In the run-up to the new season and in the absence of my normal opposition Q&A I have agreed with Iain I will do a summary of the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip which we have run in the last week on Claret and Hugh. To be honest, I find it difficult to keep up with every name we are linked with myself to so the plan is to summarise all the names in one place on a weekly basis.
Confirmed transfers so far are:
Havard Nordtveit will join the club on 1st July on wages of around £35k a week. The former Borussia Moenchengladbach signs on a five-year deal and returns to London six years after leaving Arsenal to join Moenchengladbach.
Antonio Martinez is the 18-year-old starlet from Valencia who has also signed for the Academy, he has scored 100 goals in the last four seasons. West Ham paid an initial fee of one million Euros which could rise to 3 million Euros. The contract is thought to include a sell on clause. The Spanish Under 17 international, will officially join the club on a three-year contract on July 1st but is already training with his future team-mates.
David Sullivan said this week “We know that we need a top striker which is the hardest thing to sign. We need a 20-goal-a-season striker and that will cost us £25m or £30million. That is where the bulk of the money goes.We also need the occasional long shot which is the cheaper player that may come good. We want to sign more players.
“There might be a few fringe players who we will let go and use that to bring in two or three more players.We have already signed one player for next season and there will be other signings. I would think that four, five or six players will come in this summer depending on how many go and hopefully we do just as well or even better next season.”
I understand that West Ham will be sending scouts to Euro 2016 but are unlikely to be clinching any deals ahead of the competition in France. Despite plenty of hopeful speculation that we will be completing deals over the next two or three weeks, the Irons are struggling to get land initial targets. Slaven Bilic has also signed up to ITV as part of the commentary team for the Euros.
The Rumour corner
West Ham have moved in front of Spurs as the battle for Michy Batshuayi rumbles on towards the opening of the transfer window.The Belgian international striker – having made it clear he is leaning towards a Premier League move – is concerned about penning a long term White Hart Lane deal. He believes he’s likely to be used as a back up to Harry Kane and see West Ham and possibly interested Liverpool as better options. Marseilles are believed to want a €40m fee.
Roma have shown an interest in reported West Ham target – Newcastle forward Georginio Wijnaldum. His agent Humphrey Nijman, told RomaNews: ‘Wijnaldum’s situation right now is very simple. The Holland international – who cost Newcastle £14.5 million – has been regularly linked as a possible signing for the Irons as a search for a striker goes on.
West Ham are said weighing up a move for Inter Milan centre back Jeison Murillo in the summer, according to Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset. The report claims the 23-year-old is wanted by Leicester City, Stoke City, Everton in addition to the Hammers and was previously a target for Manchester United. It has been claimed that Murillo, whose present contract with Inter Milan runs until 2020, could fetch around £15m.
West Ham are claimed to be among a number of teams weighing up a move for Lyon winger Rachid Ghezzal. The 24-year-old French-born Algerian wide man only has a year remaining on his contract at the French giants with his future very much in doubt.Several Premier League teams including Liverpool, Stoke City, Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Sunderland in addition to West Ham are monitoring his contract situation.
West Ham have reacted with great cynicism to reports they will need to find £17 million to land Beskitas winger Gokhan Tore.The club was reported as having seen a £12 million offer rejected by the Turkish club who are quoted as wanting £17 million for the player – double what it was claimed we were ready to pay when one of the regular reports surfaced a couple of months back!
Go French Football have confirmed the reason Alexandre Lacazette had turned down a move to the Hammers because of their absence from the Champions League but Lyon are said to have slapped a 50 million Euro valuation on the striker and as yet PSG have yet to make their move.
Reports in Italy suggest Juventus striker Simone Zaza is back on West Ham’s latest transfer target again this summer. He joined Massimiliano Allegri’s side last summer from Sassuolo in an €18 million deal, hitting the back of the net five times in Serie A action. If true, West Ham aren’t alone in showing interest to the front man, who they’ve been linked with over the past twelve months, however, Premier League rivals Southampton are also mulling over a move for the 24-year-old it is claimed.
Reports in the Daily Mail suggest West Ham have made enquiries for Lille left back Djibril Sidibe. Watford, Arsenal , Everton and Lyon are also reported to have made enquiries for the 23-year-old, who can also play as a right back. Sidibe is valued at 15 million euros (£11.5m) by his club, who finished the 2015-16 season in fifth place in Ligue 1.
Jamie Vardy is available to Champions League clubs although his personal demands are likely to remain out of West Ham’s reach.The 29 year old is understood to have a £25m release trigger in his contract and the Irons are ready to pay the fee. I understand that a minimum £100k a week plus first team appearance bonuses would be involved and that could rise to as high as £125k plus.
Regular speculation that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a West Ham target is now dead in the water with Jose Mourinho ready to take over the reins at Old Trafford. The 34-year-old is a free agent after leaving Paris St-Germain and United are set to hand him a one-year, £250,000-a-week contract.
According to Mercato 365, AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca has been added to West Ham’s extended list of striker transfer targets this summer. He’s scored 17 times in the league this season and added two assists but could be allowed to leave AC Milan in the summer and is valued at 30 million Euros (£23m).
The Irons are interested in signing both Mathieu Debuchy and Gregory van der Wiel this summer, according to Get French Football. Arsenal right-back Debuchy left the Gunners and was allowed to join Bordeaux on loan in January, whilst PSG’s van der Wiel is out of contract with les Parisiens next month.
Allnigeriasoccer.com claims that West Ham has tabled a bid of £155,000 for U20 international Chukwudi Agor. The 17-year-old is from the ASJ Academy, the same team where the Arsenal linked midfielder Kelechi Nwakali first cut his footballing teeth.
Enner Valencia will not be joining West Bromwich Albion in the summer. However, there are interested clubs in Europe and China. Athough the player’s contract has another three years to run the club are ready to listen to offers close to the £12 million the Irons paid for the Ecuador international.
Napoli are again being reported as being ready to bid for Pedro Obiang in the summer transfer window. A report in www.calciomercato.it claims that the Serie A team hope to lure the 24-year-old away from the Premier League with the promise of regular first team football. I understand that West Ham would be ready to listen to sensible offers.
We know the silly season is now in full swing with the ludicrous suggestion linking Michail Antonio with newly promoted Middlesbrough for £8m in the transfer gossip section of the London Evening Standard. David Gold summed it up best on this twitter when he simply said “Dream on” in respond to the report.
Reece Oxford has been linked to Liverpool after previously being linked to Manchester City and United. He has 18 months left to run on his contract and can’t sign a new contract until 16th December this year when he reaches 18. He is thought to be on £7,000 per week and asking for £20,000 per week. He laughed at reports in the Sun claiming he was requesting £40,000 per week to sign a new contract in December.
More transfer news, rumours and gossip next week.