Carroll, Dimitri Payet, and even a sharp-looking Jack
Collison jersey. But I saw one guy in an Alex Song and another wearing
Zarate's jersey. I don't know that I would have thought to pick Zarate when
ordering from the West Ham club store.
The weather at the opening kickoff was miserable. It was 90 degrees (32
Celsius) and the sun had yet to set at 8 PM. My seats were in the shade of
the West stands, but I was a sweaty miserable mess. Unlike Seattle, I
didn't have big, frightening-looking East Enders sitting near me. While
there were a lot of West Ham fans, they were mainly Americans.
Unfortunately, some mouthy young Railhawks fans sat immediately behind me.
I was filled with regret that there were no intimidating Brits to deal with
them. Also, I had five children with me, so I really couldn't get into
drunken banter with them, so I was stuck.
"You have 3,000 people watching your periscope?!? You're a god!"
"You have a strange concept of divinity."
Early into the match my Twitter was blowing up with people in London upset
because there was no live stream. I took it upon myself to be the savior to
my late night friends in Essex. Alas, after a half a day my office, a short
flight listening to music, and a lot of photos, my iPhone was already on a
weak battery. Even though I had thousands of people tuning in to watch the
match, by the 30 minute mark my phone was down to 15%. Knowing I wouldn't
make it to the halftime break, I worried if my Periscope died, the entire UK
would fall into chaos. Like they might leave Europe or sack their Prime
Minister. I looked to my daughter. Her iPhone was on 80% and my plan was
to resume my broadcast after the break on her phone.
Once the ref sounded the half, I looked over and my daughter was gone. She
and her friend Sarah had gone for a walk, according to the other girls. As
I waited through halftime, I called and texted her on my dying phone but no
response. Once the second half began, and I couldn't find my 11 year old, I
turned into Liam Neeson, running through the dark streets of Paris looking
for my child. Finally after a few minutes, she texted me to say that she
and Sarah were in a long queue for popcorn. After reuniting with them, then
the sky opened up. A driving rain came down and the lightning came
dangerously close to the pitch.
Standing under a stadium with five 11-year old girls, waiting 40 minutes on
a severe thunderstorm to pass isn't the best way to spend a Tuesday night.
Once play resumed and the Hammers surrendered that late penalty kick and
gave away the win, we were ready to fly in our little plane through the
storm clouds back home. The next obstacle was finding our rental car in the
dark of a large open field. It isn't like Disney World where they tell you
to remember you parked your car in the Donald Duck section. But after some
aimless searching we loaded up and left the grounds: wet and tired but at
least I think I brought a few new converts into the West Ham family.
When people question the merits of playing these worthless matches far from
East London, I think of the new West Ham supporters that we have made
because they were able to attend the games. That, after all, is the best
purpose of the USA tour, in my humble opinion. I have to wonder though, if
these new young fans are going to spend the week worrying about Bacca's
transfer options like the rest of us?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
14/07/16 AFTERNOON NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 4:22PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Bacca blow…
Carlos Bacca has personally stated at a sponsorship event that it is his
"dream" to play in the Champions League. This seems to be a huge blow for
the Hammers, and with Athletico Madrid lurking, is he just inviting a bid
from the Spanish club?
Europa League Draw
Just a quick bit of information; the Europa League draw is tomorrow at 12pm
BST. I would suggest following the Europa League Twitter page for links to a
stream and for updates.
Mandragora bid rejected…
According to Italian publication, Gazza Mercato, Juventus have rejected a
loan bid from West Ham for the Italian starlet. It is believed in Italy that
the young midfielder is so talented that Juventus are planning to keep hold
of him for the season ahead.
Stoke and Irons to battle it out?
TuttoMercatoWeb are reporting that Stoke and West Ham will battle it out for
Napoli striker Gabbiadini. The striker has scored 20 goals in 60 games for
the Italian side, and apparently the Italian is looking for a fresh start at
a new club. Could he be our man if Bacca ends up elsewhere?
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 14 JULY 2016 AT 10:38PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Bacca Deal
So everyone is still talking about the Bacca deal and as one of my followers
pointed out I was repeating the same thing a lot about Payet last year. The
situation has not really changed. It does appear that Bacca is trying to
play difficult with any deal in order to increase his wages. In a published
interview Bacca claimed to have interest from many leagues. He may believe
there is all this interest but the bottom line is none of the clubs seem as
determined to follow up on their interest as we are. The offer for him is
on the table from us. The club believe he is waiting to see if any other
offers come in so that he can evaluate those and use them to get more out of
the deal. So when accounts claim, "just give him the money", it really
isn't as simple as that. Any bids coming in for Bacca depend on a domino
reaction over Europe with certain clubs signing other targets instead of
him. I think we should just sit back and not stress about it and trust that
the board will get it right with either Bacca or other targets.
Bacca situation helping with our deals
As I have said in my last few reports the Bacca deal is actually taking the
spotlight off other deals that we aim to push through. One of those top
targets who I have often spoke about is Calleri. We have had a loan offer
in for him for a long time as those who have followed me for a while will
remember reading about. There was talk that Spurs were in for him after his
dad said so but you will recall I reported that Spurs had no interest. It
appears that his club have accepted that he will leave and it just leaves
Calleri to decide out of the options which club he prefers. He is a target
that we hope to complete. We have seven other offers in for forwards.. We
expect to get answers from their clubs soon and as we have said for over a
month now that player will not be Benteke (to the relief of most fans).
Henry to join the coaching staff
When I asked my top source this he said he hadn't heard anything at the
start of the week. That situation was still the same yesterday and I don't
think it is something we will do. Whilst I think some members of the
coaching staff like the idea, there has been no such offer at this point.
Kit Launch
The club are keeping the kit launch on Saturday very secretive. I am lead
to believe there will be a number of top players there and there will be
some exciting events including a live band and the revealing of stadium
features. Everyone involved has had to sign a non disclosure form, so the
club obviously believe that it is big.
Thanks to all those getting involved with our forum. It is great to read
all your opinions and I hope to join with it all soon.
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Who could West Ham face in the Europa League third qualifying round?
By Michael Hincks
Last Updated: 14/07/16 12:20pm
SSN
A trip to Wales or Azerbaijan could await West Ham in the Europa League
third qualifying round, with the draw set to take place at 1pm on Friday.
The Hammers secured European football after finishing seventh in the Premier
League, and will be looking to join Manchester United and Southampton in the
group stage this season. Slaven Bilic's side must progress beyond the third
qualifying round and play-off stage to reach the groups, which start in
mid-September. The third round takes place on July 29 and August 4, while
the first leg of the play-offs is on August 18, three days after West Ham
begin their Premier League campaign against Chelsea. This means one of the
Europa League legs will be the first West Ham game to be played at the
Olympic Stadium, with their friendly against Juventus scheduled for August
7.
How does the draw work?
Friday's draw in Nyon takes place just one day after the second qualifying
round first leg, meaning the fixtures cannot be finalised until after the
second-leg games on July 21.
The 33 winners from the second round will be joined by 25 sides, including
West Ham, who officially enter qualifying at the third round stage. The
teams will then be split into five groups, all containing an equal number of
seeded and unseeded teams. The winners will then make the pot for the
play-off stage, which will also feature 15 losers from the Champions League
third qualifying round.
To Wales, Scotland, or Azerbaijan?
West Ham will be one of 29 seeds for the draw, which also features Danish
side FC Midtjylland, who famously beat Man United 2-1 in their Europa League
last-32 first leg in February.
Possible opponents for the Hammers include the unseeded Scottish trio of
Hibernian, Hearts and Aberdeen, who are also featuring in the second round.
Meanwhile, Welsh Premier League outfit Connah's Quay must overcome Serbian
side Vojvodina to reach the third round in their first ever season in
Europe. Further from home, three Azerbaijani teams - Neftçi PFK, Käpäz and
Gabala - are all unseeded, meaning West Ham could clock up some serious air
miles before their league campaign begins. Gabala, who were once managed by
Arsenal legend Tony Adams, finished bottom in a Europa League group last
season which featured Borussia Dortmund.
Other potential opponents for the Hammers include Swiss side Grasshoppers
and Greek club AEK Athens.
Hammers beware
West Ham will be sure not to underestimate any challenge, having fallen 4-3
on aggregate to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the third qualifying round
last season.
West Ham lost 4-3 on aggregate against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the
third qualifying round last season
West Ham lost 4-3 on aggregate against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the
third qualifying round last season
The Hammers led 2-0 in their first leg at home last year, but slipped to a
2-2 draw before losing the return leg 2-1 in Romania.
That defeat came as Bilic was just getting started as West Ham manager, but
after a successful season at the helm, fans will be hoping the Croatian can
guide them on a Europa League journey running long into 2017
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Carlos Bacca to West Ham: Colombian striker 'dreams' of Champions League
football amid Atletico Madrid interest
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard
Carlos Bacca has expressed his desire to play in the Champions League as
West Ham and Atletico Madrid lead the clubs battling for the Colombian
striker's signature. West Ham expect to have an answer from Bacca over
whether he intends to move to the Olympic Stadium in the coming days, having
had a £26million offer accepted by AC Milan. Bacca scored 18 goals in 38
Serie A matches for one of the fallen giants of Italian football last season
but was unable to fire the Rossoneri any higher than seventh, meaning
Vincenzo Montella's side will be out of European competition for the third
season in a row. Whilst the offer of some form of European football may
stand in West Ham's favour – Slaven Bilic's side are due to begin their
Europa League qualification campaign later this month – but Bacca made clear
his "dream" was to play in the Champions League. Atletico Madrid have also
targeted Bacca and the 29-year-old suggested the Champions League football
they could offer him this season would be a key consideration when he
decides where he will play his football in the coming months. "My future is
in God's hands," he said. "I have 4 years on my contract with Milan, but I
know of the interest of English, Spanish, German, French and Italian teams.
It's not a simple decision, but we are calm because there is time and my
agent is in contact with these clubs and Milan. "The Champions League with
Atletico? It's my dream to play in it and I work for it. "Unfortunately the
struggles at Milan is one of the reasons for the discussions with the club.
Now Berlusconi has sold to new investors and based on the project and the
new purchases I'll decide."
Co-owner David Sullivan has made clear that his side are at least targeting
a Champions League berth in their first season at their new stadium and said
in June that he saw no reason why West Ham could not replicate Leicester's
title triumph in May. West Ham have already seen several striking targets
fall by the wayside. The club have had bids rejected for Alexandre
Lacazette, saw Michy Batshuayi join Chelsea and refused to pay the
£250,000-a-week that Carlos Tevez demanded to return to east London.
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West Ham transfer news: West Brom could capitalise on Diafra Sakho
uncertainty as Sam Allardyce talks over England job
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Brom have emerged as an alternative for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho
following the uncertainty regarding his proposed move to Sunderland. The
Senegal striker looked likely to link up again with former West Ham manager
Sam Allardyce at the Stadium of Light but the move would be in jeopardy if
England decide to make Allardyce, 61, head coach. West Ham have rejected an
£11million offer from Sunderland but would be prepared to let the former
Metz man, 26, go if and when they find a replacement. Sakho lodged a
transfer request last week, and West Brom have now also shown an interest in
the player. Standard Sport understands that West Ham were looking to bring a
new forward before sanctioning Sakho's exit.
Allardyce, meanwhile, has returned to Sunderland following talks with the FA
this week. The formers Hammers boss flew back from Sunderland's pre-season
tour of Austria to meet with Football Association officials.
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Slaven Bilic ready to offload Enner Valencia as Italian giants Lazio make
approach
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Lazio have made West Ham forward Enner Valencia their No.1 transfer target
this summer, according to reports in Italy. West Ham are desperately
searching for a striker this summer, meaning the Ecuadorian is unlikely to
be first choice at the Olympic Stadium next season. Slaven Bilic has
reportedly given Valencia permission to speak to other clubs but he may have
to wait until his current side finally land a forward. According to Sky
Italia, Lazio are at the front of the queue in the chase for Valencia and
have been in contact with the Premier League side on numerous occasions to
seek talks.
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How Bilic can make new home a fortress
thepremierleague.com
Adrian Clarke on what West Ham must do to scale even greater heights this
season
Slaven Bilic did an outstanding job in his first campaign at West Ham United
and the club's final one at the Boleyn Ground, transforming his team into a
tactically unpredictable, yet consistent outfit. His task now is not only to
maintain standards but raise them higher as they move to a new stadium. To
do so, I believe the club need a front-line striker who can score 15-20
goals per season. No player in Bilic's squad topped nine goals in 2015/16,
with Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia all scoring far too
sporadically.
West Ham top PL scorers 2015/16 Goals
Dimitri Payet 9
Andy Carroll 9
Michail Antonio 8
Mark Noble 7
Manuel Lanzini 6
Carroll is a great tactical weapon, but you sense Bilic is looking for a
striker with pace and movement to be his first choice in the long term. With
Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Mark Noble providing the chances,
attracting a forward of quality should not be too difficult. Indeed, the
summer acquisitions of players such as Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore
paints a promising picture for the weeks ahead. Defensively there was a weak
link at right-back for much of the previous campaign. James Tomkins and
Michail Antonio were played out of position, so a full-time specialist is
needed. Youngster Sam Byram, drafted in from Leeds United in January, could
fill that void if he stays injury-free. The departure of Tomkins to Crystal
Palace also leaves a hole in the defence. I expect a footballing centre-back
to come on board, one who is comfortable operating in a back three or back
four. It's hard to be critical of West Ham after their exploits of last
season, but one other aspect that may be playing on Bilic's mind is the way
his side started so slowly in front of their own fans. Only two Premier
League teams conceded more early goals at home in 2015/16 than West Ham.
Home goals conceded inside 30mins in 2015/16 Goals conceded
AFC Bournemouth
14
Aston Villa
11
West Ham United
9
Everton
9
Manchester City
9
Norwich City
9
Too many sloppy errors gifted early goals to opponents at the Boleyn Ground,
and that habit has to be eradicated in the unfamiliar surroundings of the
new stadium. Constantly changing formations (seven were used throughout the
campaign) may not have helped, but Bilic is more likely to see it as an
issue of mentality. Clawing back deficits is not sustainable and the club's
slow starts need to be addressed. Major surgery is not required at West Ham
this summer. With one or tweaks the Hammers can continue their upward curve.
They took maximum points from visits to Emirates Stadium and Anfield last
August, so trips to Chelsea and Manchester City next month won't fill them
with fear. They will be dangerous early-season opponents for any PL side.
The schedule set for them at their new stadium is not as intimidating as it
might have been. Southampton, Stoke City and Arsenal are the only top-half
teams from 2015/16 to play them on home turf before the New Year. Bilic's
men have an opportunity to make it a fortress.
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West Ham to wait for Carlos Bacca deal before agreeing £11m Enner Valencia
sale
Enner Valencia is set to hold talks over a proposed £11m move to Lazio
Ecuadorian winger will meet with West Ham to discuss the transfer
Hammers want to sign Carlos Bacca before releasing Valencia
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 00:34, 14 July 2016 | UPDATED: 00:34, 14 July 2016
Enner Valencia is expected to hold talks with West Ham today about his
proposed move to Lazio. West Ham want to make progress on their deal for
Carlos Bacca before allowing Valencia and Diafra Sakho to leave. Talks are
ongoing with Bacca's representatives over his personal terms. Lazio have
made an offer to take Valencia on loan with a fee plus a view to an
£11million permanent deal. The Hammers signed the Valencia from Mexican side
Pachuca for £12million in the summer of 2014. The Ecuadorian scored five
goals in each of his first two seasons at Upton Park but only played a
peripheral role under Slaven Bilic last season. Valencia isn't the only West
Ham star who could be on his way out, with Manchester United interested in
highly-rated youngster Reece Oxford. Jose Mourinho has arranged to have the
17-year-old scouted at the Under 19 European Championships. Valencia was a
bit-part player under new manager Slaven Bilic during last season's
campaign.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 14
Daily WHUFC News - 14th July 2016
RailHawks, storm frustrate Hammers
WHUFC.com
International Exhibition, Tuesday 12 July 2016, WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina, USA
West Ham United were frustrated by the Carolina RailHawks and a mid-match lightning storm as the US Tour ended in a 2-2 draw. Slaven Bilic's side fell behind to an early Winston Reid own-goal, but were ahead by half-time through an opportunist strike from the New Zealand defender and a smart finish from Andy Carroll. Fifteen minutes into the second half, heavy rain signalled the arrival of a thunderstorm that saw lightning flash across the dark North Carolina sky, and referee Christopher Spivey call a temporary halt to proceedings for safety reasons. In hot, humid and initially sunny conditions, Bilic again made wholesale changes to his team as the game wore on in front of a RailHawks record 10,125-strong crowd. The International Exhibition was the first time an English Premier League team had visited an area known as The Triangle – Cary sits between three renowned universities in North Carolina, Duke and North Carolina State – and the event was marked with a truly memorable occasion. Thousands of West Ham fans descended on the region, painting the WakeMed Soccer Park Claret and Blue on a fantastic evening of football, fly-pasts, fireworks – and thunder and lightning! Fresh from a 4-1 NASL thumping of Joe Cole's Tampa Bay Rowdies of Saturday evening, the RailHawks started on the front foot and went ahead on 13 minutes. Captain Nasmi Albadawi got to the byline and his cutback was volleyed past Adrian by a stretching Reid. However, the No2 got his side back on level terms eight minutes later when Carroll forced a mistake in the home defence and Reid kept his composure to slot past Akira Fitzgerald. Within 90 seconds, the visitors were in front as new boy Sofiane Feghouli celebrated his maiden start for the Club by racing down the right and crossing low for the England centre-forward to slide home left-footed.
The RailHawks – coached by ex-Southampton and Northern Ireland striker Colin Clarke – responded well and striker Brian Shriver hit the woodwork with a delicious curling effort from 20 yards. The second half was largely uneventful until the heavens opened on the hour-mark, with the storm forcing the match to be temporarily suspended and thousands of fans to head for shelter. After a 40-minute break for the weather to clear, the game restarted with no fewer than six new West Ham players on the pitch. However, it was half-time replacement, Lewis Page who unfortunately slipped as he tracked back and handled the ball, enabling Marvin Ceballos to fire high past Raphael Spiegel from the spot. With lightning still flashing in the night sky nearby, both teams created chances in the closing stages, with Marcus Browne forcing a smart save from Sylvestre with ten minutes remaining. The RailHawks then introduced their biggest-ever signing, former Mexico international Omar Bravo, whose arrival had only been confirmed at half-time! West Ham played out the final few minutes with ten men after Doneil Henry was forced off with a leg injury, and the game petered out into a draw.
Carolina RailHawks: Fitzgerald (Sylvestre 46, Robinson 87), Beckie (Mason 62), Mensing (Miller 46), Moses, Shipalane (Morales 63, Del Rosario 90), Watson (Albert 63), Da Luz (Orlando 62), Albadawi © (Hassan 63), Marcelin, Shriver (Ceballos 38, Perez 80), Fondy (Schuler 46, Bravo 80)
Subs not used: Tobin, Arnez, Orozco
Booked: Miller
West Ham United: Adrian (Spiegel 46), Byram (Makasi 63), Reid (Henry 63), Burke (Rice 63), Cresswell (Page 46), Obiang (Poyet 63), Noble ©, Feghouli (Quina 63), Samuelsen, Lanzini (Browne 63), Carroll (Martinez 46)
Booked: Page, Quina
Referee: Christopher Spivey
Attendance: 10,125
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Pair content with Carolina test
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll and Winston Reid were pleased to open their pre-season accounts in the storm-affected 2-2 draw with Carolina RailHawks. In the second of two US Tour fixtures, the experienced pair netted within two first half minutes of one another as West Ham United came from behind to lead at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. However, a dangerous electrical storm halted play for 40 minutes midway through the second half and, when the teams returned, an unfortunate handball by Lewis Page enabled the NASL side to secure a share of the spoils. Speaking exclusively to whufc.com, both Carroll and Reid were pleased to have come through a testing physical encounter played in stifling hot and humid conditions. "It's good to hit the back of the net, as it's what my job is," said Carroll, whose first-time finish put West Ham 2-1 ahead after Reid's early own-goal and equaliser. "It's good to go out in pre-season and get a goal and start the season off well. "It was a great cross in from Sofiane and as soon as it went in I knew I had a chance to score. I got a good touch on it and it went in. "It was a good workout, especially with the weather in the first half. I know it changed after half-time, but it was really hot for the lads and we got out of it what we needed. "It's been a good trip. It got the lads back together and the new lads into it and we're getting fitter ahead of the start of the new season, which is what we want and is good."
Reid was happy to hit the target just minutes after putting the ball through his own net to put the RailHawks in front. It was Carroll who provided the assist for the No2, who collected the ball 25 yards out, took a touch and finished confidently to level the score at 1-1. "The ball went up and it dropped, someone put in a tackle and it fell to Andy, who found me and I finished it," Reid confirmed. "The ball got played into the middle and I went with it and it ricocheted to Andy and I was pleased with the way I put it away.
"I've never played in a game which has been stopped for a storm like that. The first half, it was so hot that it was really hard to get your breath. The second half was completely different and the storm which arrived 15 minutes in broke it up and they scored a short time after we came back on. "It was a good workout for us, but unfortunately Doneil Henry got an injury late on which we all hope will be OK. Apart from that, the trip has been really good and we have enjoyed ourselves over here and worked hard. "We're now looking forward to getting home for a few days before we fly out to Austria."
West Ham fly back to England on Wednesday before jetting off for a three-match tour and training camp in Austria at the weekend. After that, the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round kicks-off on 28 July, Juventus visit the London Stadium in the Betway Cup on 7 August and the Premier League season starts six days later.
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Bilic - It was a good test
WHUFC.com
Bilic praised the US tour as a whole, describing it as a "working holiday" Slaven Bilic described the Hammers' second and final US pre-season tour match as a good test as they drew 2-2 with the Carolina RailHawks. After Winston Reid had put the ball into his own net early in the first half, the defender atoned for his earlier error by equalising at the other end before Andy Carroll added a second thanks to Sofiane Feghouli's fantastic cross. But after a 40-minute long delay as the heavens opened at WakeMed Soccer Park, the hosts pulled one back from the penalty spot to draw after Lewis Page was unfortunate to slip and handle the ball inside the box. Despite the result, Bilic reiterated the lesser significance in results during pre-season and noted the positive impact of the RailHawks fixture. He said: "It was a good game – a friendly with a high intensity. It was a good atmosphere and we enjoyed it. It was a good test. "It is still early for us, of course. The legs are heavy for the players. These tests are more individual tests, because the team that played in the first half have hardly played together all at the same time. It was a really good individual test. "I said before that the match against Seattle came way too early after just two or three days training. For this, we were more on a level to play a competitive game. The result is always important, don't get me wrong, but it was not the most important thing today."
Bilic made only three changes at the break, but the weather halted action just 17 minutes into the second period. The boss, who praised West Ham's US tour as a whole, and his players, were keen to not let the conditions ruin their run-out, however. "We didn't want the game to be called off," continued the Croatian. "We got such a warm hospitality from the hosts, so we wanted to wait and finish the game. "The whole tour has been important for us. It has been more like a proper pre-season for me, because we wanted the good facilities to train. We didn't want too much travelling. "When I heard about the possibility to go to the States, it was tempting but on the other hand, we didn't want to travel too much and get tired. But it has been good, especially because of the facilities we've had and the hospitality of the people. "I'd like to thank the people here in Seattle and North Carolina who have made our stay here like a working holiday!"
Following news of the Hammers' new signing Ashley Fletcher, reporters were keen to question Bilic on what the move could mean for the Club's front-line. "Fletcher and [Toni] Martinez are prospects," Bilic said about his young forwards. "Martinez has showed that he definitely has a future with West Ham, but we are competing in the Premier League and they are still too young. "Some of them can do what [Marcus] Rashford did for Man United last season, but to play a full season with them from the start would not be the option we want. They can emerge and surprise and amaze us and the league, like Rashford, but we are still looking to get a striker if we can, but only if he is a better striker than what we have. "We don't only have Carroll. We have [Diafra] Sakho and [Enner] Valencia too. Sakho was injured and that's why he was not here, and Valencia had a longer break because of Copa America."
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Ashley Fletcher - Ten Fast Facts
WHUFC.com
Here's everything you need to know about the Club's new striker Ashley Fletcher…
- Fletcher was born on 2 October 1995 in Keighley, Yorkshire
- When he was nine, Fletcher signed for north west side Bolton Wanderers but four years later joined giants Manchester United at the age of 13
- The youngster excelled as a sportsman and athlete at school in Bolton and obtained 12 GCSEs
- Coming through Manchester United's ranks, Fletcher established a superb partnership with fellow striker James Wilson
- In 2014/15, Fletcher bagged three goals in the Red Devils' final three U21 Premier League matches having broken into the side earlier that term
- The 20-year-old last season spent the second half of last season on loan at League One side Barnsley
- He scored nine times in 26 appearances for the Tykes, helping them clinch promotion via the play-offs
- Found the back of the net in both the semi-final second leg against Walsall and final at Wembley against south Londoners Millwall
- The striker has two England U20 caps and two goals, having scored in both his appearances for the young Lions
- Fletcher has joined West Ham United on a four-year deal
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From the Terraces
WHUFC.com
Fan blogger Ollie Knight looks at all the Hammers talking points…
EURO 2016
With Euro 2016 bowing out in dramatic fashion and the upcoming Premier League season just one month away, it has been a busy period for West Ham and a number of their players.
The likes of James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Darren Randolph and Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet have all performed superbly for their respective countries; Payet in particular was a shining light in one of the strongest France squads in generations.
Unfortunately for Payet, Les Bleus succumbed to an extra-time winner scored by Portugal's Eder. Dimi was, however, named in the UEFA team of the tournament, earning the accolade following a string of world class displays that saw him notch three goals as well as two assists in seven games.
James Collins was a part of a terrific Wales squad that, against all odds, powered their way through to the semi-finals. Collins played a key role in the semi-final first-half against Portugal, effectively nullifying the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo as Wales went in 0-0 at the break. After half-time it was a different story, as Ronaldo inspired a quick-fire double that saw Portugal run out eventual 2-0 winners.
Angelo Ogbonna and Darren Randolph also performed well, guiding both Italy and Ireland to the knockout stages. Despite a wonderful tournament between the sticks for the Republic of Ireland, Darren Randolph couldn't keep out Golden Boot winner Antoine Griezmann, who effectively knocked Martin O'Neill's side out at the Round of 16 stage with two sublime goals.
Ogbonna on the other hand suffered Euro 2016 heartbreak in the quarter-finals as Italy lost to Germany in a thrilling penalty shoot-out.
PRE SEASON
The US tour didn't begin in the finest fashion for the Hammers, with a 3-0 defeat to MLS outfit Seattle Sounders. However, it's important not to get carried away with such a defeat; we must remember that two years ago West Ham lost both of their pre-season games in New Zealand before going on a terrific run of Premier League form that saw them sitting comfortably in fourth place at Christmas.
Next up on the pre-season calendar for Slaven Bilic's boys was a friendly against North American Soccer League side Carolina RailHawks, in which Andy Carroll and Winston Reid scored their first goals of the summer in a 2-2 draw.
Following on from the US expedition, the Hammers travel to more familiar grounds in Austria, where they will play three friendlies against FC Slovacko, Champions League regulars Rubin Kazan and finally Bundesliga II outfit Karlsruher SC.
These three games should be the perfect preparation for West Ham's Europa League adventure as well as their highly-anticipated first game at the Olympic Stadium against Juventus on 7 August.
OPENING GAME OF THE SEASON
West Ham will play their first Premier League game of the season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday 15 August, with the game being broadcast live on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.
Historically, Stamford Bridge has been one of the toughest away days of the calendar, but this year it certainly feels different. Last time out Slaven Bilic was left ruing a last minute penalty awarded to Chelsea after an innocuous challenge from Michail Antonio. Cesc Fabregas scored the resulting penalty to conclude the tie at 2-2, but it was a performance that should fill players and supporters with pride, and no doubt motivate them for the opening day of the season.
With the likes of Sofiane Feghouli, Havard Nordtveit and Gokhan Tore already joining the Hammers this summer, the opening game against Chelsea is made all the more enticing for the West Ham faithful.
Incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte will feel the pressure in his first London derby, and with the tie being played under the lights, it's hard to imagine Slaven Bilic not motivating his players to the absolute highest level in order to achieve victory.
For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
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Fletcher - I am very excited to be here
WHUFC.com
Ashley Fletcher is rated one of the most promising young forwards in England and is looking forward to producing his best form for West Ham United after he joined the Hammers from Manchester United on a four-year contract. The England U20 striker enjoyed a memorable loan spell at Barnsley last season when he scored in the League One Play-Off Final win over Millwall at Wembley.
Fletcher is excited to be joining the Hammers as they prepare for a historic move into the new Stadium and hopes to play a major role for the first-team next season....
Ashley, welcome to West Ham United. How excited are you by the move and joining the Club at such an exciting time as we prepare for a big move into the new Stadium?
AF: "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham."
A lot of teams showed an interest in wanting to sign you. What was it about West Ham United that made you want to join the Club?
AF: "I think it is a Club with a lot of ambition. They are about to move into the new Stadium and with the position that the Club finished in the league last season, it was an insight into me coming here."
It was a big year for West Ham at the Boleyn Ground last year. Did you keep an eye on the developments and a historic final season for the Club?
AF: "It was hard not to see what was happening at West Ham. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season. They managed to finish the campaign very well."
How excited are you to be working under a manager like Slaven Bilic who is renowned for bringing through good young players?
AF: "The players that he brought through like Reece Oxford was a huge bonus and it shows what the Club is about.
"West Ham are a Club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
What can the West Ham fans expect from Ashley Fletcher?
AF: "I think there are a lot of variations to my game. I am not just a tall striker that holds the ball up.
"I have another side to my game. I can run in behind defenders and I love to score goals so hopefully you will see that."
The Hammers have a number of quality strikers including Andy Carroll. How excited are you to be playing alongside someone who has a wealth of experience at the highest level?
AF: "Andy is an England international so I can only learn from someone like him and take different aspects of his game and add them into my own game."
You saw what Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini did for the Club for the last season. How much are you looking forward to working with them on a daily basis?
AF: "The quality they have is unbelievable and for me to be playing alongside players like that can only improve me and make me better as well."
You have had the experience of being at one of the biggest clubs in England playing for Manchester United. How much has that helped your own development?
AF: "It has been massive for me. Coming from such a big club and all the morals I have learned over the years have helped me develop into the player that I am today.
"I thank them and hopefully I can grow even stronger at West Ham."
You have grown up with Marcus Rashford who has been stealing all the headlines following his call-up into the England squad. You must be hoping to follow in his footsteps and achieve what he has done?
AF: "I hope that will be the case. Marcus has been unbelievable and hopefully I will get my chance as well."
In terms of next season, West Ham are back in the Europa League and for any young player, you must be relishing the chance to showcase your talents on the European stage?
AF: "The chance to play in Europe was 100 per cent in my thinking and I didn't think twice when the new offer came through.
"The chance to play in the new Stadium and the incentive of playing in Europe makes it a massive season."
You are no stranger to playing in a big Stadium. How much will the Club benefit from playing in front of 60,000 fans every week?
AF: "It is only something that the players can thrive off. When you see the stands packed out with fans it will be massive and hopefully we can use that and go on and do really well next season."
You had a successful loan spell with Barnsley. How much has that helped you as a player?
AF: "I learned a lot of things and became more of a man. I added a lot of things into my game that I probably would not have done, if I would have stayed at Manchester United.
"I thank them as well for giving me the opportunity to play games, but now my focus is on West Ham."
Having played for the England Under-20's as well, you must take a lot of encouragement from representing your country?
AF: "Playing with West Ham players such as Reece Burke helped me. He told me about the Club and playing on the international stage is massive and I can only benefit from that."
Did you know much about Reece before you joined up with England?
AF: "I didn't but we became really good friends playing for England and he was on loan at Bradford as well. It will be great to see him when we play at West Ham."
Finally, what are your objectives and goals that you want to achieve at West Ham over the next few years?
AF: "I want to put on the West Ham shirt as many times as possible and play in the Premier League.
"I also want to play in the Europa League as well and help West Ham challenge for a top four finish which has got to be the aim as well."
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Westley - Tour has been great for youngsters
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Terry Westley hailed the Hammers' US tour as a fantastic experience for the younger players who joined up with Slaven Bilic's first team. The group of youngsters who travelled to first Seattle and then North Carolina included new signings Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina as well the likes of Martin Samuelsen and Reece Burke, who enjoyed successful loan spells last season. And the experience gained over the time spent training with the Club's established stars as well as minutes on the playing field will stand the promising group in good stead, insisted Westley. He said: "It's a great trip and a great experience for the younger players, playing in front of 40,000 the other night. They have all been around the first team and it's a great chance for the coaches to see the boys play. "It's great for our young ones to be around them, to be around Mark Noble, the club captain, and Andy Carroll and the likes. You don't get that in pre-season with your own group. "It's great for Toni Martinez particularly, who is a new player to integrate and see how we do things. Same for Domingos Quina, who has gone straight from being a European U17 winner with Portugal to joining up with our first team players. "Also Declan Rice, who was a late shout after James Tomkins moved on. Rice went in there and by all accounts the boys have conducted themselves very well on and off the pitch, which is pleasing."
While some Development Squad and Academy players will be aiming to impress prior to the Club's Europa League qualifier at the end of July, others are looking to secure loan deals and Westley was keen to highlight their significance. "Loans are essential in the game now," he continued. "We've already done George Dobson to Walsall and Kyle Knoyle to Wigan, and we've had lots of enquiries which shows the standard of player we are starting to produce. "It's a loan before a loan before they play in your first team, some teams will tell you. There are two routes; you can go in the first team if you're really talented and Reece Burke, Reece Oxford and Josh Cullen were around that last year. "Or, if that isn't the case, the likes of Samuelsen who went to Peterborough last season would be a good example [of what might happen]. In the next 14 days, a lot of those questions will be answered."
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E-Sports star Dragonn represents the Hammers
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's official E-Sports FIFA player Sean 'Dragonn' Allen competed in the first ever E-Sports FIFA match between football clubs as he took on Hashtag United's Harry Hesketh.
After the first leg tie ended level at 3-3, the pair battled for the victory in a second leg match, with both players using West Ham as their chosen team.
With YouTuber Spencer Owen - a West Ham supporter - providing commentary, check out their battle for glory.
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Home and away ticket schemes launch
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have launched the Home Cup and Away Ticket Schemes for the 2016/17 season, giving supporters the opportunity to secure their place at every away game.
Limited to 500 places, the Away Ticket Scheme debits all members for their tickets automatically and applies to all 19 Premier League away matches, as well as away ties in the FA and League Cups.
Download application forms for both schemes here
To join this scheme, supporters need to be included in the Home Cup Ticket Scheme, which applies to all home FA and League Cup ties, and also allows members to automatically be debited for their home cup tickets.
Renewing members from last season will receive priority for this year's Away Ticket Scheme, and in the event that the number of applicants exceeds the number of places, remaining applications will be processed in order of Priority Points totals.
Any group applications will be processed by the individual with the lowest number of points in the group.
To be seated together, please return your group's application together. Download your form here and return to ticketscheme@westhamunited.co.uk by 5pm Tuesday 19 July and please note all tickets are non-refundable and standard booking fees apply to all tickets.
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MARTIN SAMUELSEN; TO LOAN OR NOT TO LOAN?
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 13 JULY 2016 AT 9:07PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
To loan or not to loan…That is the question.
Martin Samuelsen is, without a shadow of doubt, one of the most exciting young prospects not only in the UK, but in the world. You really won't find many 19-year olds like him. He is skilful, intelligent and confident on the ball. But where does this wonder-kid stand in the first team? Is he ready for the spotlight, or does he need more time?
Samuelsen spent half of last season on loan to League One Peterborough United last season, and to be honest, the loan was not a success. However, you could argue that the management of Samuelsen was fairly poor, with ex Peterborough boss Graham Westley often blaming his flair players for the poor results, rotating Samuelsen (and others) out of the squad on a regular basis.
But Samuelsen's loan spell was not all doom and gloom, he still had his moments of magic. One of the most impressive and promising of these moments was his performance against West Brom in the Capital One Cup. Brom fielded a very strong team, yet still they struggled to control the West Ham man, who tore them apart! His skill and confidence for an 18 year old (at the time), was unbelievable. And, more importantly, he proved he can already do it against Premier League standard opposition. But whether he can do that on a regular basis at this moment in time is yet to be seen.
Samuelsen is, as I have already said, way ahead of his fellow peers. His movement is, in my humble opinion, just as top-class as his dribbling. He actually reminds me of Payet, in terms of positioning. He-nearly-always starts out wide, but loves to drift inside to find those pockets of space. Last pre-season Samuelsen also confirmed that Payet was mentoring him with free-kicks. But I suspect there is more to it than just free-kicks. The way Samuelsen played in both American Tour pre-season games reminded me a lot of Payet, in terms of movement. So, perhaps, there is more than free-kick mentoring going on?
After reading what I've written above, many of you may be screaming at your screens: "JUST PLAY THE LAD!" But is he really ready? I think he could do a job, mainly coming off the bench in the Premier League. However, I think we should loan Samuelsen out, preferably to a Championship team. As talented as he is, we already have Payet, Lanzini, Feghouli, Tore and Antonio ahead of him in the pecking order, and that's not including any new signings which may be coming our way! As incredible as young Samuelsen is, it is just not his time yet. However, I have thought of a compromise…
Is it worth, maybe, just maybe, keeping him in the first team squad until January? With Europa League, Premier League, Capital One Cup and FA Cup coming up, he might prove useful. Chances are that over the next 5 months or so,we will come up against some rather poor and far away teams. Could Samuelsen play a role in beating lower division teams we face in cup's? And maybe in the Europa League too, when we're drawn against some random Ukrainian team, for example. Could we use players like him, who are obviously talented, to give the likes of Lanzini and Tore a rest from what will be a busy schedule?
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13/07/16 AFTERNOON NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 13 JULY 2016 AT 3:54PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Mina madness?
American media channel ESPN have reported that West Ham, Southampton and Everton are in a race for Ecuadorian CB Arturo Mina. The defender plays for Ecuadorian club IDV, registering 62 appearances for the club.
Hammers in for Lukaku?
Quite the opposite, apparently we are out of the race, according to News Hopper. The Daily Mail have reported that West Ham did make an enquiry for the Everton striker. However, it is reported that we have been put off by his £65 million price tag.
Spurs and West Ham to fight it out for u21 superstar?
InsideFutbol are today reporting that West Ham and their London rivals Spurs will battle it out for proclaimed star of the future Rolando Mandragora, who is currently contracted to Juventus. The 19 year-old really impressed out on loan last season at Italian club Pescara. As I have said many times before, Bilic is obviously keen to build up the most promising development squad he can; so I will be keeping an eye on this story!
Valencia hands in transfer request?
Sky Italia are reporting that Enner Valencia will at some point today meet with the Hammers board to request a transfer from East London. As ExWHUEmployee has confirmed many times, Enner looks likely to leave the club this summer. On top of this, Enner has, dare I say, flopped, and fallen out of favour with many West Ham fans.
That's it for today's news. But-I'm sure-ExWHUEmployee will be releasing his latest column later on tonight, so for the latest inside news please check out his column tonight. You will find it on The West Ham Way website.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 JULY 2016 AT 10:53PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This will be a very brief round up today, so here it goes.
Bacca Deal
I feel like all I have done for the last month is talk about this deal. I first wrote of our interest on May 31st and it seems to have been going on ever since. We first enquired about him before the Copa America and then had to wait a long time after to begin discussions. The transfer is still in the balance. This is not me sitting on the fence. This is the facts. Bacca and our wage demands are not in line yet. People say "Just give him the cash" but it doesn't really work like that. There are wage structures and those factors that have to be considered. I do believe still that the club will reach an agreement eventually at this stage. There are other clubs that are potentially circulating for him including A.Madrid but it seems they have other targets ahead in the pecking order. I do think a little perspective needs to be retained here. We are preparing a deal including agents wages and signing on fees which equate to almost £30m for a 30 year old forward. A few years ago we were signing Mido on a free for £1k a week. It is a big step forward. The deal is pretty much as I left it yesterday not a lot as changed. Talks have happened and they will continue. It is a rather amusing situation that I often get blamed when this happens in transfers. I can assure you as much as I wish I had that power I don't. If a deal changes, this is not my fault it means that one of the parities couldn't meet the others demands and in business this is the norm. At the moment the club still hope that this deal can be concluded this week.
Forward Signings
There are at least eight other offers on the table for other forwards. These forwards are all of a high quality and the Bacca situation helps in some respects because it is taking attention off the other deals. The chairman is ambitious, some of the bids are realistic and have been covered in detail in my daily accounts and others are extremely ambitious.
Unhappy Forwards
Both Sakho and Valencia are said to be unhappy at the club and have made it clear that they both want to leave. The main club in for Sakho appeared to be Sunderland but with Big Sam likely to get the England job their situation has changed. The club hope that WBA will move for Sakho as it appears that it will be difficult for him to remain.
Youngster Excitement
Today Mitch one of our top writers wrote an article on whether he would keep Martin Samuelsen or loan him out. Martin is just one of the many exciting up and coming talents that we have at the club. If you think of the likes of Sam Howes, Reece Burke, Reece Oxford, Josh Cullen, Samulesen, Quina, Martinez, Fletcher and many others they are a lot of exciting players for the future.
The owners really are doing all they can within realistic boundaries to land a top forward that we need. Yes it is frustrating to not land the targets but this is what happens. Realistically we are not a champions league club yet, we haven't moved to the OS yet and we are not quite as big yet for the players we are aiming for. They have high ambitions and will do what they can to achieve them. We just have to be patient and trust that they will. This time last year we signed one of the best players in the recent Euro Championships plus many other top players.
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Carolina Railhawks 2-2 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 13th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham ended their brief tour of the US with an entertaining yet rain-interrupted game against the Railhawks in North Carolina this morning. With promises of live streams disappearing just as quickly as the clear blues skies that had overlooked the stadium earlier in the day, Hammers fans who had stayed up late to watch the team in action were forced into watching wobbly periscope and Facebook feeds. And they were treated to an lively encounter between Slaven Bilic's travelling party and the hosts - until, that is, both teams were forced to withdraw from the field of play just after the hour mark due to a sudden angry storm. By that stage the Hammers had gained a narrow advantage through goals by Winston Reid and Andy Carroll - although the Railhawks had taken a 7th minute lead when the aforementioned Kiwi inadvertently directed an Nazmi Albadawi cross into his own net.
It took United just 11 minutes to restore parity though, through Reid, who calmly converted a precise pass from Carroll to make it 1-1. Three minutes later new signing Sofiane Feghouli was heavily involved, as West Ham's #9 converted a low cross from the Algerian international to send West Ham into the interval with a slender lead. Following the temporary and unscheduled break, a string of changes followed leaving a much weaker West Ham XI to face the final half hour. Unfortunately inexperience told and the hosts grabbed what was probably a deserved equaliser on 68 minutes when Ceballos converted from the penalty spot, after Lewis Page was adjudged to have deliberately handled the ball. With both tour dates fulfilled, it's back to Blighty tomorrow for the travelling - and winless - party following their brief sojourn in the States. Although the two results - here against the Railhawks and last week against the Seattle Sounders, some 2,850 miles away - may not have gone particularly positively for Bilic and his (under-strength) squad the trip will still be viewed as a successful one. However the manager will no doubt look forward to bringing his entire first team squad together for the first time upon his return to England, when the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Ashley Fletcher and a certain Dimitri Payet return from their earlier summer engagements.
West Ham Utd starting XI: Adrian, Byram, Reid, Burke, Cresswell, Obiang, Noble, Feghouli, Samuelsen, Lanzini, Carroll.
Carolina Railhawks starting XI: Fitzgerald, Marcelin, Mensing, Beckie, Moses, Shipalane, da Luz, Albadawi, Watson, Shriver, Fondy.
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Liverpool's Christian Benteke in transfer U-turn as West Ham and Crystal Palace are scared off by sky-high fee
22:30, 13 JUL 2016
BY JOHN CROSS
Reds are adamant they want the £32.5m they paid Aston Villa for the striker last summer, so now he is determined to win over boss Jurgen Klopp
The Mirror
Liverpool's hard-ball tactics over Benteke have frightened off West Ham and Palace Christian Benteke is ready to stay and fight for his place at Liverpool . It comes after they effectively priced Belgium international striker Benteke out of a move by demanding a sky-high price for him. The Reds have told suitors West Ham and Crystal Palace they want to recoup the full £32.5m they paid Aston Villa for the player last summer. That stance has scared off both clubs, and left Benteke convinced to try to win over manager Jurgen Klopp - who was not in charge when he was signed. Despite limited chances, the 25-year-old has maintained his ratio of a goal every two games in the Premier League for Liverpool and that is a key reason why they want to make all their money back. Benteke still believes he can be a success at Anfield despite the fierce competition for places. He has fallen down the pecking order at Liverpool since Klopp took over, having been signed under the regime of predecessor Brendan Rodgers. West Ham have publicly admitted an interest in the player while Palace remain keen, having made strong enquiries. However, that hefty price-tag has put both clubs off as Liverpool play hard-ball
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Thierry Henry unlikely to join West Ham coaching staff after Arsenal departure
KEN DYER
Eveneing Standard
Thierry Henry is unlikely to be joining West Ham's coaching staff following his departure from Arsenal. The record Gunners scorer had been linked with a move across London after he left his part-time post as assistant coach of Arsenal's Under-18 squad. Watford, whose training ground is adjacent to his former club's headquarters at London Colney, had also been suggested as a possible destination but it is understood that he also will not be joining the Hornets. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had given Henry, who is working for his Pro Licence coaching badge, the job but with the proviso that he stepped down from his role as a Sky Sports pundit. The former France striker, who is believed to earn in the region of £4million a year at Sky, would not do so and Wenger was concerned at a potential conflict of interest caused by Henry having to criticise Arsenal players on TV.
Although West Ham have been mentioned as a possible destination for 38-year-old Henry, Hammers manager Slaven Bilic and Academy Manager Terry Westley currently have no vacancies on their coaching staff. Arsenal, who are likely to appoint Tony Adams to replace Henry, insist the split was amicable and that the striker will be welcome to attend future sessions. West Ham meanwhile, drew 2-2 with Carolina RailHawks last night in a match held up for 40 minutes by a thunderstorm. Winston Reid and Andy Carroll scored West Ham's goals. The Hammers lost their other game of the tour, against Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders 3-0.
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Gutted Manchester United and excited West Ham fans react to Ashley Fletcher's transfer
HITC
Olly Dawes
West Ham United have swooped to sign Manchester United's Ashley Fletcher. West Ham United confirmed the signing of striker Ashley Fletcher on Tuesday evening, after his Manchester United contract had expired. Even after landing one young forward this summer in Toni Martinez, the Hammers have moved to land another striker for the future by signing Fletcher to a four-year contract. Fletcher, 20, has been on the books at Old Trafford since joining from Bolton Wanderers back in 2009, but he leaves United without ever having made a first-team appearance for the club. Last season, Fletcher was farmed out on loan to Barnsley, and he hit a total of nine goals in 27 games as the Tykes ended up winning the League One play-off final against Millwall - a game Fletcher scored in at Wembley Stadium.
Fletcher flashed real ability for Barnsley, with defenders struggling to cope with his pace and power - and with his contract at Manchester United expiring this summer, Fletcher has decided to move on rather than sit behind the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford next season. Instead, Fletcher will be heading to the Olympic Stadium after signing for West Ham, handing Slaven Bilic with a boost in attack and a player to develop over the coming years. Since the deal was confirmed on Tuesday evening, both Manchester United and West Ham United fans have been taking to Twitter to react to the transfer, with very different feelings. United fans appear disappointed that Fletcher has been allowed to leave the club, suggesting that the club could live to regret seeing him depart, just as they did with Paul Pogba. Meanwhile, West Ham fans are excited by Fletcher's arrival, noting that the club are building for the future by landing the striker, with some impressed by his performances for Barnsley...
Mark @McAlister33
Ashley Fletcher gone too 😢 probably the correct decision but West Ham have got a very good youngster #MUFC
11:23 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Nael @naelmustafa
Why is a player like ashley fletcher, with promise and potential likened to Rashford, allowed to leave for free? #MUFC
10:21 PM - 12 Jul 2016
REDMartial @SallyTheManc
Just don't get how #MUFC allows players such as Ashley Fletcher leave so cheaply...West Ham won't even consider selling Reece Oxford
10:20 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Fred @FredyTheRed
Good luck to Ashley Fletcher .. #MUFC again, letting their youngsters leave without a buy back clause, we might see another Pogba situation
8:47 PM - 12 Jul 2016
M16MUFC @M16_MUFC
Gutted we Sold Ashley Fletcher look bright last season helping promote Barnsley so much potential West Ham have signed a good player #mufc
8:18 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Angry Bilic @AngryBilic
I can't claim to know a great deal about Fletcher, but bravo to the board and the gaffa for finally looking long-term with transfers #WHUFC
11:23 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Darren Smith 14 @darrensmith849
Forget spending fortunes on players #whufc Ashley Fletcher is a huge signing for the next 10 years! Great prospect ⚒ @DaveSulley 👍 to DS&DG
8:11 PM - 12 Jul 2016
RUSTYHAMMER⚒ @DeanoTy
Samuelson, Quina & now fletcher we've robbed the so called elite. ⚒THE FUTURES BRIGHT, THE FUTURES CLARET N BLUE⚒
8:29 PM - 12 Jul 2016 · Luton, England, United Kingdom
WESTHAM1969 @Hammerhead2073
Ashley Fletcher should be a good signing, I remember him in the playoff final for Barnsley had a great game, probably be used in cup matches
9:43 PM - 12 Jul 2016
West Ham News @WHUFC_News
Burke, Oxford, Cullen, Browne, Samuelsen, Martinez, Quina, Fletcher all in the academy. The future looks bright 👍🏻
7:32 PM - 12 Jul 2016
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West Ham FC transfer news: Belgian starlet Isaac Mbenza on Premier League club's radar
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
West Ham have enquired over the availability of Belgian prodigy Isaac Mbenza. The Valenciennes winger featured prominently for the Ligue 2 club last season, scoring seven goals and providing a further three assists. His displays caught the eye of scouts from the Premier League and, according to Foot Mercato, West Ham are ready to take a gamble on the 20-year-old. The only factor holding the Hammers back from making a bid is Mbenza's lack of experience in a top-flight league but scouts are seeking to persuade Slaven Bilic to take a risk on the player. A Belgium youth international, Mbenza graduated from Valenciennes' academy last year and was awarded with a three-year professional contract.
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Carolina Railhawks 2-2 West Ham: Winston Reid and Andy Carroll on target as Slaven Bilic's side are held to storm-delayed draw
West Ham were forced off the pitch by a thunderstorm in pre-season game
Winston Reid had already scored at both ends before 40-minute delay
Hammers had fought back from 1-0 down to lead, but were pegged back
By PA REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 07:06, 13 July 2016 | UPDATED: 07:11, 13 July 2016
A thunderstorm temporarily halted West Ham's final game of their United States tour as the Hammers drew 2-2 against Carolina Railhawks. The adverse weather conditions forced a 40-minute delay just after the hour mark, at which point the visitors led 2-1. Winston Reid had scored at either end before Andy Carroll gave Slaven Bilic's side the lead for the first time, but Marvin Ceballos' penalty earned the North American Soccer League club a draw.
Carolina Railhawks: Fitzgerald (Sylvestre 46, Robinson 87), Beckie (Mason 62), Mensing (Miller 46), Moses, Shipalane (Morales 63, Del Rosario 90), Watson (Albert 63), Da Luz (Orlando 62), Albadawi (Hassan 63), Marcelin, Shriver (Ceballos 38, Perez 80), Fondy (Schuler 46, Bravo 80)
Subs not used: Tobin, Arnez, Orozco
Booked: Miller
West Ham United: Adrian (Spiegel 46), Byram (Makasi 63), Reid (Henry 63), Burke (Rice 63), Cresswell (Page 46), Obiang (Poyet 63), Noble, Feghouli (Quina 63), Samuelsen, Lanzini (Browne 63), Carroll (Martinez 46)
Booked: Page, Quina
Referee: Christopher Spivey
Attendance: 10,125
The Railhawks took the lead in the 13th minute when Reid diverted a cross past United goalkeeper Adrian but the New Zealand defender atoned five minutes later by slotting home after being teed up by Carroll. Carroll then put West Ham ahead in the 21st minute by turning in summer signing Sofiane Feghouli's cross. It was the perfect way for Feghouli, who arrived from Valencia on a free transfer, was enjoying his first start for his new club, and his clever work down the right created a chance for the former England international to make it 2-1. The hosts hit back five minutes after play restarted following the thunderstorm when Lewis Page's handball allowed Ceballos to send Raphael Spiegel the wrong way from the spot. The Hammers, who lost their other game of the tour against Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders 3-0, played the last five minutes with 10 men after Doneil Henry went off injured but neither side were able to find a winner.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
International Exhibition, Tuesday 12 July 2016, WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina, USA
West Ham United were frustrated by the Carolina RailHawks and a mid-match lightning storm as the US Tour ended in a 2-2 draw. Slaven Bilic's side fell behind to an early Winston Reid own-goal, but were ahead by half-time through an opportunist strike from the New Zealand defender and a smart finish from Andy Carroll. Fifteen minutes into the second half, heavy rain signalled the arrival of a thunderstorm that saw lightning flash across the dark North Carolina sky, and referee Christopher Spivey call a temporary halt to proceedings for safety reasons. In hot, humid and initially sunny conditions, Bilic again made wholesale changes to his team as the game wore on in front of a RailHawks record 10,125-strong crowd. The International Exhibition was the first time an English Premier League team had visited an area known as The Triangle – Cary sits between three renowned universities in North Carolina, Duke and North Carolina State – and the event was marked with a truly memorable occasion. Thousands of West Ham fans descended on the region, painting the WakeMed Soccer Park Claret and Blue on a fantastic evening of football, fly-pasts, fireworks – and thunder and lightning! Fresh from a 4-1 NASL thumping of Joe Cole's Tampa Bay Rowdies of Saturday evening, the RailHawks started on the front foot and went ahead on 13 minutes. Captain Nasmi Albadawi got to the byline and his cutback was volleyed past Adrian by a stretching Reid. However, the No2 got his side back on level terms eight minutes later when Carroll forced a mistake in the home defence and Reid kept his composure to slot past Akira Fitzgerald. Within 90 seconds, the visitors were in front as new boy Sofiane Feghouli celebrated his maiden start for the Club by racing down the right and crossing low for the England centre-forward to slide home left-footed.
The RailHawks – coached by ex-Southampton and Northern Ireland striker Colin Clarke – responded well and striker Brian Shriver hit the woodwork with a delicious curling effort from 20 yards. The second half was largely uneventful until the heavens opened on the hour-mark, with the storm forcing the match to be temporarily suspended and thousands of fans to head for shelter. After a 40-minute break for the weather to clear, the game restarted with no fewer than six new West Ham players on the pitch. However, it was half-time replacement, Lewis Page who unfortunately slipped as he tracked back and handled the ball, enabling Marvin Ceballos to fire high past Raphael Spiegel from the spot. With lightning still flashing in the night sky nearby, both teams created chances in the closing stages, with Marcus Browne forcing a smart save from Sylvestre with ten minutes remaining. The RailHawks then introduced their biggest-ever signing, former Mexico international Omar Bravo, whose arrival had only been confirmed at half-time! West Ham played out the final few minutes with ten men after Doneil Henry was forced off with a leg injury, and the game petered out into a draw.
Carolina RailHawks: Fitzgerald (Sylvestre 46, Robinson 87), Beckie (Mason 62), Mensing (Miller 46), Moses, Shipalane (Morales 63, Del Rosario 90), Watson (Albert 63), Da Luz (Orlando 62), Albadawi © (Hassan 63), Marcelin, Shriver (Ceballos 38, Perez 80), Fondy (Schuler 46, Bravo 80)
Subs not used: Tobin, Arnez, Orozco
Booked: Miller
West Ham United: Adrian (Spiegel 46), Byram (Makasi 63), Reid (Henry 63), Burke (Rice 63), Cresswell (Page 46), Obiang (Poyet 63), Noble ©, Feghouli (Quina 63), Samuelsen, Lanzini (Browne 63), Carroll (Martinez 46)
Booked: Page, Quina
Referee: Christopher Spivey
Attendance: 10,125
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Pair content with Carolina test
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll and Winston Reid were pleased to open their pre-season accounts in the storm-affected 2-2 draw with Carolina RailHawks. In the second of two US Tour fixtures, the experienced pair netted within two first half minutes of one another as West Ham United came from behind to lead at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. However, a dangerous electrical storm halted play for 40 minutes midway through the second half and, when the teams returned, an unfortunate handball by Lewis Page enabled the NASL side to secure a share of the spoils. Speaking exclusively to whufc.com, both Carroll and Reid were pleased to have come through a testing physical encounter played in stifling hot and humid conditions. "It's good to hit the back of the net, as it's what my job is," said Carroll, whose first-time finish put West Ham 2-1 ahead after Reid's early own-goal and equaliser. "It's good to go out in pre-season and get a goal and start the season off well. "It was a great cross in from Sofiane and as soon as it went in I knew I had a chance to score. I got a good touch on it and it went in. "It was a good workout, especially with the weather in the first half. I know it changed after half-time, but it was really hot for the lads and we got out of it what we needed. "It's been a good trip. It got the lads back together and the new lads into it and we're getting fitter ahead of the start of the new season, which is what we want and is good."
Reid was happy to hit the target just minutes after putting the ball through his own net to put the RailHawks in front. It was Carroll who provided the assist for the No2, who collected the ball 25 yards out, took a touch and finished confidently to level the score at 1-1. "The ball went up and it dropped, someone put in a tackle and it fell to Andy, who found me and I finished it," Reid confirmed. "The ball got played into the middle and I went with it and it ricocheted to Andy and I was pleased with the way I put it away.
"I've never played in a game which has been stopped for a storm like that. The first half, it was so hot that it was really hard to get your breath. The second half was completely different and the storm which arrived 15 minutes in broke it up and they scored a short time after we came back on. "It was a good workout for us, but unfortunately Doneil Henry got an injury late on which we all hope will be OK. Apart from that, the trip has been really good and we have enjoyed ourselves over here and worked hard. "We're now looking forward to getting home for a few days before we fly out to Austria."
West Ham fly back to England on Wednesday before jetting off for a three-match tour and training camp in Austria at the weekend. After that, the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round kicks-off on 28 July, Juventus visit the London Stadium in the Betway Cup on 7 August and the Premier League season starts six days later.
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Bilic - It was a good test
WHUFC.com
Bilic praised the US tour as a whole, describing it as a "working holiday" Slaven Bilic described the Hammers' second and final US pre-season tour match as a good test as they drew 2-2 with the Carolina RailHawks. After Winston Reid had put the ball into his own net early in the first half, the defender atoned for his earlier error by equalising at the other end before Andy Carroll added a second thanks to Sofiane Feghouli's fantastic cross. But after a 40-minute long delay as the heavens opened at WakeMed Soccer Park, the hosts pulled one back from the penalty spot to draw after Lewis Page was unfortunate to slip and handle the ball inside the box. Despite the result, Bilic reiterated the lesser significance in results during pre-season and noted the positive impact of the RailHawks fixture. He said: "It was a good game – a friendly with a high intensity. It was a good atmosphere and we enjoyed it. It was a good test. "It is still early for us, of course. The legs are heavy for the players. These tests are more individual tests, because the team that played in the first half have hardly played together all at the same time. It was a really good individual test. "I said before that the match against Seattle came way too early after just two or three days training. For this, we were more on a level to play a competitive game. The result is always important, don't get me wrong, but it was not the most important thing today."
Bilic made only three changes at the break, but the weather halted action just 17 minutes into the second period. The boss, who praised West Ham's US tour as a whole, and his players, were keen to not let the conditions ruin their run-out, however. "We didn't want the game to be called off," continued the Croatian. "We got such a warm hospitality from the hosts, so we wanted to wait and finish the game. "The whole tour has been important for us. It has been more like a proper pre-season for me, because we wanted the good facilities to train. We didn't want too much travelling. "When I heard about the possibility to go to the States, it was tempting but on the other hand, we didn't want to travel too much and get tired. But it has been good, especially because of the facilities we've had and the hospitality of the people. "I'd like to thank the people here in Seattle and North Carolina who have made our stay here like a working holiday!"
Following news of the Hammers' new signing Ashley Fletcher, reporters were keen to question Bilic on what the move could mean for the Club's front-line. "Fletcher and [Toni] Martinez are prospects," Bilic said about his young forwards. "Martinez has showed that he definitely has a future with West Ham, but we are competing in the Premier League and they are still too young. "Some of them can do what [Marcus] Rashford did for Man United last season, but to play a full season with them from the start would not be the option we want. They can emerge and surprise and amaze us and the league, like Rashford, but we are still looking to get a striker if we can, but only if he is a better striker than what we have. "We don't only have Carroll. We have [Diafra] Sakho and [Enner] Valencia too. Sakho was injured and that's why he was not here, and Valencia had a longer break because of Copa America."
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Ashley Fletcher - Ten Fast Facts
WHUFC.com
Here's everything you need to know about the Club's new striker Ashley Fletcher…
- Fletcher was born on 2 October 1995 in Keighley, Yorkshire
- When he was nine, Fletcher signed for north west side Bolton Wanderers but four years later joined giants Manchester United at the age of 13
- The youngster excelled as a sportsman and athlete at school in Bolton and obtained 12 GCSEs
- Coming through Manchester United's ranks, Fletcher established a superb partnership with fellow striker James Wilson
- In 2014/15, Fletcher bagged three goals in the Red Devils' final three U21 Premier League matches having broken into the side earlier that term
- The 20-year-old last season spent the second half of last season on loan at League One side Barnsley
- He scored nine times in 26 appearances for the Tykes, helping them clinch promotion via the play-offs
- Found the back of the net in both the semi-final second leg against Walsall and final at Wembley against south Londoners Millwall
- The striker has two England U20 caps and two goals, having scored in both his appearances for the young Lions
- Fletcher has joined West Ham United on a four-year deal
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From the Terraces
WHUFC.com
Fan blogger Ollie Knight looks at all the Hammers talking points…
EURO 2016
With Euro 2016 bowing out in dramatic fashion and the upcoming Premier League season just one month away, it has been a busy period for West Ham and a number of their players.
The likes of James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Darren Randolph and Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet have all performed superbly for their respective countries; Payet in particular was a shining light in one of the strongest France squads in generations.
Unfortunately for Payet, Les Bleus succumbed to an extra-time winner scored by Portugal's Eder. Dimi was, however, named in the UEFA team of the tournament, earning the accolade following a string of world class displays that saw him notch three goals as well as two assists in seven games.
James Collins was a part of a terrific Wales squad that, against all odds, powered their way through to the semi-finals. Collins played a key role in the semi-final first-half against Portugal, effectively nullifying the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo as Wales went in 0-0 at the break. After half-time it was a different story, as Ronaldo inspired a quick-fire double that saw Portugal run out eventual 2-0 winners.
Angelo Ogbonna and Darren Randolph also performed well, guiding both Italy and Ireland to the knockout stages. Despite a wonderful tournament between the sticks for the Republic of Ireland, Darren Randolph couldn't keep out Golden Boot winner Antoine Griezmann, who effectively knocked Martin O'Neill's side out at the Round of 16 stage with two sublime goals.
Ogbonna on the other hand suffered Euro 2016 heartbreak in the quarter-finals as Italy lost to Germany in a thrilling penalty shoot-out.
PRE SEASON
The US tour didn't begin in the finest fashion for the Hammers, with a 3-0 defeat to MLS outfit Seattle Sounders. However, it's important not to get carried away with such a defeat; we must remember that two years ago West Ham lost both of their pre-season games in New Zealand before going on a terrific run of Premier League form that saw them sitting comfortably in fourth place at Christmas.
Next up on the pre-season calendar for Slaven Bilic's boys was a friendly against North American Soccer League side Carolina RailHawks, in which Andy Carroll and Winston Reid scored their first goals of the summer in a 2-2 draw.
Following on from the US expedition, the Hammers travel to more familiar grounds in Austria, where they will play three friendlies against FC Slovacko, Champions League regulars Rubin Kazan and finally Bundesliga II outfit Karlsruher SC.
These three games should be the perfect preparation for West Ham's Europa League adventure as well as their highly-anticipated first game at the Olympic Stadium against Juventus on 7 August.
OPENING GAME OF THE SEASON
West Ham will play their first Premier League game of the season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday 15 August, with the game being broadcast live on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.
Historically, Stamford Bridge has been one of the toughest away days of the calendar, but this year it certainly feels different. Last time out Slaven Bilic was left ruing a last minute penalty awarded to Chelsea after an innocuous challenge from Michail Antonio. Cesc Fabregas scored the resulting penalty to conclude the tie at 2-2, but it was a performance that should fill players and supporters with pride, and no doubt motivate them for the opening day of the season.
With the likes of Sofiane Feghouli, Havard Nordtveit and Gokhan Tore already joining the Hammers this summer, the opening game against Chelsea is made all the more enticing for the West Ham faithful.
Incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte will feel the pressure in his first London derby, and with the tie being played under the lights, it's hard to imagine Slaven Bilic not motivating his players to the absolute highest level in order to achieve victory.
For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
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Fletcher - I am very excited to be here
WHUFC.com
Ashley Fletcher is rated one of the most promising young forwards in England and is looking forward to producing his best form for West Ham United after he joined the Hammers from Manchester United on a four-year contract. The England U20 striker enjoyed a memorable loan spell at Barnsley last season when he scored in the League One Play-Off Final win over Millwall at Wembley.
Fletcher is excited to be joining the Hammers as they prepare for a historic move into the new Stadium and hopes to play a major role for the first-team next season....
Ashley, welcome to West Ham United. How excited are you by the move and joining the Club at such an exciting time as we prepare for a big move into the new Stadium?
AF: "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham."
A lot of teams showed an interest in wanting to sign you. What was it about West Ham United that made you want to join the Club?
AF: "I think it is a Club with a lot of ambition. They are about to move into the new Stadium and with the position that the Club finished in the league last season, it was an insight into me coming here."
It was a big year for West Ham at the Boleyn Ground last year. Did you keep an eye on the developments and a historic final season for the Club?
AF: "It was hard not to see what was happening at West Ham. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season. They managed to finish the campaign very well."
How excited are you to be working under a manager like Slaven Bilic who is renowned for bringing through good young players?
AF: "The players that he brought through like Reece Oxford was a huge bonus and it shows what the Club is about.
"West Ham are a Club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
What can the West Ham fans expect from Ashley Fletcher?
AF: "I think there are a lot of variations to my game. I am not just a tall striker that holds the ball up.
"I have another side to my game. I can run in behind defenders and I love to score goals so hopefully you will see that."
The Hammers have a number of quality strikers including Andy Carroll. How excited are you to be playing alongside someone who has a wealth of experience at the highest level?
AF: "Andy is an England international so I can only learn from someone like him and take different aspects of his game and add them into my own game."
You saw what Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini did for the Club for the last season. How much are you looking forward to working with them on a daily basis?
AF: "The quality they have is unbelievable and for me to be playing alongside players like that can only improve me and make me better as well."
You have had the experience of being at one of the biggest clubs in England playing for Manchester United. How much has that helped your own development?
AF: "It has been massive for me. Coming from such a big club and all the morals I have learned over the years have helped me develop into the player that I am today.
"I thank them and hopefully I can grow even stronger at West Ham."
You have grown up with Marcus Rashford who has been stealing all the headlines following his call-up into the England squad. You must be hoping to follow in his footsteps and achieve what he has done?
AF: "I hope that will be the case. Marcus has been unbelievable and hopefully I will get my chance as well."
In terms of next season, West Ham are back in the Europa League and for any young player, you must be relishing the chance to showcase your talents on the European stage?
AF: "The chance to play in Europe was 100 per cent in my thinking and I didn't think twice when the new offer came through.
"The chance to play in the new Stadium and the incentive of playing in Europe makes it a massive season."
You are no stranger to playing in a big Stadium. How much will the Club benefit from playing in front of 60,000 fans every week?
AF: "It is only something that the players can thrive off. When you see the stands packed out with fans it will be massive and hopefully we can use that and go on and do really well next season."
You had a successful loan spell with Barnsley. How much has that helped you as a player?
AF: "I learned a lot of things and became more of a man. I added a lot of things into my game that I probably would not have done, if I would have stayed at Manchester United.
"I thank them as well for giving me the opportunity to play games, but now my focus is on West Ham."
Having played for the England Under-20's as well, you must take a lot of encouragement from representing your country?
AF: "Playing with West Ham players such as Reece Burke helped me. He told me about the Club and playing on the international stage is massive and I can only benefit from that."
Did you know much about Reece before you joined up with England?
AF: "I didn't but we became really good friends playing for England and he was on loan at Bradford as well. It will be great to see him when we play at West Ham."
Finally, what are your objectives and goals that you want to achieve at West Ham over the next few years?
AF: "I want to put on the West Ham shirt as many times as possible and play in the Premier League.
"I also want to play in the Europa League as well and help West Ham challenge for a top four finish which has got to be the aim as well."
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Westley - Tour has been great for youngsters
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Terry Westley hailed the Hammers' US tour as a fantastic experience for the younger players who joined up with Slaven Bilic's first team. The group of youngsters who travelled to first Seattle and then North Carolina included new signings Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina as well the likes of Martin Samuelsen and Reece Burke, who enjoyed successful loan spells last season. And the experience gained over the time spent training with the Club's established stars as well as minutes on the playing field will stand the promising group in good stead, insisted Westley. He said: "It's a great trip and a great experience for the younger players, playing in front of 40,000 the other night. They have all been around the first team and it's a great chance for the coaches to see the boys play. "It's great for our young ones to be around them, to be around Mark Noble, the club captain, and Andy Carroll and the likes. You don't get that in pre-season with your own group. "It's great for Toni Martinez particularly, who is a new player to integrate and see how we do things. Same for Domingos Quina, who has gone straight from being a European U17 winner with Portugal to joining up with our first team players. "Also Declan Rice, who was a late shout after James Tomkins moved on. Rice went in there and by all accounts the boys have conducted themselves very well on and off the pitch, which is pleasing."
While some Development Squad and Academy players will be aiming to impress prior to the Club's Europa League qualifier at the end of July, others are looking to secure loan deals and Westley was keen to highlight their significance. "Loans are essential in the game now," he continued. "We've already done George Dobson to Walsall and Kyle Knoyle to Wigan, and we've had lots of enquiries which shows the standard of player we are starting to produce. "It's a loan before a loan before they play in your first team, some teams will tell you. There are two routes; you can go in the first team if you're really talented and Reece Burke, Reece Oxford and Josh Cullen were around that last year. "Or, if that isn't the case, the likes of Samuelsen who went to Peterborough last season would be a good example [of what might happen]. In the next 14 days, a lot of those questions will be answered."
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E-Sports star Dragonn represents the Hammers
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's official E-Sports FIFA player Sean 'Dragonn' Allen competed in the first ever E-Sports FIFA match between football clubs as he took on Hashtag United's Harry Hesketh.
After the first leg tie ended level at 3-3, the pair battled for the victory in a second leg match, with both players using West Ham as their chosen team.
With YouTuber Spencer Owen - a West Ham supporter - providing commentary, check out their battle for glory.
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Home and away ticket schemes launch
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have launched the Home Cup and Away Ticket Schemes for the 2016/17 season, giving supporters the opportunity to secure their place at every away game.
Limited to 500 places, the Away Ticket Scheme debits all members for their tickets automatically and applies to all 19 Premier League away matches, as well as away ties in the FA and League Cups.
Download application forms for both schemes here
To join this scheme, supporters need to be included in the Home Cup Ticket Scheme, which applies to all home FA and League Cup ties, and also allows members to automatically be debited for their home cup tickets.
Renewing members from last season will receive priority for this year's Away Ticket Scheme, and in the event that the number of applicants exceeds the number of places, remaining applications will be processed in order of Priority Points totals.
Any group applications will be processed by the individual with the lowest number of points in the group.
To be seated together, please return your group's application together. Download your form here and return to ticketscheme@westhamunited.co.uk by 5pm Tuesday 19 July and please note all tickets are non-refundable and standard booking fees apply to all tickets.
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MARTIN SAMUELSEN; TO LOAN OR NOT TO LOAN?
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 13 JULY 2016 AT 9:07PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
To loan or not to loan…That is the question.
Martin Samuelsen is, without a shadow of doubt, one of the most exciting young prospects not only in the UK, but in the world. You really won't find many 19-year olds like him. He is skilful, intelligent and confident on the ball. But where does this wonder-kid stand in the first team? Is he ready for the spotlight, or does he need more time?
Samuelsen spent half of last season on loan to League One Peterborough United last season, and to be honest, the loan was not a success. However, you could argue that the management of Samuelsen was fairly poor, with ex Peterborough boss Graham Westley often blaming his flair players for the poor results, rotating Samuelsen (and others) out of the squad on a regular basis.
But Samuelsen's loan spell was not all doom and gloom, he still had his moments of magic. One of the most impressive and promising of these moments was his performance against West Brom in the Capital One Cup. Brom fielded a very strong team, yet still they struggled to control the West Ham man, who tore them apart! His skill and confidence for an 18 year old (at the time), was unbelievable. And, more importantly, he proved he can already do it against Premier League standard opposition. But whether he can do that on a regular basis at this moment in time is yet to be seen.
Samuelsen is, as I have already said, way ahead of his fellow peers. His movement is, in my humble opinion, just as top-class as his dribbling. He actually reminds me of Payet, in terms of positioning. He-nearly-always starts out wide, but loves to drift inside to find those pockets of space. Last pre-season Samuelsen also confirmed that Payet was mentoring him with free-kicks. But I suspect there is more to it than just free-kicks. The way Samuelsen played in both American Tour pre-season games reminded me a lot of Payet, in terms of movement. So, perhaps, there is more than free-kick mentoring going on?
After reading what I've written above, many of you may be screaming at your screens: "JUST PLAY THE LAD!" But is he really ready? I think he could do a job, mainly coming off the bench in the Premier League. However, I think we should loan Samuelsen out, preferably to a Championship team. As talented as he is, we already have Payet, Lanzini, Feghouli, Tore and Antonio ahead of him in the pecking order, and that's not including any new signings which may be coming our way! As incredible as young Samuelsen is, it is just not his time yet. However, I have thought of a compromise…
Is it worth, maybe, just maybe, keeping him in the first team squad until January? With Europa League, Premier League, Capital One Cup and FA Cup coming up, he might prove useful. Chances are that over the next 5 months or so,we will come up against some rather poor and far away teams. Could Samuelsen play a role in beating lower division teams we face in cup's? And maybe in the Europa League too, when we're drawn against some random Ukrainian team, for example. Could we use players like him, who are obviously talented, to give the likes of Lanzini and Tore a rest from what will be a busy schedule?
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13/07/16 AFTERNOON NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 13 JULY 2016 AT 3:54PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Mina madness?
American media channel ESPN have reported that West Ham, Southampton and Everton are in a race for Ecuadorian CB Arturo Mina. The defender plays for Ecuadorian club IDV, registering 62 appearances for the club.
Hammers in for Lukaku?
Quite the opposite, apparently we are out of the race, according to News Hopper. The Daily Mail have reported that West Ham did make an enquiry for the Everton striker. However, it is reported that we have been put off by his £65 million price tag.
Spurs and West Ham to fight it out for u21 superstar?
InsideFutbol are today reporting that West Ham and their London rivals Spurs will battle it out for proclaimed star of the future Rolando Mandragora, who is currently contracted to Juventus. The 19 year-old really impressed out on loan last season at Italian club Pescara. As I have said many times before, Bilic is obviously keen to build up the most promising development squad he can; so I will be keeping an eye on this story!
Valencia hands in transfer request?
Sky Italia are reporting that Enner Valencia will at some point today meet with the Hammers board to request a transfer from East London. As ExWHUEmployee has confirmed many times, Enner looks likely to leave the club this summer. On top of this, Enner has, dare I say, flopped, and fallen out of favour with many West Ham fans.
That's it for today's news. But-I'm sure-ExWHUEmployee will be releasing his latest column later on tonight, so for the latest inside news please check out his column tonight. You will find it on The West Ham Way website.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 13 JULY 2016 AT 10:53PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This will be a very brief round up today, so here it goes.
Bacca Deal
I feel like all I have done for the last month is talk about this deal. I first wrote of our interest on May 31st and it seems to have been going on ever since. We first enquired about him before the Copa America and then had to wait a long time after to begin discussions. The transfer is still in the balance. This is not me sitting on the fence. This is the facts. Bacca and our wage demands are not in line yet. People say "Just give him the cash" but it doesn't really work like that. There are wage structures and those factors that have to be considered. I do believe still that the club will reach an agreement eventually at this stage. There are other clubs that are potentially circulating for him including A.Madrid but it seems they have other targets ahead in the pecking order. I do think a little perspective needs to be retained here. We are preparing a deal including agents wages and signing on fees which equate to almost £30m for a 30 year old forward. A few years ago we were signing Mido on a free for £1k a week. It is a big step forward. The deal is pretty much as I left it yesterday not a lot as changed. Talks have happened and they will continue. It is a rather amusing situation that I often get blamed when this happens in transfers. I can assure you as much as I wish I had that power I don't. If a deal changes, this is not my fault it means that one of the parities couldn't meet the others demands and in business this is the norm. At the moment the club still hope that this deal can be concluded this week.
Forward Signings
There are at least eight other offers on the table for other forwards. These forwards are all of a high quality and the Bacca situation helps in some respects because it is taking attention off the other deals. The chairman is ambitious, some of the bids are realistic and have been covered in detail in my daily accounts and others are extremely ambitious.
Unhappy Forwards
Both Sakho and Valencia are said to be unhappy at the club and have made it clear that they both want to leave. The main club in for Sakho appeared to be Sunderland but with Big Sam likely to get the England job their situation has changed. The club hope that WBA will move for Sakho as it appears that it will be difficult for him to remain.
Youngster Excitement
Today Mitch one of our top writers wrote an article on whether he would keep Martin Samuelsen or loan him out. Martin is just one of the many exciting up and coming talents that we have at the club. If you think of the likes of Sam Howes, Reece Burke, Reece Oxford, Josh Cullen, Samulesen, Quina, Martinez, Fletcher and many others they are a lot of exciting players for the future.
The owners really are doing all they can within realistic boundaries to land a top forward that we need. Yes it is frustrating to not land the targets but this is what happens. Realistically we are not a champions league club yet, we haven't moved to the OS yet and we are not quite as big yet for the players we are aiming for. They have high ambitions and will do what they can to achieve them. We just have to be patient and trust that they will. This time last year we signed one of the best players in the recent Euro Championships plus many other top players.
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Carolina Railhawks 2-2 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 13th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham ended their brief tour of the US with an entertaining yet rain-interrupted game against the Railhawks in North Carolina this morning. With promises of live streams disappearing just as quickly as the clear blues skies that had overlooked the stadium earlier in the day, Hammers fans who had stayed up late to watch the team in action were forced into watching wobbly periscope and Facebook feeds. And they were treated to an lively encounter between Slaven Bilic's travelling party and the hosts - until, that is, both teams were forced to withdraw from the field of play just after the hour mark due to a sudden angry storm. By that stage the Hammers had gained a narrow advantage through goals by Winston Reid and Andy Carroll - although the Railhawks had taken a 7th minute lead when the aforementioned Kiwi inadvertently directed an Nazmi Albadawi cross into his own net.
It took United just 11 minutes to restore parity though, through Reid, who calmly converted a precise pass from Carroll to make it 1-1. Three minutes later new signing Sofiane Feghouli was heavily involved, as West Ham's #9 converted a low cross from the Algerian international to send West Ham into the interval with a slender lead. Following the temporary and unscheduled break, a string of changes followed leaving a much weaker West Ham XI to face the final half hour. Unfortunately inexperience told and the hosts grabbed what was probably a deserved equaliser on 68 minutes when Ceballos converted from the penalty spot, after Lewis Page was adjudged to have deliberately handled the ball. With both tour dates fulfilled, it's back to Blighty tomorrow for the travelling - and winless - party following their brief sojourn in the States. Although the two results - here against the Railhawks and last week against the Seattle Sounders, some 2,850 miles away - may not have gone particularly positively for Bilic and his (under-strength) squad the trip will still be viewed as a successful one. However the manager will no doubt look forward to bringing his entire first team squad together for the first time upon his return to England, when the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Ashley Fletcher and a certain Dimitri Payet return from their earlier summer engagements.
West Ham Utd starting XI: Adrian, Byram, Reid, Burke, Cresswell, Obiang, Noble, Feghouli, Samuelsen, Lanzini, Carroll.
Carolina Railhawks starting XI: Fitzgerald, Marcelin, Mensing, Beckie, Moses, Shipalane, da Luz, Albadawi, Watson, Shriver, Fondy.
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Liverpool's Christian Benteke in transfer U-turn as West Ham and Crystal Palace are scared off by sky-high fee
22:30, 13 JUL 2016
BY JOHN CROSS
Reds are adamant they want the £32.5m they paid Aston Villa for the striker last summer, so now he is determined to win over boss Jurgen Klopp
The Mirror
Liverpool's hard-ball tactics over Benteke have frightened off West Ham and Palace Christian Benteke is ready to stay and fight for his place at Liverpool . It comes after they effectively priced Belgium international striker Benteke out of a move by demanding a sky-high price for him. The Reds have told suitors West Ham and Crystal Palace they want to recoup the full £32.5m they paid Aston Villa for the player last summer. That stance has scared off both clubs, and left Benteke convinced to try to win over manager Jurgen Klopp - who was not in charge when he was signed. Despite limited chances, the 25-year-old has maintained his ratio of a goal every two games in the Premier League for Liverpool and that is a key reason why they want to make all their money back. Benteke still believes he can be a success at Anfield despite the fierce competition for places. He has fallen down the pecking order at Liverpool since Klopp took over, having been signed under the regime of predecessor Brendan Rodgers. West Ham have publicly admitted an interest in the player while Palace remain keen, having made strong enquiries. However, that hefty price-tag has put both clubs off as Liverpool play hard-ball
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Thierry Henry unlikely to join West Ham coaching staff after Arsenal departure
KEN DYER
Eveneing Standard
Thierry Henry is unlikely to be joining West Ham's coaching staff following his departure from Arsenal. The record Gunners scorer had been linked with a move across London after he left his part-time post as assistant coach of Arsenal's Under-18 squad. Watford, whose training ground is adjacent to his former club's headquarters at London Colney, had also been suggested as a possible destination but it is understood that he also will not be joining the Hornets. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had given Henry, who is working for his Pro Licence coaching badge, the job but with the proviso that he stepped down from his role as a Sky Sports pundit. The former France striker, who is believed to earn in the region of £4million a year at Sky, would not do so and Wenger was concerned at a potential conflict of interest caused by Henry having to criticise Arsenal players on TV.
Although West Ham have been mentioned as a possible destination for 38-year-old Henry, Hammers manager Slaven Bilic and Academy Manager Terry Westley currently have no vacancies on their coaching staff. Arsenal, who are likely to appoint Tony Adams to replace Henry, insist the split was amicable and that the striker will be welcome to attend future sessions. West Ham meanwhile, drew 2-2 with Carolina RailHawks last night in a match held up for 40 minutes by a thunderstorm. Winston Reid and Andy Carroll scored West Ham's goals. The Hammers lost their other game of the tour, against Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders 3-0.
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Gutted Manchester United and excited West Ham fans react to Ashley Fletcher's transfer
HITC
Olly Dawes
West Ham United have swooped to sign Manchester United's Ashley Fletcher. West Ham United confirmed the signing of striker Ashley Fletcher on Tuesday evening, after his Manchester United contract had expired. Even after landing one young forward this summer in Toni Martinez, the Hammers have moved to land another striker for the future by signing Fletcher to a four-year contract. Fletcher, 20, has been on the books at Old Trafford since joining from Bolton Wanderers back in 2009, but he leaves United without ever having made a first-team appearance for the club. Last season, Fletcher was farmed out on loan to Barnsley, and he hit a total of nine goals in 27 games as the Tykes ended up winning the League One play-off final against Millwall - a game Fletcher scored in at Wembley Stadium.
Fletcher flashed real ability for Barnsley, with defenders struggling to cope with his pace and power - and with his contract at Manchester United expiring this summer, Fletcher has decided to move on rather than sit behind the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford next season. Instead, Fletcher will be heading to the Olympic Stadium after signing for West Ham, handing Slaven Bilic with a boost in attack and a player to develop over the coming years. Since the deal was confirmed on Tuesday evening, both Manchester United and West Ham United fans have been taking to Twitter to react to the transfer, with very different feelings. United fans appear disappointed that Fletcher has been allowed to leave the club, suggesting that the club could live to regret seeing him depart, just as they did with Paul Pogba. Meanwhile, West Ham fans are excited by Fletcher's arrival, noting that the club are building for the future by landing the striker, with some impressed by his performances for Barnsley...
Mark @McAlister33
Ashley Fletcher gone too 😢 probably the correct decision but West Ham have got a very good youngster #MUFC
11:23 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Nael @naelmustafa
Why is a player like ashley fletcher, with promise and potential likened to Rashford, allowed to leave for free? #MUFC
10:21 PM - 12 Jul 2016
REDMartial @SallyTheManc
Just don't get how #MUFC allows players such as Ashley Fletcher leave so cheaply...West Ham won't even consider selling Reece Oxford
10:20 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Fred @FredyTheRed
Good luck to Ashley Fletcher .. #MUFC again, letting their youngsters leave without a buy back clause, we might see another Pogba situation
8:47 PM - 12 Jul 2016
M16MUFC @M16_MUFC
Gutted we Sold Ashley Fletcher look bright last season helping promote Barnsley so much potential West Ham have signed a good player #mufc
8:18 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Angry Bilic @AngryBilic
I can't claim to know a great deal about Fletcher, but bravo to the board and the gaffa for finally looking long-term with transfers #WHUFC
11:23 PM - 12 Jul 2016
Darren Smith 14 @darrensmith849
Forget spending fortunes on players #whufc Ashley Fletcher is a huge signing for the next 10 years! Great prospect ⚒ @DaveSulley 👍 to DS&DG
8:11 PM - 12 Jul 2016
RUSTYHAMMER⚒ @DeanoTy
Samuelson, Quina & now fletcher we've robbed the so called elite. ⚒THE FUTURES BRIGHT, THE FUTURES CLARET N BLUE⚒
8:29 PM - 12 Jul 2016 · Luton, England, United Kingdom
WESTHAM1969 @Hammerhead2073
Ashley Fletcher should be a good signing, I remember him in the playoff final for Barnsley had a great game, probably be used in cup matches
9:43 PM - 12 Jul 2016
West Ham News @WHUFC_News
Burke, Oxford, Cullen, Browne, Samuelsen, Martinez, Quina, Fletcher all in the academy. The future looks bright 👍🏻
7:32 PM - 12 Jul 2016
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West Ham FC transfer news: Belgian starlet Isaac Mbenza on Premier League club's radar
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
West Ham have enquired over the availability of Belgian prodigy Isaac Mbenza. The Valenciennes winger featured prominently for the Ligue 2 club last season, scoring seven goals and providing a further three assists. His displays caught the eye of scouts from the Premier League and, according to Foot Mercato, West Ham are ready to take a gamble on the 20-year-old. The only factor holding the Hammers back from making a bid is Mbenza's lack of experience in a top-flight league but scouts are seeking to persuade Slaven Bilic to take a risk on the player. A Belgium youth international, Mbenza graduated from Valenciennes' academy last year and was awarded with a three-year professional contract.
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Carolina Railhawks 2-2 West Ham: Winston Reid and Andy Carroll on target as Slaven Bilic's side are held to storm-delayed draw
West Ham were forced off the pitch by a thunderstorm in pre-season game
Winston Reid had already scored at both ends before 40-minute delay
Hammers had fought back from 1-0 down to lead, but were pegged back
By PA REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 07:06, 13 July 2016 | UPDATED: 07:11, 13 July 2016
A thunderstorm temporarily halted West Ham's final game of their United States tour as the Hammers drew 2-2 against Carolina Railhawks. The adverse weather conditions forced a 40-minute delay just after the hour mark, at which point the visitors led 2-1. Winston Reid had scored at either end before Andy Carroll gave Slaven Bilic's side the lead for the first time, but Marvin Ceballos' penalty earned the North American Soccer League club a draw.
Carolina Railhawks: Fitzgerald (Sylvestre 46, Robinson 87), Beckie (Mason 62), Mensing (Miller 46), Moses, Shipalane (Morales 63, Del Rosario 90), Watson (Albert 63), Da Luz (Orlando 62), Albadawi (Hassan 63), Marcelin, Shriver (Ceballos 38, Perez 80), Fondy (Schuler 46, Bravo 80)
Subs not used: Tobin, Arnez, Orozco
Booked: Miller
West Ham United: Adrian (Spiegel 46), Byram (Makasi 63), Reid (Henry 63), Burke (Rice 63), Cresswell (Page 46), Obiang (Poyet 63), Noble, Feghouli (Quina 63), Samuelsen, Lanzini (Browne 63), Carroll (Martinez 46)
Booked: Page, Quina
Referee: Christopher Spivey
Attendance: 10,125
The Railhawks took the lead in the 13th minute when Reid diverted a cross past United goalkeeper Adrian but the New Zealand defender atoned five minutes later by slotting home after being teed up by Carroll. Carroll then put West Ham ahead in the 21st minute by turning in summer signing Sofiane Feghouli's cross. It was the perfect way for Feghouli, who arrived from Valencia on a free transfer, was enjoying his first start for his new club, and his clever work down the right created a chance for the former England international to make it 2-1. The hosts hit back five minutes after play restarted following the thunderstorm when Lewis Page's handball allowed Ceballos to send Raphael Spiegel the wrong way from the spot. The Hammers, who lost their other game of the tour against Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders 3-0, played the last five minutes with 10 men after Doneil Henry went off injured but neither side were able to find a winner.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, July 13
Daily WHUFC News -
RailHawks anticipate 'special occasion'
WHUFC.come
The Carolina RailHawks say the visit of West Ham United is a 'huge step forward' in their ambition to bring top-level professional football to North Carolina.
The RailHawks currently compete in the NASL (North American Soccer League) – the second tier of professional soccer in the United States – but new owner Steve Mauer has the aim of taking the club into the MLS. President Curt Johnson, head coach Colin Clarke and captain Nazmi Albadawi all believe Tuesday's sell-out pre-season fixture at 10,000-capacity WakeMed Soccer Park is the next step in working towards that goal. After a sparkling introduction from 'Voice of the RailHawks' Dean Linke, Johnson welcomed the Hammers to The Triangle for their five-day stay.
"We appreciate all the West Ham and RailHawks fans being here for a special occasion and historic game in Cary, North Carolina," said Johnson. "This is the first time a Premier League team has played a game against the RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park, and is something our owner Steve Mauer and I discussed when he took over the team in October 2015 as a goal, and it's fantastic to see those aspirations become a reality. "We have big aspirations for professional soccer in North Carolina and this is a huge step towards achieving our goals on and off the field. We look forward to a packed house on Tuesday night, a competitive game for the players and a great occasion for the fans."
Clarke, who enjoyed a successful 12-year playing career with Southampton, Portsmouth and Northern Ireland, is the RailHawks' longest-serving head coach, is also relishing the opportunity to face a team he scored against three times for the Saints. "I want to welcome Slaven, Mark and his staff and players. It's great to have you here and you can feel the excitement starting to build for Tuesday's game; it's going to be a very special occasion. "I'm just looking forward to watching our players step onto the field against a world-class team and see what they're all about. The most important thing is that we all have a good night and come away from it injury-free. "We wish West Ham all the best in their season. They have a new Stadium and plenty of new signings and are moving onto bigger and better things. It's an exciting time for them."
Talented captain and Raleigh, North Carolina native Albadawi is the RailHawks' standout midfielder and the leading chance-maker in the NASL this season, and cannot wait to lead his team out against 'one of the best teams in the world' on Tuesday. "It's amazing to be here as I've looked up to Mark as a player as he plays for one of the best teams in the world and I watch him almost every weekend on a Saturday morning," he began. "It's a great opportunity to play against him as a player, as I want to try to get to as high a level as I can, and I can find out where I am by playing against one of the best midfielders in the world. "Their support goes a long way, as we've seen a lot of West Ham jerseys out here, so it's going to be a great experience and we can't wait to get going."
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Hammers sign prolific striker
WHUFC.com
Fletcher signs four-year deal
The England U20 international scored in the Play-Off final win over Millwall
Fletcher becomes the fourth signing of the summer
West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of promising striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. The 20-year-old has joined the Hammers on a four-year contract and becomes the fourth signing of the summer following the arrival of Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore. England U20 international Fletcher spent the second half of last season on loan at Barnsley, for whom he scored the opening goal in the Tykes' League One Play-Off final victory over Millwall. The talented forward underwent a successful medical at Spire Roding Hospital before agreeing personal terms and cannot wait to show his best form for the east London Club. "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham. "I think it is a Club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season. They managed to finish the campaign very well. "West Ham are a Club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
Born in Keighley in West Yorkshire in October 1995, Fletcher was an outstanding student and athlete at school in Bolton, Greater Manchester, where he attained 12 GCSEs and excelled at football, cricket, athletics and basketball. Prior to that, Fletcher had joined Bolton Wanderers' Academy at the age of nine, spending four years with the Trotters before moving to Manchester United. The young forward came through the ranks at Old Trafford, scoring regularly at U16 and U18 levels before scoring in the final three games of the 2014/15 season as the Red Devils clinched the Under-21 Premier League title. Tall, strong, determined and blessed with a subtle touch, Fletcher struck up a potent partnership with the highly-rated James Wilson during his time within the Manchester United youth set-up, impressing in both domestic football and the UEFA Youth League.
Fletcher's ability and promise saw Barnsley take the 20-year-old on loan in January 2016, a decision they would certainly not regret as the Yorkshireman amassed nine goals and four assists in 27 appearances in all competitions At international level, he scored on his England U20 debut against France in November 2015, before partnering fellow Manchester United Academy graduate Marcus Rashford against Canada in March this year. The Hammers and Manchester United will now finalise the terms of the transfer after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of last season.
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Tore hits the ground running
WHUFC.com
New signing Gokhan Tore got straight down to work after completing his loan move to the Hammers on Monday. Tore took part in a number of stretches and exercises before moving on to some light ball work and a few different drills. The Turkish international was in good company as he was joined by Cheikhou Kouyate, who has recently returned from international duty with his native Senegal, and Michail Antonio who was also put through his paces following the birth of his daughter Myla Rose. The trio will meet up with the rest of the squad following their return from the Hammers' pre-season tour of the US. Tore looks set to make his debut for the Club when they fly out to Austria for a three-game tour next week.
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Byram – US Tour has been a good start
WHUFC.com
Sam Byram is hoping to impress Slaven Bilic when West Ham United take on Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday evening. The attack-minded right-back caught the eye during the first half of the Hammers' opening pre-season fixture at Seattle Sounders a week ago. And with the UEFA Europa League and Premier League campaigns less than a month away, Byram is hoping to catch the eye of the manager at WakeMed Soccer Park (kick-off 8pm ET). "We're enjoying the Tour, especially as we're getting a bit of sun for a change here in North Carolina!" Byram said. "The game is on Tuesday at 8pm and we will find out who is in the team later on! It's been a good chance for the new signings to bed in and for the young players on the trip to get some training, so I think it's a really good start. "It's been good out here. It's taken a bit of adjusting to get used to the heat as we're not used to training in this weather, but the lads are looking sharp and we're getting fitter every day, so we're looking forward to facing the RailHawks as it should be a good game. "For me, at the minute the focus is to make a solid place in the West Ham team and do the best I can. Later down the line, everyone has the aim of playing for their country, so we'll see."
The 22-year-old joined West Ham from Leeds United in January this year, and was thrown into Premier League action just days after completing his move from the Championship. Byram impressed immediately and started 2016/17 with the aim of establishing himself as the Hammers' first-choice right-back – but he knows that will be far from easy. "The main difference [between the Championship and Premier League] was the pace of the attackers, which I noticed straight away," he revealed. "When I played against teams previously, they weren't as quick in transition from defence to attack. "Even in training it's a lot sharper so it takes a while to adjust but that only makes you better as a player, playing against them and training with them, so I think I've improved since I've been at West Ham. "I believe I'm good enough to play in the Premier League, but when you're at a big club like West Ham there is going to be competition. Michail Antonio did fantastic at the end of last season. I'll just try to impress and hopefully I'll be in the manager's plans."
Byram is certainly enjoying life under manager Slaven Bilic, particularly the Croatian's preference for an attractive passing style of play. "He is very knowledgeable of the game of football and is very relaxed and down to Earth," he continued. "He will tell you when you need to be told something and, at the same time, he is there to tell you when you get things right. "We're very well organised as a team, everyone knows their jobs and he gets us playing football the right way, which is the main thing. He likes to get the ball down and pass it, so I've really enjoyed working with him so far."
For full details of Tuesday's pre-season match at Carolina RailHawks, click here.
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Moore's Champions Place tribute
WHUFC.com
A permanent tribute to West Ham United's favourite son, the late, great Bobby Moore, has been installed at the Hammers' new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The bespoke Champions Place legends stone, in tribute to West Ham's Barking-born World Cup winner, now sits among thousands commissioned by supporters.
Moore's daughter, Roberta, said: "It is fitting to think that my father's Champions Place stone is surrounded by tributes to the fans whom he held in such high esteem and who adored him.
"In this particularly special year, his legacy feels stronger than ever and I very much look forward to seeing the stone in person when I first visit the new Stadium with my family in the coming weeks."
Champions Place, the specially-designed walkway at the north entrance of London Stadium, enables supporters to see their very own tributes immortalised alongside Hammers legends.
Following the recent installation of late Academy starlet Dylan Tombides' stone, a number of other famous West Ham faces are to be immortalised on Champions Place in the coming days and weeks.
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Ashley Fletcher: England Under-20 striker joins West Ham from Man Utd
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have signed striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. The 20-year-old, who scored nine goals in 27 appearances while on loan at League One Barnsley last season, has signed a four-year contract after his United deal expired. "I think West Ham is a club with a lot of ambition," the England Under-20 International told West Ham's website. "They are a club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
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FLETCHER COMPLETES MOVE TO WEST HAM
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 8:04PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham have announced the signing of promising striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. The 20-year-old has joined the Hammers on a four-year contract and becomes the sixth signing of the summer following the arrival of Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli, Gokhan Tore, Antonio Martinez and Domingos Quina. England U20 international Fletcher spent the second half of last season on loan at Barnsley, for whom he scored the opening goal in the Tykes' League One Play-Off final victory over Millwall. Fletcher stated "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here. "I think it is a Club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season at the Boleyn. They managed to finish the campaign very well. "West Ham are a Club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
The young forward came through the ranks at Old Trafford, scoring regularly at U16 and U18 levels before scoring in the final three games of the 2014/15 season as the Red Devils clinched the Under-21 Premier League title. Fletcher struck up a potent partnership with the highly-rated James Wilson during his time within the Manchester United youth set-up, impressing in both domestic football and the UEFA Youth League. Fletcher also notched nine goals and four assists in 27 appearances with Barnsley last season in all competitions. At international level, he scored on his Under 20 debut against France in November 2015, before partnering fellow Manchester United Academy graduate Marcus Rashford against Canada in March this year. Both clubs will now finalise the terms of his transfer after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of last season.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 9:55PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
In this column, on my twitter account and occasionally on our forum I offer my opinion and give news out. Any other feature that you see on the site is not written by me and is the opinion of the writers. Our lunch time and afternoon round ups for example, I have no input in, but we bring them so you are up to date.
Fletcher Signs
Today I said on our forum (please get involved with this it is growing but we need more contributors ) that I had good news regarding transfers. That tweet was about Fletcher as I knew he had completed his drawn out move to the club. There had been a few delays due to contract issues and compensation fees but he has now been confirmed on the official site. The player is said to be highly talented and it really means our development squad is looking very impressive.
Bacca Deal
We have the two extremes of football reporting shown over this deal, depending on what you read you either think he has joined no question or that the deal is off and Bacca will never wear the Claret and Blue. Well I can say that neither of the situations is entirely correct. We met with Bacca's representatives today and negotiated the deal. As I have continuously said in my column the two parties are a distance apart on agreeing terms but not a huge amount so that it cannot happen. Round 2 of negotiations should happen tomorrow and as always DS is working on a compromise package. The deal already contains a number of clauses and there are a few others that can be amended and inserted to make the deal happen. The deal isn't agreed but there is a decent chance that it will be soon. Bacca has made it clear that he is happy to join us, he just wants to make sure that the financial package is to his liking. The one problem we have is that he knows how much the club want him. He also knows that we have missed about on Batshuayi and probably Lacazette. He also knows that we offered Carlos Tevez wages of £150k a week not that long ago so he is holding out to see what is the best deal he can get. I do think we are not that far off agreeing a deal and then of course he needs to pass a medical. I would hope this deal will be concluded this week.
The Secret Signing inches closer
I will get stick for not naming the player but I have been told in strong terms by two of my best sources that I am not allowed to (and I have to respect them and the importance of doing so). There has been a little bit of movement today with the transfer and the club are planning a smash and grab deal. The player is of a very high calibre and the club intend to make a move and try to thrash out a deal before any other club gets close. The club are trusting an agent who they have strong links with to try and help with the deal. It would be a major coup but at this stage it is extremely unlikely to happen.
Payet Deal
The club really do not want to sell the player and will do all they can to hold onto him. We will reject very large offers should they come in for the French international. He is happy at the club and I don't think anyone is worried that he will leave.
Rico Henry to Leeds
It has been reported that Leeds United have been for the Walsall left back who I revealed as a target of ours. It is thought that Rico is delaying on committing to a move because he intends to hold out and see if West Ham, Arsenal or Tottenham make a move for him. Should Henry move to Leeds it could pave the way for us to sign the current Leeds left back/left winger Charlie Taylor.
The continued search
DS is like a man possessed when it comes to great deals. In the last few days we have seen Pelle and now Janssen (Spurs) join other clubs as well as Batshuayi earlier on, so our forward target options are reducing. We will be exploring other targets soon pretty much all I have covered.
United scouts watching Oxford
It has been well documented how in the summer I reported that Manchester United had put in an enquiry for Oxford. The club do not wanted to sell him and that is why they were quite quick to dismiss the offer that I had previously mentioned in May. Whether United will come back for him is unclear at the moment but I would not be surprised if they do, it is a question of whether we can persuade him and his agent to ignore them again.
Matthew Kirk-IT saviour
I am sure you will all agree the website looks superb at the moment. Matthew has spent hours working on it and has personalised it exactly how I wanted it. He will be designing our new app soon and he has some great new features coming. I could not recommend him enough. He has a voucher which entitles all West Ham way fans to 30% off and is well worth doing if you want support with a website.
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12/07/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 11:10AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
£60 million bid for Higuain?
According to Calciomercato West Ham have made a £60 million bid for Gonzalo Higuain. No. Just no. If this is true I will go to the first game at the OS wearing nothing but a Millwall shirt and a Santa hat.
Snubbed by Gomis?
According to the very reliable French publication L'Equipe, Swansea forward Gomis has snubbed a move to West Ham, preferring a switch to French side Marseille. If true, the reason for this is believed to be that Marseille have offered Gomis a guaranteed spot in the starting 11 next season.
The Special One wants the Special Talent
The Daily Mirror are reporting that Manchester United boss-and self-proclaimed "special one"- Jose Mourinho has sent his scouts to keep an eye on West Ham's young prospect Reece Oxford. At the age of 16 Reece was making first team appearances for the Hammers last season, and is considered one of the brightest young talents in world football. With reports in the past that the northern club are interested in Oxford, there may just be some truth in these rumours. Squeaky bum time?
Gold backs Big Sam!
West Ham's co-owner David Gold is backing former Hammers gaffer Sam Allardyce to become next England manager. Gold told BBC Radio:"I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him [for the job]." He then went on to praise Allardyce, saying that Sam can meet "all those criteria", the "criteria" being what is needed to be suitable for the England manager job.
Is Payet for Sale? David Sullivan strikes back!
The other West Ham co-owner, David Sullivan, is also making the papers this morning! When asked, by the Daily Mirror, if superstar Payet was for sale, he responded by saying: "Payet is not for sale. Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He is worth 100m, even at his age." Thanks for putting us at ease David!
West Ham join race for Luuk De Jong?
Various reports are suggesting that West Ham have joined the race for prolific PSV striker Luuk De Jong. However, De Jong's representative,Louis Laros, told Dutch publication Voetbal International that there is interest in his man, but he is most likely to sign a new deal with current club PSV-Lucky them!
Bacca talks stall?
According to Italian media giant Di Marzio, West Ham have hit a bit of a brick wall in contract talks with Colombian forward Carlos Bacca. After having a huge bid of 23-28 million pounds accepted, West Ham are currently in talks with Bacca over a move to East London. It does seem, luckily, that this story was "clickbait". If you read the full article it claims that West Ham are "only" about ten thousand pounds off striking a deal with Bacca. So, no need to rush to panic stations…yet.
Truth in the Onazi hunt?
CaughtOffside are today reporting that Onazi, the Napoli midfielder who I reported on in yesterday's Lunchtime Round-Up, is in very, very early talks with many clubs, suggesting the Irons is one of them. Onazi's agent, Stephen Makinwa, has said: "There are many clubs interested in Onazi, including from England." He also confirmed that Besiktas are interested. The two English clubs sniffing around his man are rumoured to be West Ham and Sunderland.
It has certainly been a very busy morning for me, and I have a feeling it will continue to be a very busy week for the club also. Follow The West Ham Way on Twitter for all the latest updates; and look out for my Afternoon News Round-Up, which will be brought to you in a few hours time.
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KNOYLE SUFFERS INJURY SETBACK
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 2:06PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham's young full back Kyle Knoyle has suffered an injury set back before he has kicked a ball in anger for Wigan Athletic just days after he joined them on loan. The 19 year old right back joined up with the Latics squad on their preseason training trip to Portugal and unfortunately suffered a serious injury to his elbow that is likely to keep him out for months. Speaking to Paul Kendrick of the Wigan Evening Post Latics boss Gary Caldwell confirmed the injury stating that Knoyle "dislocated and fractured his elbow, he's already had to have an operation and it's going to be a long time (out)". Knoyle is staying at the Latics, at least for the time being, as he starts his rehabilitation and Caldwell hopes that he can make a good recovery.
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Fletcher deal competed
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have completed the signing of young striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. As exclusively revealed on the KUMB Forum last month, West Ham have signed England Under 20 international Fletcher from The Reds for a fee to be determined by tribunal. "I'm very excited to be here," the Keighly-born forward told whufc.com. "West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here. "I think it is a club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special season last year. They managed to finish the campaign very well. West Ham are a club built on a tradition of giving youngsters a run; hopefully I can get my chance as well."
Fletcher, whose most recent contract at Old Trafford expired at the end of last season made 27 appearances for Barnsley in League One during the 2015/16 campaign, scoring nine goals. He has signed a four-year contract with West Ham, tying him to the club until 2020.
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Gold: Payet still not for sale
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has told BBC Radio that Dimitri Payet is likely to remain a Hammer. Less than a week after a tabloid newspaper quoted Gold stating that it could be "difficult" to retain the 29-year-old's services, West Ham's 79-year-old co-owner was back in the media reiterating the club's desire to keep the French international. "He has a great relationship with the manager which is very important to a player," DG told Monday Night Club presenter Kelly Cates. "He's settled in London with his family. The fans adore him and we're going to the Olympic Stadium so we've done everything we can possibly do and I'm hoping that will be enough [to keep him]. "The super clubs would come after a player of his ability. W wouldn't even listen to any offer under £50million - and even then we need to keep our best players, so to be honest with you we don't welcome any offers for Dimitri.
"He is instrumental, he's important to us and the team is built around him. I would say to you he's not for sale."
Meanwhile, fellow co-owner David Sullivan has been telling a similar tale to the Daily Mirror. "Payet is not for sale," he said. "Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He is worth £100m. Even at his age. "He's under contract. There might be six weeks of silliness when he bangs the table. But if you believe what he says, he wants to stay. If someone wants to break the world record we might consider it. "The one-sided deal is if somebody comes in with £30-40m, offers the player double the money he's on and the player wants to go. We get ripped off. Why should that be the case? We're not going to stand for it."
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£50 seat arrives - covered in bird poo
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
A West Ham supporter who purchased his £50 plastic seat from the Boleyn Ground has received his gift - with additional extras. KUMB member baggs1981, posting on the Forum this morning was disgusted to open his commemorative box only to find his seat covered in pigeon droppings. "Anyone else think this is lazy/shameful/embarrassing from West Ham?" he asked fellow supporters. "I know many didn't agree with the £50 fee in the first place, but they could've used a Dettol spray and given them a wipe first!"
Sadly, baggs' tale isn't a unique one. "Mine is also in rather need of a clean and it has chewing gum stuck to it," wrote fellow KUMB Forum member k-r-c. Although the club made it quite clear that seats purchased by supporters were unlikely to be cleaned before being placed in their commemorative boxes, one wonders how difficult it would have been to have given them a quick wipe over first.
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No deal for Geoff's shirt
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
Geoff Hurst's red shirt from the 1966 World Cup Final has gone unsold after failing to meet its reserve price at auction. Despite "a great deal of interest" being expressed prior to the auction, Sotheby's failed to find a buyer for the iconic shirt - worn by the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. The #10 shirt, which is currently owned by a group of international investors, was expected to raise between £300,000-£500,000. It was first auctioned 16 years ago, when it sold for £91,750. Despite being privately owned, the shirt is currently on display in the National Football Museum in Manchester as part of an exhibition that runs until next April.
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Ashley Fletcher completes transfer to West Ham from Man United
By Andy Charles
Last Updated: 12/07/16 9:22pm
SSN
West Ham have finalised the signing of Manchester United striker Ashley Fletcher on a four-year contract. The 20-year-old becomes Slaven Bilic's fourth signing of the summer after Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore joined the club. The England U20 international ended last season on loan with then Sky Bet League One side Barnsley, scoring one of their goals as they secured promotion to the Championship in the play-off final against Millwall at Wembley. Fletcher was also a regular scorer at youth and U21 levels for United, and he scored on his England U20 debut against France last November. United will be due compensation with Fletcher's deal having run out at the end of the season, with West Ham saying terms were yet to be finalised. "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham," Fletcher told West Ham's official website. "I think it is a club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season. They managed to finish the campaign very well. "West Ham are a club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
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Dimitri Payet is worth £100m but West Ham won't sell, says David Sullivan
Last Updated: 12/07/16 6:26am
SSN
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan says Dimitri Payet is worth £100m, but the France star is "not for sale". Sullivan is preparing himself for "six weeks of silliness" in which Payet - who was named in the team of the tournament for Euro 2016 - is targeted by clubs across Europe before the Premier League season starts. But Sullivan is adamant that West Ham will not part with their prize asset and will risk upsetting Payet by rejecting offers from teams who may look to increase the player's salary. "Payet is not for sale," Sullivan told the Daily Mirror. "Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He is worth £100m. Even at his age. "He's only done what he has done at West Ham all season. He's a very talented player. He's probably the best free-kick taker in the world on current form." And he added: "He's under contract. There might be six weeks of silliness when he bangs the table. But if you believe what he says, he wants to stay. "If someone wants to break the world record (for him) we might consider it. Because it's not then one-sided. "The one-sided deal is if somebody comes in with £30-40m, offers the player double the money he's on and the player wants to go. We get ripped off. Why should that be the case? We're not going to stand for it. "We've given him a new contract. If he's still doing what he's doing now at Christmas or the end of the season we might give him another new contract.
"But he's only just signed a new contract four months ago and I don't see that a few games for France entitles a new contract after four months."
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Carlos Bacca to West Ham: AC Milan striker to decide on £26million move
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Ham will know in the next 72 hours whether their bid to sign AC Milan's Colombian striker Carlos Bacca has been successful. The Hammers have had a club-record £26million bid for Bacca accepted by Milan and are due to talk with the 29-year-old's representatives this week. A point in West Ham's favour is that Bacca, who scored 18 goals in 38 matches for the Italian Serie A side last season, wants European football. Slaven Bilic's team are due to begin their Europa League campaign at the third qualifying stage at the end of this month. West Ham have turned to Bacca after cooling their interest in Christian Benteke following the Liverpool striker's wage demands, while the financial package needed to sign Germany's Mario Gomez from Fiorentina has also proved prohibitive. The Hammers added to their squad on Monday by signing Gokhan Tore on a season-long loan deal from Besiktas with a view to a permanent deal. The 24-year-old, who worked under Slaven Bilic at Besiktas, believes he was unable to say no after the Croatian manager made an approach for his services. The club are also standing firm on the future of Dimitri Payet, with co-chairman David Gold insisting the France star will not be sold for under £50million this summer.
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West Ham plan £60m Higuain bid as Arsenal offer Giroud with rival bid - Tuesday's transfer gossip
TOM DUTTON
Evening STandard
The transfer rumour mill is in full swing as clubs look to reinforce their squads while juggling pre-season training. The future of Argentine strike Gonzalo Higuain dominates the transfer column inches, with the future of Olivier Giroud thrown into doubt over a possible move for the star, while Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is making moves to reinforce his squad just one day after starting work at the Stamford Bridge club. West Ham and Crystal Palace are among those already on tour, with both clubs preparing for friendlies in the US, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have all returned ahead of the new Premier League season. Victor Wanyama has started life at Spurs Lodge after signing a five-year deal with Mauricio Pochettino's side, and Hammers manager Slaven Bilic handed debuts to latest signings Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit in their recent game against Seattle Sounders. But what about the deals yet to go through? Here, Standard Sport rounds up Tuesday's transfer gossip, bringing you all the big stories from the morning's papers.
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West Ham weigh up Higuain bid
HITC
Shane Callaghan
Are West Ham United planning to win the summer transfer window by signing the Argentine? West Ham United are lining up a £59 million bid for Napoli goal machine Gonzalo Higuain, according to Calciomercato. The 28-year-old is one of the world's leading hitmen after netting 36 times in 35 Serie A outings for the Italian outfit last season. Consequently, the Argentina striker is beginning to court interest from some of Europe's finest, with Arsenal once again linked with a move for the former Real Madrid marksman. Chelsea have also been linked in recent years, but could another London club offer a huge statement of intent by bringing Higuain to the capital? Calciomercato have reported that West Ham are also weighing up whether to throw their names in the ring, with the Italian publication claiming that the Irons are willing to launch a £59 million bid to secure the striker's signature.
It would be one of the most surprising deals of the transfer window and undoubtedly signal West Ham's huge shift in ambition. Slaven Bilic needs a new striker, with Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho - who is expected to leave - representing the Croat's only two options at the moment. Plenty of names have been mentioned, including the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, but Higuain is arguably a level above their other so-called targets and bringing him to East London would be a massive coup.
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West Ham will not sell 'instrumental' Dimitri Payet for under £50million
TOM DOYLE
Evening Standard
Dimitri Payet will not be sold for under £50million this summer, according to West Ham co-chairman David Gold. Payet, 29, was West Ham star's player last season before impressing at Euro 2016 as hosts France reached the final, earning a spot in Uefa's team of the tournament and topping Uefa's charts based on statistics. The attacking midfielder's performances have seen him linked with a number of high-profile clubs, while Standard Sport understands that Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane is interested in bringing his compatriot to the Bernabeu. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic recently confirmed that Payet is happy to stay with the club as they move to the Olympic Stadium this summer, and Gold has backed that up by placing a substantial price tag on the player. "The super-clubs would come after a player of his ability," Gold told BBC Radio 5 live. "We wouldn't even listen to any offer under £50m and even then we need to keep our best players so we just don't welcome any offers at all for Dimitri. "He's instrumental, he's important to us, the team is built round him and he's not for sale."
When asked about the difficulty of keeping a star player at West Ham, Gold added: "You make him as happy as you can. "He has a great relationship with the manager, which is very, very important to a player. "He's settled in London with this family, the fans adore him and we're going to the Olympic Stadium. "We've done everything we possibly could do. I'm hoping that will be enough."
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West Ham close to meeting Carlos Bacca's demands, no agreement with agent yet
HITC
Olly Dawes
West Ham United are seemingly intent on landing Carlos Bacca from AC Milan. According to Sky Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham met with Carlos Bacca's agent on Monday - but were unable to reach an agreement over his wages. The Hammers have been focusing their attention on bringing in a new striker this summer, and whilst Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore will add creativity to the side, a new goalscorer is still needed. With questions over the future of both Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, at least one top striker is needed, and the Hammers appear to have zeroed in on Carlos Bacca as their top target. The Colombian international, 29, hit 49 goals in 108 games for Sevilla to earn a move to AC Milan last summer, and he continued to find the net with 20 goals in his first season for the Serie A club. However, West Ham are now trying to prise Bacca away from the San Siro, with Di Marzio claiming that a fee has been agreed between the two clubs - but Bacca's wages appear to be a sticking point right now. The report claims that Bacca's agent Sergio Barila was in London on Monday to discuss terms with West Ham, but no deal was struck as Bacca wants £65,000-a-week after taxes, whereas West Ham have only offered £57,000-a-week so far.
The figures are close to being agreeable between the parties, but with no deal agreed just yet, there will be growing concern that West Ham won't get the deal done. The Guardian do though claim that, whilst Bacca is a little reluctant to leave the San Siro, he has come around to the idea of joining Slaven Bilic's West Ham - and the Hammers will be hoping to get the deal over the line in the coming days.
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Lyon president says new stadium will sway West Ham target Lacazette's decision over future
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United had a £31 million bid for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette turned down last month and now his club's president has talked about his future. The Hammers have been linked with a host of top strikers this summer and are believed to currently be focusing their attentions on AC Milan's Carlos Bacca. With the big move to the 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium on the horizon in the coming month speculation has been rife about new additions to Slaven Bilic's squad. The East Londoners missed out on Marseille's Michy Batshuayi after he secured a move to London rivals Chelsea while there were also rumours about interest in Bournemouth's Callum Wilson, Juventus and Italy forward Simone Zaza and Liverpool's Christian Benteke to name but a few. Bilic's most concrete interest until now, though, appears to have been in France forward Lacazette with their club record bid turned own last month, as reported by Sky Sports. Given the Lyon star's age - he is just 25 - potential and goal ratio of just under one in every two matches, many Hammers fans have been hoping the club can push through the marquee striker signing their owners David Sullivan and David Gold have been craving.
'We are very happy'
But any hopes look to have been dashed after Lyon's president Jean-Michel Aulas insisted the club's new stadium and Champions League football will convince him to stay, as reported by L'Equipe. "It seems Alex wants to spend this season with Lyon in the new stadium," Aulas told L'Equipe. "He wants to know an adventure in the Champions League could be much better than last season. "I think he will stay with us and we are very happy." Lyon's new 59,186-seater Parc Olympique Lyonnais, nicknamed the Grand Stade and the Stade des Lumières, is not quite as big as West Ham's new Olympic Stadium however which is 60,000 seater and will increase to 66,000 from the 2017/18 season. It replaced the club's previous stadium, Stade de Gerland, in January and next season will be the Ligue 1 side's first full campaign in the swanky new ground. Unsurprisingly given Arsene Wenger remains the manager at the Emirates, Arsenal have also been credited with an interest in Lacazette. So if he was to decide on a move to the Premier League, Bilic would face stiff competition from North London for his signature. Wenger's somewhat uncertain long-term future could give the Hammers the edge, though, should the situation arise.
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Next England manager: Sam Allardyce is the right man for England, says West Ham co-chairman David Gold
STANDARD SPORT
Evening Standard
West Ham co-chairman David Gold has insisted he 'would not hesitate' to recommend the club's former boss Sam Allardyce for the England job. Allardyce is believed to have left Sunderland's training camp in Austria amid speculation that he is set to hold talks with the Football Association, with the insisting that it is merely to conduct transfer business.
The Hammers parted company with Allardyce last summer as the former Bolton and Blackburn manager made way for Slaven Bilic, before the 61-year-old took over at Sunderland in October. The Black Cats went on to secure their Premier League safety, and Gold admits that Allardyce's experience makes him a strong fit for the job. "I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him [for the England job]," Gold told BBC Radio 5 live. "He is determined, he is ambitious. He's been in the business a long time," he added. "I think the most important thing from my point of view is that he's English. Sam of course fits that bracket. You can rely on Sam meeting all those criteria."
The FA are looking for Roy Hodgson's successor after he stood down following England's disappointing display at Euro 2016. Hull City boss Steve Bruce has also been linked with the post, while Jurgen Klinsmann has 'held discussions' over the role according to his close friend and former team-mate, Oliver Bierhoff.
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West Ham chairman David Sullivan warns "barmy" transfer market is spiralling out of control
22:30, 11 JUL 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
With financial specialists Deloitte reckoning spending will top £1billion this summer, Sullivan fears the game has gone mad
The Mirror
West Ham chairman David Sullivan fears the transfer market has "gone barmy" and is spiralling out of control. Manchester United will make their world-record £100million move for France midfielder Paul Pogba this week. Financial specialists Deloitte believe this summer's spending will top £1billion for the first time and Sullivan fears a successful move for Pogba will set a new benchmark for Premier League spending. He said: "If you think about it, the £80million-£85million for the Gareth Bales and Ronaldos, it's all a bit historical now. "There is a lot more money around now than there was then, so you have got to assume that those fees are going to be smashed to bits."
Sullivan hopes to take £26million AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca to West Ham this week. But the Colombian wants parity with £125,000-a-week Dimitri Payet, who shone at Euro 2016.
Sullivan, set to hold talks with Bacca this week, added: "Every year we say the transfer window has gone crazy but it really has gone barmy this year – particularly if you are looking for strikers. "There are 20 or 30 clubs in Europe, all with money, looking for a striker. And when you have a club like Crystal Palace will to pay £125-130k a week to a guy at Liverpool [Christian Benteke], you do think it has gone barmy. "Add in the demands of agents and players, this year has just gone crazy."
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Jose Mourinho keeps eye on West Ham starlet Reece Oxford by sending Manchester United scouts to watch him play
Reece Oxford could be subject of £10m move from Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has kept tabs on the 17-year-old Hammer for some time
Paul Pogba deciding between return to United and new deal at Juventus
By JACK GAUGHAN and SAM CUNNINGHAM FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 11 July 2016 | UPDATED: 23:27, 11 July 2016
Jose Mourinho is stepping up his interest in West Ham's Reece Oxford by having him scouted at the Under 19 European Championship. The new Manchester United manager has identified the 17-year-old as a key player for the future and will have his scouts watch him when England play Holland on Friday at the tournament in Germany. Mourinho, who took over at United officially in May, has been tracking Oxford for a while and is prepared to start the bidding at £10million for the teenager. West Ham have no intention of selling the player as they move into the Olympic Stadium and embark on a Europa League campaign after an excellent first season under Slaven Bilic. But Oxford only has two years remaining on his West Ham contract and they may be tempted by advances from United. Oxford, who can play in central midfield or centre back, shot to fame when he was a surprise starter in West Ham's opening game of last season against Arsenal and starred in the match. He had already become their youngest player when he made his debut in a Europa League qualifier against FC Lusitanos last summer. He ended the season with 12 appearances in all competitions. Oxford is set to play for England Under 19s as they face France on Tuesday, Holland on Friday and Croatia next Monday.
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Dimitri Payet 'is worth £100m' but West Ham won't sell, says co-owner David Sullivan
Dimitri Payet will stay at West Ham - whether he wants to nor not, according to David Sullivan
Hammers co-owner tells curious clubs: 'we're not selling' at any price
Payet, already the best-paid player in West Ham history, could get new deal
By KIERAN GILL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 11 July 2016 | UPDATED: 23:11, 11 July 2016
West Ham have told their Euro 2016 sensation Dimitri Payet he is going nowhere this summer, even if he tells them he wants out. David Sullivan, West Ham's co-owner, is preparing for 'six weeks of silliness' in the summer's transfer window and believes the 29-year-old is worth £100million. The 67-year-old insists only a world-record offer will make them think about selling the France international, who has no release clause in his contract. Payet is already the best-paid player in West Ham's history on £120,000 per week but Sullivan is prepared to hand him a new deal if he continues to perform between now and Christmas. It is understood that would see him pocket £150,000 per week but other clubs could try to lure him this summer by offering him more money immediately. West Ham are refusing to be pushovers, however, and will not allow him to leave. Asked if he will sell Payet, Sullivan told Sportsmail: 'No, because he's under contract. 'There might be six weeks of silliness when he bangs the table. But if you believe what he says, he wants to stay.
'The joke is somebody bids £30m for him, you can't buy anything for £30m anymore. Just because he can get more money there, he expects us to sell him? Well, we're not selling anybody. 'If they want to break the world record we might consider it, because it's not then one-sided. 'The one-sided deal is somebody comes in with £30m or £40m, offers the player double the money he's on, and the player wants to go because he can double his money. We get ripped off. 'Why should that be the case? We're not going to stand for it. 'He's worth £100m, even at his age. But he's not for sale. Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He's signed a contract. You take the rough and smooth of a contract.
'Sometimes clubs have got to be tough and stand up and say he's contracted to us, he's our player.' Payet was named best performer at the Euros in UEFA's official rankings and it was his challenge that saw Cristiano Ronaldo make an early exit in the final. Payet signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with West Ham in February and, on the offer of improving that, Sullivan said: 'If he's still doing what he's doing now at Christmas or the end of the season we might give him another new contract. 'I don't see that three games for France entitles a new contract after four months.' Sullivan is currently involved as an investor in the making of The Hatton Garden Job, a film about the London heist that saw up to £200m stolen by a group of elderly thieves. The way the current transfer market is, though, Sullivan feels daylight robbery is happening all around him. 'I come down to the set for a bit of fun and a bit of light relief from the football, which is the hardest it has ever been,' Sullivan said. 'Every year we say the transfer window has gone barmy but it really has gone barmy this year, particularly if you are looking for strikers. 'There are 20 or 30 clubs in Europe, all with money, looking for a striker. 'When you have a club like Crystal Palace willing to pay £125,000 to £130,000 a week to a striker from Liverpool, you do think it has gone barmy. 'The demands of agents and players this year has gone crazy.'
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West Ham negotiating with Carlos Bacca over £26m move from Milan
• Colombian's agent in London for talks over personal terms
• West Ham hopeful of completing deal for 29-year-old
The Guardian
Ed Aarons
Monday 11 July 2016 23.31 BST Last modified on Monday 11 July 2016 23.56 BST
West Ham have been frustrated in their attempts to sign Carlos Bacca but remain confident of sealing a deal to sign the Colombia striker from Milan. Bacca, who moved to Italy from Sevilla last summer for €30m despite interest from Liverpool, has been told he can leave San Siro after West Ham's £26m offer was accepted last week. Yet after failing in their attempts to sign Michy Batshuayi when the Belgium striker joined Chelsea instead, co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have yet to make a breakthrough over proposed personal terms with Bacca's agent, who arrived in London on Monday for talks. However, it is understood that despite his initial reluctance to leave Milan, the 29-year-old is now open to the idea of joining Slaven Bilic's side. Last month, Bacca's agent told the Guardian that his client was keen to play in European competition next season after Milan failed to qualify after their seventh-placed finish in Serie A. West Ham, who also finished seventh in the Premier League, will discover their opponents in the Europa League third qualifying round when the draw is made on Friday. Despite Milan's disappointing season, Bacca scored 18 goals in the league to end the campaign as Italy's third top scorer, behind Napoli's Gonzalo Higuaín and Paulo Dybala of Juventus. Bacca scored 34 goals in 71 appearances for Sevilla, having joined from the Belgian side Club Brugge in 2013. He arrived in Europe at the age of 24 having spent his formative years at Barranquilla-based Atlético Junior, where he worked as a bus driver's assistant to supplement his income. There were also reports in France on Monday night that West Ham have made an approach for Swansea's Bafétimbi Gomis, the France striker who has also been linked with Marseille. Earlier on Monday, the club announced the season-long loan signing of the Besiktas winger Gokhan Tore.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.come
The Carolina RailHawks say the visit of West Ham United is a 'huge step forward' in their ambition to bring top-level professional football to North Carolina.
The RailHawks currently compete in the NASL (North American Soccer League) – the second tier of professional soccer in the United States – but new owner Steve Mauer has the aim of taking the club into the MLS. President Curt Johnson, head coach Colin Clarke and captain Nazmi Albadawi all believe Tuesday's sell-out pre-season fixture at 10,000-capacity WakeMed Soccer Park is the next step in working towards that goal. After a sparkling introduction from 'Voice of the RailHawks' Dean Linke, Johnson welcomed the Hammers to The Triangle for their five-day stay.
"We appreciate all the West Ham and RailHawks fans being here for a special occasion and historic game in Cary, North Carolina," said Johnson. "This is the first time a Premier League team has played a game against the RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park, and is something our owner Steve Mauer and I discussed when he took over the team in October 2015 as a goal, and it's fantastic to see those aspirations become a reality. "We have big aspirations for professional soccer in North Carolina and this is a huge step towards achieving our goals on and off the field. We look forward to a packed house on Tuesday night, a competitive game for the players and a great occasion for the fans."
Clarke, who enjoyed a successful 12-year playing career with Southampton, Portsmouth and Northern Ireland, is the RailHawks' longest-serving head coach, is also relishing the opportunity to face a team he scored against three times for the Saints. "I want to welcome Slaven, Mark and his staff and players. It's great to have you here and you can feel the excitement starting to build for Tuesday's game; it's going to be a very special occasion. "I'm just looking forward to watching our players step onto the field against a world-class team and see what they're all about. The most important thing is that we all have a good night and come away from it injury-free. "We wish West Ham all the best in their season. They have a new Stadium and plenty of new signings and are moving onto bigger and better things. It's an exciting time for them."
Talented captain and Raleigh, North Carolina native Albadawi is the RailHawks' standout midfielder and the leading chance-maker in the NASL this season, and cannot wait to lead his team out against 'one of the best teams in the world' on Tuesday. "It's amazing to be here as I've looked up to Mark as a player as he plays for one of the best teams in the world and I watch him almost every weekend on a Saturday morning," he began. "It's a great opportunity to play against him as a player, as I want to try to get to as high a level as I can, and I can find out where I am by playing against one of the best midfielders in the world. "Their support goes a long way, as we've seen a lot of West Ham jerseys out here, so it's going to be a great experience and we can't wait to get going."
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Hammers sign prolific striker
WHUFC.com
Fletcher signs four-year deal
The England U20 international scored in the Play-Off final win over Millwall
Fletcher becomes the fourth signing of the summer
West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of promising striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. The 20-year-old has joined the Hammers on a four-year contract and becomes the fourth signing of the summer following the arrival of Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore. England U20 international Fletcher spent the second half of last season on loan at Barnsley, for whom he scored the opening goal in the Tykes' League One Play-Off final victory over Millwall. The talented forward underwent a successful medical at Spire Roding Hospital before agreeing personal terms and cannot wait to show his best form for the east London Club. "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham. "I think it is a Club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season. They managed to finish the campaign very well. "West Ham are a Club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
Born in Keighley in West Yorkshire in October 1995, Fletcher was an outstanding student and athlete at school in Bolton, Greater Manchester, where he attained 12 GCSEs and excelled at football, cricket, athletics and basketball. Prior to that, Fletcher had joined Bolton Wanderers' Academy at the age of nine, spending four years with the Trotters before moving to Manchester United. The young forward came through the ranks at Old Trafford, scoring regularly at U16 and U18 levels before scoring in the final three games of the 2014/15 season as the Red Devils clinched the Under-21 Premier League title. Tall, strong, determined and blessed with a subtle touch, Fletcher struck up a potent partnership with the highly-rated James Wilson during his time within the Manchester United youth set-up, impressing in both domestic football and the UEFA Youth League.
Fletcher's ability and promise saw Barnsley take the 20-year-old on loan in January 2016, a decision they would certainly not regret as the Yorkshireman amassed nine goals and four assists in 27 appearances in all competitions At international level, he scored on his England U20 debut against France in November 2015, before partnering fellow Manchester United Academy graduate Marcus Rashford against Canada in March this year. The Hammers and Manchester United will now finalise the terms of the transfer after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of last season.
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Tore hits the ground running
WHUFC.com
New signing Gokhan Tore got straight down to work after completing his loan move to the Hammers on Monday. Tore took part in a number of stretches and exercises before moving on to some light ball work and a few different drills. The Turkish international was in good company as he was joined by Cheikhou Kouyate, who has recently returned from international duty with his native Senegal, and Michail Antonio who was also put through his paces following the birth of his daughter Myla Rose. The trio will meet up with the rest of the squad following their return from the Hammers' pre-season tour of the US. Tore looks set to make his debut for the Club when they fly out to Austria for a three-game tour next week.
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Byram – US Tour has been a good start
WHUFC.com
Sam Byram is hoping to impress Slaven Bilic when West Ham United take on Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday evening. The attack-minded right-back caught the eye during the first half of the Hammers' opening pre-season fixture at Seattle Sounders a week ago. And with the UEFA Europa League and Premier League campaigns less than a month away, Byram is hoping to catch the eye of the manager at WakeMed Soccer Park (kick-off 8pm ET). "We're enjoying the Tour, especially as we're getting a bit of sun for a change here in North Carolina!" Byram said. "The game is on Tuesday at 8pm and we will find out who is in the team later on! It's been a good chance for the new signings to bed in and for the young players on the trip to get some training, so I think it's a really good start. "It's been good out here. It's taken a bit of adjusting to get used to the heat as we're not used to training in this weather, but the lads are looking sharp and we're getting fitter every day, so we're looking forward to facing the RailHawks as it should be a good game. "For me, at the minute the focus is to make a solid place in the West Ham team and do the best I can. Later down the line, everyone has the aim of playing for their country, so we'll see."
The 22-year-old joined West Ham from Leeds United in January this year, and was thrown into Premier League action just days after completing his move from the Championship. Byram impressed immediately and started 2016/17 with the aim of establishing himself as the Hammers' first-choice right-back – but he knows that will be far from easy. "The main difference [between the Championship and Premier League] was the pace of the attackers, which I noticed straight away," he revealed. "When I played against teams previously, they weren't as quick in transition from defence to attack. "Even in training it's a lot sharper so it takes a while to adjust but that only makes you better as a player, playing against them and training with them, so I think I've improved since I've been at West Ham. "I believe I'm good enough to play in the Premier League, but when you're at a big club like West Ham there is going to be competition. Michail Antonio did fantastic at the end of last season. I'll just try to impress and hopefully I'll be in the manager's plans."
Byram is certainly enjoying life under manager Slaven Bilic, particularly the Croatian's preference for an attractive passing style of play. "He is very knowledgeable of the game of football and is very relaxed and down to Earth," he continued. "He will tell you when you need to be told something and, at the same time, he is there to tell you when you get things right. "We're very well organised as a team, everyone knows their jobs and he gets us playing football the right way, which is the main thing. He likes to get the ball down and pass it, so I've really enjoyed working with him so far."
For full details of Tuesday's pre-season match at Carolina RailHawks, click here.
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Moore's Champions Place tribute
WHUFC.com
A permanent tribute to West Ham United's favourite son, the late, great Bobby Moore, has been installed at the Hammers' new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The bespoke Champions Place legends stone, in tribute to West Ham's Barking-born World Cup winner, now sits among thousands commissioned by supporters.
Moore's daughter, Roberta, said: "It is fitting to think that my father's Champions Place stone is surrounded by tributes to the fans whom he held in such high esteem and who adored him.
"In this particularly special year, his legacy feels stronger than ever and I very much look forward to seeing the stone in person when I first visit the new Stadium with my family in the coming weeks."
Champions Place, the specially-designed walkway at the north entrance of London Stadium, enables supporters to see their very own tributes immortalised alongside Hammers legends.
Following the recent installation of late Academy starlet Dylan Tombides' stone, a number of other famous West Ham faces are to be immortalised on Champions Place in the coming days and weeks.
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Ashley Fletcher: England Under-20 striker joins West Ham from Man Utd
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have signed striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. The 20-year-old, who scored nine goals in 27 appearances while on loan at League One Barnsley last season, has signed a four-year contract after his United deal expired. "I think West Ham is a club with a lot of ambition," the England Under-20 International told West Ham's website. "They are a club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
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FLETCHER COMPLETES MOVE TO WEST HAM
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 8:04PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham have announced the signing of promising striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. The 20-year-old has joined the Hammers on a four-year contract and becomes the sixth signing of the summer following the arrival of Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli, Gokhan Tore, Antonio Martinez and Domingos Quina. England U20 international Fletcher spent the second half of last season on loan at Barnsley, for whom he scored the opening goal in the Tykes' League One Play-Off final victory over Millwall. Fletcher stated "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here. "I think it is a Club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season at the Boleyn. They managed to finish the campaign very well. "West Ham are a Club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
The young forward came through the ranks at Old Trafford, scoring regularly at U16 and U18 levels before scoring in the final three games of the 2014/15 season as the Red Devils clinched the Under-21 Premier League title. Fletcher struck up a potent partnership with the highly-rated James Wilson during his time within the Manchester United youth set-up, impressing in both domestic football and the UEFA Youth League. Fletcher also notched nine goals and four assists in 27 appearances with Barnsley last season in all competitions. At international level, he scored on his Under 20 debut against France in November 2015, before partnering fellow Manchester United Academy graduate Marcus Rashford against Canada in March this year. Both clubs will now finalise the terms of his transfer after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of last season.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 9:55PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
In this column, on my twitter account and occasionally on our forum I offer my opinion and give news out. Any other feature that you see on the site is not written by me and is the opinion of the writers. Our lunch time and afternoon round ups for example, I have no input in, but we bring them so you are up to date.
Fletcher Signs
Today I said on our forum (please get involved with this it is growing but we need more contributors ) that I had good news regarding transfers. That tweet was about Fletcher as I knew he had completed his drawn out move to the club. There had been a few delays due to contract issues and compensation fees but he has now been confirmed on the official site. The player is said to be highly talented and it really means our development squad is looking very impressive.
Bacca Deal
We have the two extremes of football reporting shown over this deal, depending on what you read you either think he has joined no question or that the deal is off and Bacca will never wear the Claret and Blue. Well I can say that neither of the situations is entirely correct. We met with Bacca's representatives today and negotiated the deal. As I have continuously said in my column the two parties are a distance apart on agreeing terms but not a huge amount so that it cannot happen. Round 2 of negotiations should happen tomorrow and as always DS is working on a compromise package. The deal already contains a number of clauses and there are a few others that can be amended and inserted to make the deal happen. The deal isn't agreed but there is a decent chance that it will be soon. Bacca has made it clear that he is happy to join us, he just wants to make sure that the financial package is to his liking. The one problem we have is that he knows how much the club want him. He also knows that we have missed about on Batshuayi and probably Lacazette. He also knows that we offered Carlos Tevez wages of £150k a week not that long ago so he is holding out to see what is the best deal he can get. I do think we are not that far off agreeing a deal and then of course he needs to pass a medical. I would hope this deal will be concluded this week.
The Secret Signing inches closer
I will get stick for not naming the player but I have been told in strong terms by two of my best sources that I am not allowed to (and I have to respect them and the importance of doing so). There has been a little bit of movement today with the transfer and the club are planning a smash and grab deal. The player is of a very high calibre and the club intend to make a move and try to thrash out a deal before any other club gets close. The club are trusting an agent who they have strong links with to try and help with the deal. It would be a major coup but at this stage it is extremely unlikely to happen.
Payet Deal
The club really do not want to sell the player and will do all they can to hold onto him. We will reject very large offers should they come in for the French international. He is happy at the club and I don't think anyone is worried that he will leave.
Rico Henry to Leeds
It has been reported that Leeds United have been for the Walsall left back who I revealed as a target of ours. It is thought that Rico is delaying on committing to a move because he intends to hold out and see if West Ham, Arsenal or Tottenham make a move for him. Should Henry move to Leeds it could pave the way for us to sign the current Leeds left back/left winger Charlie Taylor.
The continued search
DS is like a man possessed when it comes to great deals. In the last few days we have seen Pelle and now Janssen (Spurs) join other clubs as well as Batshuayi earlier on, so our forward target options are reducing. We will be exploring other targets soon pretty much all I have covered.
United scouts watching Oxford
It has been well documented how in the summer I reported that Manchester United had put in an enquiry for Oxford. The club do not wanted to sell him and that is why they were quite quick to dismiss the offer that I had previously mentioned in May. Whether United will come back for him is unclear at the moment but I would not be surprised if they do, it is a question of whether we can persuade him and his agent to ignore them again.
Matthew Kirk-IT saviour
I am sure you will all agree the website looks superb at the moment. Matthew has spent hours working on it and has personalised it exactly how I wanted it. He will be designing our new app soon and he has some great new features coming. I could not recommend him enough. He has a voucher which entitles all West Ham way fans to 30% off and is well worth doing if you want support with a website.
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12/07/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP!
BY MITCH FOYLE-YORK ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 11:10AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
£60 million bid for Higuain?
According to Calciomercato West Ham have made a £60 million bid for Gonzalo Higuain. No. Just no. If this is true I will go to the first game at the OS wearing nothing but a Millwall shirt and a Santa hat.
Snubbed by Gomis?
According to the very reliable French publication L'Equipe, Swansea forward Gomis has snubbed a move to West Ham, preferring a switch to French side Marseille. If true, the reason for this is believed to be that Marseille have offered Gomis a guaranteed spot in the starting 11 next season.
The Special One wants the Special Talent
The Daily Mirror are reporting that Manchester United boss-and self-proclaimed "special one"- Jose Mourinho has sent his scouts to keep an eye on West Ham's young prospect Reece Oxford. At the age of 16 Reece was making first team appearances for the Hammers last season, and is considered one of the brightest young talents in world football. With reports in the past that the northern club are interested in Oxford, there may just be some truth in these rumours. Squeaky bum time?
Gold backs Big Sam!
West Ham's co-owner David Gold is backing former Hammers gaffer Sam Allardyce to become next England manager. Gold told BBC Radio:"I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him [for the job]." He then went on to praise Allardyce, saying that Sam can meet "all those criteria", the "criteria" being what is needed to be suitable for the England manager job.
Is Payet for Sale? David Sullivan strikes back!
The other West Ham co-owner, David Sullivan, is also making the papers this morning! When asked, by the Daily Mirror, if superstar Payet was for sale, he responded by saying: "Payet is not for sale. Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He is worth 100m, even at his age." Thanks for putting us at ease David!
West Ham join race for Luuk De Jong?
Various reports are suggesting that West Ham have joined the race for prolific PSV striker Luuk De Jong. However, De Jong's representative,Louis Laros, told Dutch publication Voetbal International that there is interest in his man, but he is most likely to sign a new deal with current club PSV-Lucky them!
Bacca talks stall?
According to Italian media giant Di Marzio, West Ham have hit a bit of a brick wall in contract talks with Colombian forward Carlos Bacca. After having a huge bid of 23-28 million pounds accepted, West Ham are currently in talks with Bacca over a move to East London. It does seem, luckily, that this story was "clickbait". If you read the full article it claims that West Ham are "only" about ten thousand pounds off striking a deal with Bacca. So, no need to rush to panic stations…yet.
Truth in the Onazi hunt?
CaughtOffside are today reporting that Onazi, the Napoli midfielder who I reported on in yesterday's Lunchtime Round-Up, is in very, very early talks with many clubs, suggesting the Irons is one of them. Onazi's agent, Stephen Makinwa, has said: "There are many clubs interested in Onazi, including from England." He also confirmed that Besiktas are interested. The two English clubs sniffing around his man are rumoured to be West Ham and Sunderland.
It has certainly been a very busy morning for me, and I have a feeling it will continue to be a very busy week for the club also. Follow The West Ham Way on Twitter for all the latest updates; and look out for my Afternoon News Round-Up, which will be brought to you in a few hours time.
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KNOYLE SUFFERS INJURY SETBACK
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 12 JULY 2016 AT 2:06PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham's young full back Kyle Knoyle has suffered an injury set back before he has kicked a ball in anger for Wigan Athletic just days after he joined them on loan. The 19 year old right back joined up with the Latics squad on their preseason training trip to Portugal and unfortunately suffered a serious injury to his elbow that is likely to keep him out for months. Speaking to Paul Kendrick of the Wigan Evening Post Latics boss Gary Caldwell confirmed the injury stating that Knoyle "dislocated and fractured his elbow, he's already had to have an operation and it's going to be a long time (out)". Knoyle is staying at the Latics, at least for the time being, as he starts his rehabilitation and Caldwell hopes that he can make a good recovery.
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Fletcher deal competed
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have completed the signing of young striker Ashley Fletcher from Manchester United. As exclusively revealed on the KUMB Forum last month, West Ham have signed England Under 20 international Fletcher from The Reds for a fee to be determined by tribunal. "I'm very excited to be here," the Keighly-born forward told whufc.com. "West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here. "I think it is a club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special season last year. They managed to finish the campaign very well. West Ham are a club built on a tradition of giving youngsters a run; hopefully I can get my chance as well."
Fletcher, whose most recent contract at Old Trafford expired at the end of last season made 27 appearances for Barnsley in League One during the 2015/16 campaign, scoring nine goals. He has signed a four-year contract with West Ham, tying him to the club until 2020.
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Gold: Payet still not for sale
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has told BBC Radio that Dimitri Payet is likely to remain a Hammer. Less than a week after a tabloid newspaper quoted Gold stating that it could be "difficult" to retain the 29-year-old's services, West Ham's 79-year-old co-owner was back in the media reiterating the club's desire to keep the French international. "He has a great relationship with the manager which is very important to a player," DG told Monday Night Club presenter Kelly Cates. "He's settled in London with his family. The fans adore him and we're going to the Olympic Stadium so we've done everything we can possibly do and I'm hoping that will be enough [to keep him]. "The super clubs would come after a player of his ability. W wouldn't even listen to any offer under £50million - and even then we need to keep our best players, so to be honest with you we don't welcome any offers for Dimitri.
"He is instrumental, he's important to us and the team is built around him. I would say to you he's not for sale."
Meanwhile, fellow co-owner David Sullivan has been telling a similar tale to the Daily Mirror. "Payet is not for sale," he said. "Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He is worth £100m. Even at his age. "He's under contract. There might be six weeks of silliness when he bangs the table. But if you believe what he says, he wants to stay. If someone wants to break the world record we might consider it. "The one-sided deal is if somebody comes in with £30-40m, offers the player double the money he's on and the player wants to go. We get ripped off. Why should that be the case? We're not going to stand for it."
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£50 seat arrives - covered in bird poo
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
A West Ham supporter who purchased his £50 plastic seat from the Boleyn Ground has received his gift - with additional extras. KUMB member baggs1981, posting on the Forum this morning was disgusted to open his commemorative box only to find his seat covered in pigeon droppings. "Anyone else think this is lazy/shameful/embarrassing from West Ham?" he asked fellow supporters. "I know many didn't agree with the £50 fee in the first place, but they could've used a Dettol spray and given them a wipe first!"
Sadly, baggs' tale isn't a unique one. "Mine is also in rather need of a clean and it has chewing gum stuck to it," wrote fellow KUMB Forum member k-r-c. Although the club made it quite clear that seats purchased by supporters were unlikely to be cleaned before being placed in their commemorative boxes, one wonders how difficult it would have been to have given them a quick wipe over first.
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No deal for Geoff's shirt
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 12th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
Geoff Hurst's red shirt from the 1966 World Cup Final has gone unsold after failing to meet its reserve price at auction. Despite "a great deal of interest" being expressed prior to the auction, Sotheby's failed to find a buyer for the iconic shirt - worn by the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. The #10 shirt, which is currently owned by a group of international investors, was expected to raise between £300,000-£500,000. It was first auctioned 16 years ago, when it sold for £91,750. Despite being privately owned, the shirt is currently on display in the National Football Museum in Manchester as part of an exhibition that runs until next April.
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Ashley Fletcher completes transfer to West Ham from Man United
By Andy Charles
Last Updated: 12/07/16 9:22pm
SSN
West Ham have finalised the signing of Manchester United striker Ashley Fletcher on a four-year contract. The 20-year-old becomes Slaven Bilic's fourth signing of the summer after Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore joined the club. The England U20 international ended last season on loan with then Sky Bet League One side Barnsley, scoring one of their goals as they secured promotion to the Championship in the play-off final against Millwall at Wembley. Fletcher was also a regular scorer at youth and U21 levels for United, and he scored on his England U20 debut against France last November. United will be due compensation with Fletcher's deal having run out at the end of the season, with West Ham saying terms were yet to be finalised. "I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham," Fletcher told West Ham's official website. "I think it is a club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season. They managed to finish the campaign very well. "West Ham are a club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
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Dimitri Payet is worth £100m but West Ham won't sell, says David Sullivan
Last Updated: 12/07/16 6:26am
SSN
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan says Dimitri Payet is worth £100m, but the France star is "not for sale". Sullivan is preparing himself for "six weeks of silliness" in which Payet - who was named in the team of the tournament for Euro 2016 - is targeted by clubs across Europe before the Premier League season starts. But Sullivan is adamant that West Ham will not part with their prize asset and will risk upsetting Payet by rejecting offers from teams who may look to increase the player's salary. "Payet is not for sale," Sullivan told the Daily Mirror. "Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He is worth £100m. Even at his age. "He's only done what he has done at West Ham all season. He's a very talented player. He's probably the best free-kick taker in the world on current form." And he added: "He's under contract. There might be six weeks of silliness when he bangs the table. But if you believe what he says, he wants to stay. "If someone wants to break the world record (for him) we might consider it. Because it's not then one-sided. "The one-sided deal is if somebody comes in with £30-40m, offers the player double the money he's on and the player wants to go. We get ripped off. Why should that be the case? We're not going to stand for it. "We've given him a new contract. If he's still doing what he's doing now at Christmas or the end of the season we might give him another new contract.
"But he's only just signed a new contract four months ago and I don't see that a few games for France entitles a new contract after four months."
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Carlos Bacca to West Ham: AC Milan striker to decide on £26million move
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Ham will know in the next 72 hours whether their bid to sign AC Milan's Colombian striker Carlos Bacca has been successful. The Hammers have had a club-record £26million bid for Bacca accepted by Milan and are due to talk with the 29-year-old's representatives this week. A point in West Ham's favour is that Bacca, who scored 18 goals in 38 matches for the Italian Serie A side last season, wants European football. Slaven Bilic's team are due to begin their Europa League campaign at the third qualifying stage at the end of this month. West Ham have turned to Bacca after cooling their interest in Christian Benteke following the Liverpool striker's wage demands, while the financial package needed to sign Germany's Mario Gomez from Fiorentina has also proved prohibitive. The Hammers added to their squad on Monday by signing Gokhan Tore on a season-long loan deal from Besiktas with a view to a permanent deal. The 24-year-old, who worked under Slaven Bilic at Besiktas, believes he was unable to say no after the Croatian manager made an approach for his services. The club are also standing firm on the future of Dimitri Payet, with co-chairman David Gold insisting the France star will not be sold for under £50million this summer.
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West Ham plan £60m Higuain bid as Arsenal offer Giroud with rival bid - Tuesday's transfer gossip
TOM DUTTON
Evening STandard
The transfer rumour mill is in full swing as clubs look to reinforce their squads while juggling pre-season training. The future of Argentine strike Gonzalo Higuain dominates the transfer column inches, with the future of Olivier Giroud thrown into doubt over a possible move for the star, while Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is making moves to reinforce his squad just one day after starting work at the Stamford Bridge club. West Ham and Crystal Palace are among those already on tour, with both clubs preparing for friendlies in the US, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have all returned ahead of the new Premier League season. Victor Wanyama has started life at Spurs Lodge after signing a five-year deal with Mauricio Pochettino's side, and Hammers manager Slaven Bilic handed debuts to latest signings Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit in their recent game against Seattle Sounders. But what about the deals yet to go through? Here, Standard Sport rounds up Tuesday's transfer gossip, bringing you all the big stories from the morning's papers.
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West Ham weigh up Higuain bid
HITC
Shane Callaghan
Are West Ham United planning to win the summer transfer window by signing the Argentine? West Ham United are lining up a £59 million bid for Napoli goal machine Gonzalo Higuain, according to Calciomercato. The 28-year-old is one of the world's leading hitmen after netting 36 times in 35 Serie A outings for the Italian outfit last season. Consequently, the Argentina striker is beginning to court interest from some of Europe's finest, with Arsenal once again linked with a move for the former Real Madrid marksman. Chelsea have also been linked in recent years, but could another London club offer a huge statement of intent by bringing Higuain to the capital? Calciomercato have reported that West Ham are also weighing up whether to throw their names in the ring, with the Italian publication claiming that the Irons are willing to launch a £59 million bid to secure the striker's signature.
It would be one of the most surprising deals of the transfer window and undoubtedly signal West Ham's huge shift in ambition. Slaven Bilic needs a new striker, with Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho - who is expected to leave - representing the Croat's only two options at the moment. Plenty of names have been mentioned, including the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, but Higuain is arguably a level above their other so-called targets and bringing him to East London would be a massive coup.
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West Ham will not sell 'instrumental' Dimitri Payet for under £50million
TOM DOYLE
Evening Standard
Dimitri Payet will not be sold for under £50million this summer, according to West Ham co-chairman David Gold. Payet, 29, was West Ham star's player last season before impressing at Euro 2016 as hosts France reached the final, earning a spot in Uefa's team of the tournament and topping Uefa's charts based on statistics. The attacking midfielder's performances have seen him linked with a number of high-profile clubs, while Standard Sport understands that Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane is interested in bringing his compatriot to the Bernabeu. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic recently confirmed that Payet is happy to stay with the club as they move to the Olympic Stadium this summer, and Gold has backed that up by placing a substantial price tag on the player. "The super-clubs would come after a player of his ability," Gold told BBC Radio 5 live. "We wouldn't even listen to any offer under £50m and even then we need to keep our best players so we just don't welcome any offers at all for Dimitri. "He's instrumental, he's important to us, the team is built round him and he's not for sale."
When asked about the difficulty of keeping a star player at West Ham, Gold added: "You make him as happy as you can. "He has a great relationship with the manager, which is very, very important to a player. "He's settled in London with this family, the fans adore him and we're going to the Olympic Stadium. "We've done everything we possibly could do. I'm hoping that will be enough."
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West Ham close to meeting Carlos Bacca's demands, no agreement with agent yet
HITC
Olly Dawes
West Ham United are seemingly intent on landing Carlos Bacca from AC Milan. According to Sky Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham met with Carlos Bacca's agent on Monday - but were unable to reach an agreement over his wages. The Hammers have been focusing their attention on bringing in a new striker this summer, and whilst Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore will add creativity to the side, a new goalscorer is still needed. With questions over the future of both Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, at least one top striker is needed, and the Hammers appear to have zeroed in on Carlos Bacca as their top target. The Colombian international, 29, hit 49 goals in 108 games for Sevilla to earn a move to AC Milan last summer, and he continued to find the net with 20 goals in his first season for the Serie A club. However, West Ham are now trying to prise Bacca away from the San Siro, with Di Marzio claiming that a fee has been agreed between the two clubs - but Bacca's wages appear to be a sticking point right now. The report claims that Bacca's agent Sergio Barila was in London on Monday to discuss terms with West Ham, but no deal was struck as Bacca wants £65,000-a-week after taxes, whereas West Ham have only offered £57,000-a-week so far.
The figures are close to being agreeable between the parties, but with no deal agreed just yet, there will be growing concern that West Ham won't get the deal done. The Guardian do though claim that, whilst Bacca is a little reluctant to leave the San Siro, he has come around to the idea of joining Slaven Bilic's West Ham - and the Hammers will be hoping to get the deal over the line in the coming days.
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Lyon president says new stadium will sway West Ham target Lacazette's decision over future
HITC
Damien Lucas
West Ham United had a £31 million bid for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette turned down last month and now his club's president has talked about his future. The Hammers have been linked with a host of top strikers this summer and are believed to currently be focusing their attentions on AC Milan's Carlos Bacca. With the big move to the 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium on the horizon in the coming month speculation has been rife about new additions to Slaven Bilic's squad. The East Londoners missed out on Marseille's Michy Batshuayi after he secured a move to London rivals Chelsea while there were also rumours about interest in Bournemouth's Callum Wilson, Juventus and Italy forward Simone Zaza and Liverpool's Christian Benteke to name but a few. Bilic's most concrete interest until now, though, appears to have been in France forward Lacazette with their club record bid turned own last month, as reported by Sky Sports. Given the Lyon star's age - he is just 25 - potential and goal ratio of just under one in every two matches, many Hammers fans have been hoping the club can push through the marquee striker signing their owners David Sullivan and David Gold have been craving.
'We are very happy'
But any hopes look to have been dashed after Lyon's president Jean-Michel Aulas insisted the club's new stadium and Champions League football will convince him to stay, as reported by L'Equipe. "It seems Alex wants to spend this season with Lyon in the new stadium," Aulas told L'Equipe. "He wants to know an adventure in the Champions League could be much better than last season. "I think he will stay with us and we are very happy." Lyon's new 59,186-seater Parc Olympique Lyonnais, nicknamed the Grand Stade and the Stade des Lumières, is not quite as big as West Ham's new Olympic Stadium however which is 60,000 seater and will increase to 66,000 from the 2017/18 season. It replaced the club's previous stadium, Stade de Gerland, in January and next season will be the Ligue 1 side's first full campaign in the swanky new ground. Unsurprisingly given Arsene Wenger remains the manager at the Emirates, Arsenal have also been credited with an interest in Lacazette. So if he was to decide on a move to the Premier League, Bilic would face stiff competition from North London for his signature. Wenger's somewhat uncertain long-term future could give the Hammers the edge, though, should the situation arise.
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Next England manager: Sam Allardyce is the right man for England, says West Ham co-chairman David Gold
STANDARD SPORT
Evening Standard
West Ham co-chairman David Gold has insisted he 'would not hesitate' to recommend the club's former boss Sam Allardyce for the England job. Allardyce is believed to have left Sunderland's training camp in Austria amid speculation that he is set to hold talks with the Football Association, with the insisting that it is merely to conduct transfer business.
The Hammers parted company with Allardyce last summer as the former Bolton and Blackburn manager made way for Slaven Bilic, before the 61-year-old took over at Sunderland in October. The Black Cats went on to secure their Premier League safety, and Gold admits that Allardyce's experience makes him a strong fit for the job. "I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him [for the England job]," Gold told BBC Radio 5 live. "He is determined, he is ambitious. He's been in the business a long time," he added. "I think the most important thing from my point of view is that he's English. Sam of course fits that bracket. You can rely on Sam meeting all those criteria."
The FA are looking for Roy Hodgson's successor after he stood down following England's disappointing display at Euro 2016. Hull City boss Steve Bruce has also been linked with the post, while Jurgen Klinsmann has 'held discussions' over the role according to his close friend and former team-mate, Oliver Bierhoff.
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West Ham chairman David Sullivan warns "barmy" transfer market is spiralling out of control
22:30, 11 JUL 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
With financial specialists Deloitte reckoning spending will top £1billion this summer, Sullivan fears the game has gone mad
The Mirror
West Ham chairman David Sullivan fears the transfer market has "gone barmy" and is spiralling out of control. Manchester United will make their world-record £100million move for France midfielder Paul Pogba this week. Financial specialists Deloitte believe this summer's spending will top £1billion for the first time and Sullivan fears a successful move for Pogba will set a new benchmark for Premier League spending. He said: "If you think about it, the £80million-£85million for the Gareth Bales and Ronaldos, it's all a bit historical now. "There is a lot more money around now than there was then, so you have got to assume that those fees are going to be smashed to bits."
Sullivan hopes to take £26million AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca to West Ham this week. But the Colombian wants parity with £125,000-a-week Dimitri Payet, who shone at Euro 2016.
Sullivan, set to hold talks with Bacca this week, added: "Every year we say the transfer window has gone crazy but it really has gone barmy this year – particularly if you are looking for strikers. "There are 20 or 30 clubs in Europe, all with money, looking for a striker. And when you have a club like Crystal Palace will to pay £125-130k a week to a guy at Liverpool [Christian Benteke], you do think it has gone barmy. "Add in the demands of agents and players, this year has just gone crazy."
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Jose Mourinho keeps eye on West Ham starlet Reece Oxford by sending Manchester United scouts to watch him play
Reece Oxford could be subject of £10m move from Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has kept tabs on the 17-year-old Hammer for some time
Paul Pogba deciding between return to United and new deal at Juventus
By JACK GAUGHAN and SAM CUNNINGHAM FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 11 July 2016 | UPDATED: 23:27, 11 July 2016
Jose Mourinho is stepping up his interest in West Ham's Reece Oxford by having him scouted at the Under 19 European Championship. The new Manchester United manager has identified the 17-year-old as a key player for the future and will have his scouts watch him when England play Holland on Friday at the tournament in Germany. Mourinho, who took over at United officially in May, has been tracking Oxford for a while and is prepared to start the bidding at £10million for the teenager. West Ham have no intention of selling the player as they move into the Olympic Stadium and embark on a Europa League campaign after an excellent first season under Slaven Bilic. But Oxford only has two years remaining on his West Ham contract and they may be tempted by advances from United. Oxford, who can play in central midfield or centre back, shot to fame when he was a surprise starter in West Ham's opening game of last season against Arsenal and starred in the match. He had already become their youngest player when he made his debut in a Europa League qualifier against FC Lusitanos last summer. He ended the season with 12 appearances in all competitions. Oxford is set to play for England Under 19s as they face France on Tuesday, Holland on Friday and Croatia next Monday.
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Dimitri Payet 'is worth £100m' but West Ham won't sell, says co-owner David Sullivan
Dimitri Payet will stay at West Ham - whether he wants to nor not, according to David Sullivan
Hammers co-owner tells curious clubs: 'we're not selling' at any price
Payet, already the best-paid player in West Ham history, could get new deal
By KIERAN GILL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 11 July 2016 | UPDATED: 23:11, 11 July 2016
West Ham have told their Euro 2016 sensation Dimitri Payet he is going nowhere this summer, even if he tells them he wants out. David Sullivan, West Ham's co-owner, is preparing for 'six weeks of silliness' in the summer's transfer window and believes the 29-year-old is worth £100million. The 67-year-old insists only a world-record offer will make them think about selling the France international, who has no release clause in his contract. Payet is already the best-paid player in West Ham's history on £120,000 per week but Sullivan is prepared to hand him a new deal if he continues to perform between now and Christmas. It is understood that would see him pocket £150,000 per week but other clubs could try to lure him this summer by offering him more money immediately. West Ham are refusing to be pushovers, however, and will not allow him to leave. Asked if he will sell Payet, Sullivan told Sportsmail: 'No, because he's under contract. 'There might be six weeks of silliness when he bangs the table. But if you believe what he says, he wants to stay.
'The joke is somebody bids £30m for him, you can't buy anything for £30m anymore. Just because he can get more money there, he expects us to sell him? Well, we're not selling anybody. 'If they want to break the world record we might consider it, because it's not then one-sided. 'The one-sided deal is somebody comes in with £30m or £40m, offers the player double the money he's on, and the player wants to go because he can double his money. We get ripped off. 'Why should that be the case? We're not going to stand for it. 'He's worth £100m, even at his age. But he's not for sale. Just because a big club wants him, tough luck. He's signed a contract. You take the rough and smooth of a contract.
'Sometimes clubs have got to be tough and stand up and say he's contracted to us, he's our player.' Payet was named best performer at the Euros in UEFA's official rankings and it was his challenge that saw Cristiano Ronaldo make an early exit in the final. Payet signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with West Ham in February and, on the offer of improving that, Sullivan said: 'If he's still doing what he's doing now at Christmas or the end of the season we might give him another new contract. 'I don't see that three games for France entitles a new contract after four months.' Sullivan is currently involved as an investor in the making of The Hatton Garden Job, a film about the London heist that saw up to £200m stolen by a group of elderly thieves. The way the current transfer market is, though, Sullivan feels daylight robbery is happening all around him. 'I come down to the set for a bit of fun and a bit of light relief from the football, which is the hardest it has ever been,' Sullivan said. 'Every year we say the transfer window has gone barmy but it really has gone barmy this year, particularly if you are looking for strikers. 'There are 20 or 30 clubs in Europe, all with money, looking for a striker. 'When you have a club like Crystal Palace willing to pay £125,000 to £130,000 a week to a striker from Liverpool, you do think it has gone barmy. 'The demands of agents and players this year has gone crazy.'
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West Ham negotiating with Carlos Bacca over £26m move from Milan
• Colombian's agent in London for talks over personal terms
• West Ham hopeful of completing deal for 29-year-old
The Guardian
Ed Aarons
Monday 11 July 2016 23.31 BST Last modified on Monday 11 July 2016 23.56 BST
West Ham have been frustrated in their attempts to sign Carlos Bacca but remain confident of sealing a deal to sign the Colombia striker from Milan. Bacca, who moved to Italy from Sevilla last summer for €30m despite interest from Liverpool, has been told he can leave San Siro after West Ham's £26m offer was accepted last week. Yet after failing in their attempts to sign Michy Batshuayi when the Belgium striker joined Chelsea instead, co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have yet to make a breakthrough over proposed personal terms with Bacca's agent, who arrived in London on Monday for talks. However, it is understood that despite his initial reluctance to leave Milan, the 29-year-old is now open to the idea of joining Slaven Bilic's side. Last month, Bacca's agent told the Guardian that his client was keen to play in European competition next season after Milan failed to qualify after their seventh-placed finish in Serie A. West Ham, who also finished seventh in the Premier League, will discover their opponents in the Europa League third qualifying round when the draw is made on Friday. Despite Milan's disappointing season, Bacca scored 18 goals in the league to end the campaign as Italy's third top scorer, behind Napoli's Gonzalo Higuaín and Paulo Dybala of Juventus. Bacca scored 34 goals in 71 appearances for Sevilla, having joined from the Belgian side Club Brugge in 2013. He arrived in Europe at the age of 24 having spent his formative years at Barranquilla-based Atlético Junior, where he worked as a bus driver's assistant to supplement his income. There were also reports in France on Monday night that West Ham have made an approach for Swansea's Bafétimbi Gomis, the France striker who has also been linked with Marseille. Earlier on Monday, the club announced the season-long loan signing of the Besiktas winger Gokhan Tore.
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