WHO Poll
Q: 2023/24 Hopes & aspirations for this season
a. As Champions of Europe there's no reason we shouldn't be pushing for a top 7 spot & a run in the Cups
24%
  
b. Last season was a trophy winning one and there's only one way to go after that, I expect a dull mid table bore fest of a season
17%
  
c. Buy some f***ing players or we're in a battle to stay up & that's as good as it gets
18%
  
d. Moyes out
37%
  
e. New season you say, woohoo time to get the new kit and wear it it to the pub for all the big games, the wags down there call me Mr West Ham
3%
  



Alan 10:07 Wed Aug 5
Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
BBC

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, 24, will be offered a new contract worth £100,000 a week to ward off interest in the Englishman from Manchester United. (Sun)

Manchester City have not made an approach for Barcelona right-back Sergi Roberto, despite being heavily linked to the 28-year-old Spain international - and do not plan to. (Manchester Evening News)

Manchester United's English goalkeeper Dean Henderson, 23, is to demand first-choice status ahead of David de Gea if he is to return to Old Trafford after a successful loan spell with Sheffield United. (Sun)

American billionaire and Roma owner James Pallotta has declined to comment on reports linking him to a takeover of Newcastle. (Northern Echo)

Premier League champions Liverpool are close to completing a £9m deal for Real Betis and Algeria defender Aissa Mandi, 28. (Bein Sports via Mail)

The Reds are also preparing a £10m bid for Norwich and Northern Ireland left-back Jamal Lewis, 22, as they look for cover for Andy Robertson. (Mirror)

Burnley have warned Leicester that they will not consider selling English centre-back James Tarkowski, 27, for less than his £50m release clause. (Mail)

Southampton's Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 24, is set to join Tottenham for £15m, with English full-back Kyle Walker-Peters, 23, going in the opposite direction in a permanent deal worth £12m. (Telegraph - subscription required)

Former Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic says he will "probably" link up with his old boss Carlo Ancelotti at Everton. (Sun)

Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Wolves have indicated their interest in signing 22-year-old Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr from relegated Watford. (Watford Observer)

Scotland's 26-year-old playmaker Ryan Fraser, who is a free agent after leaving Bournemouth, has been offered a £50,000-a-week contract by Crystal Palace. (Mail)

Leeds are hoping to buy Feyenoord's Argentine defender Marcos Senesi, 23. (Talksport)

Leicester City have asked Barcelona if they can take 20-year-old Portuguese forward Francisco Trincao on a two-season loan, including an obligation to buy him for £45m at the end of the spell. (Guardian)

Everton will not be signing namesake Everton - the Brazil forward, 24, looks set to join Portuguese side Benfica from Gremio. (Goal)

Southampton are interested in Groningen defender Deyovaisio Zeefuik, 22, but the Dutchman is believed to prefer a move to Germany. (Southern Daily Echo)

Chelsea's chances of securing a deal for Brentford's Algerian winger Said Benrahma, 24, have increased after the Bees' Championship play-off defeat by Fulham. (Football London)

Queens Park Rangers forward Eberechi Eze, 22, is being eyed by London rivals Crystal Palace and West Ham, with the Championship club rating the England Under-21 international at £20m. (Evening Standard)

Former Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes, 19, has joined French club Lille on a five-year deal after the Englishman left Old Trafford this summer. (Metro)

Newcastle are weighing up a move for Bournemouth's Norwegian striker Josh King, 28, and their Welsh midfielder David Brooks, 23, after the Cherries were relegated from the Premier League. (Telegraph - subscription required)





Guardian Rumour Mill

Daniel Harris

Homegoing, Sopranos, the Godfather – we all love a good saga. But there is no emotional thrill like that of a long, drawn-out transfer situation – will such and such a footballer play football for such and such a club, or for such and such other club? Over how many years will the fee be amortised? Which suit will look smuggest? We must be told! These are the central dramatic questions that matter!

The feelgood story of this summer will obviously be nothing at all, because the world is in the process of destroying itself, but the story that thinks it’s the feelgood story of this summer is Jadon Sancho’s move to Manchester United. For a while it looked like it was just going to happen, mainly because it is just going to happen. But then we got to the end of Act II, at which point Fredo Woodward made Borussia Dortmund an offer they absolutely could refuse, so they refused it and then someone told everyone. No! All is lost! Just chill, to the next episode.

United also have an interest in acquiring the player they’re all calling the new Lee Hendrie. Aston Villa, though, would like to keep Jack Grealish, so have offered him a £100,000-a-week contract, which they are pretending – perhaps to themselves, perhaps to their fans, perhaps to both – will persuade him to stay at his hometown club. Meanwhile, Villa are interested in Odsonne Edouard, but the move is odds against – Leeds and Arsenal are also keen on the striker, who scored a 33-minute hat-trick at the weekend, and Celtic do not want to sell.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are looking to strengthen, and are supposedly close to paying £9m for Aïssa Mandi, Real Betis’s Algerian defender. Comfortable at right-back or centre-back, on the pitch he would replace Dejan Lovren, but who will enrich the ailing squad with thoughtful political insights remains unclear.

Liverpool would also like to buy some back-up for Andy Robertson – which makes sense, given his attempts to sound rousing and aggressive will eventually anger someone harder than him. As such, they intend to offer £10m for Norwich’s Jamal Lewis, a key member of a defence which conceded a league-leading 75 league goals.

Nor is that all. Liverpool’s feeder club are also working, registering interest in Deyo, Deyo, Deyovasio Zeefuik of Groningen. The 22-year-old right-back, though, is thought to prefer Germany to Southampton, with Hertha Berlin among his suitors.

Across Stanley Park, Evertonian pulses are racing: Carlo Ancelotti would like to sign Branislav Ivanovic from Zenit St Petersburg. The 76-year-old defender, who played for Ancelotti at Chelsea, is a free agent and keen on the move, but has also been linked with Crvena Zvezda.

Further north, Newcastle plan to rebound from the disappointment of not being owned by human rights abusers, with an oft-mentioned but rarely seen double-swoop. They are keen on Josh King and David Brooks, who are likely to be available for reasonable money, following Bournemouth’s relegation. But there’s a fair chance both players will have better offers; perhaps a heart-rending petition might persuade them to the contrary.

Another player in demand is Eze Eberechi – and not just because of the Eze’s good, Eze like Sunday morning, terrace anthem potential. The QPR attacker has established himself as one of the Championship’s most exciting players, so the interest of Crystal Palace and West Ham United is no great surprise. The former made an offer thought to be in the region of £12m; it was refused by Rangers, who are believed to want somewhere around £20m.

And finally, Palace have also indicated interest in Ismaïla Sarr, likely to be available following Watford’s relegation. But Wolves and Liverpool are also monitoring the situation. FADE TO BLACK.








TBR

One year on from West Ham release, Toni Martinez reportedly on Porto’s radar

It may have come as a surprise to some when it started to become apparent that Toni Martinez was seemingly facing an uphill battle to make the grade with West Ham United.

Martinez went into the 2018/19 season having scored nine goals in just 13 appearances for the Hammers’ under-23s in Premier League 2.

However, three loan spells to Spain from 2018 onwards yielded just four goals in 41 games. So it, sadly, seemed to make a lot of sense when the Irons decided to release the 23-year-old last summer when his contract expired.

Martinez ended up joining Famalicao in Portugal’s top flight. And it is fair to say that he has gone on to enjoy, by far, his best season in senior football to date.

The Spaniard scored 10 goals and provided five assists in the league. He also scored four goals in six cup appearances.

And now, it appears that he could be on the move once again this summer.

Portuguese outlet O Jogo has claimed that champions Porto rate Martinez highly and are interested in signing him during this window.

A move to Estadio do Dragao would present the youngster with the chance to potentially play in the Champions League next season.

TBR View: West Ham surely made right call letting Martinez go, but Irons may still be made to rue decision

It is quite the turnaround for Martinez.

And it remains to be seen if West Ham are made to rue their decision to let the forward leave.

In truth, it is difficult to look at Martinez’s numbers and believe that the Hammers made the wrong decision at that time.

But it would be no surprise to see David Moyes look to strengthen his striker options this summer. Sebastien Haller struggled for much of his first year in England.

Martinez’s improvement perhaps adds a little more pressure. And if Hammers fans ultimately see him playing in Europe’s top competition for Porto next season, they may wonder why the club did let him go in 2019.


West Ham United reportedly make £6.7m offer for Gonzalo Montiel

West Ham United have reportedly made a bid for River Plate star Gonzalo Montiel, according to Goal.

The Hammers are on the hunt for a new right-back this summer following the departure of youngster Jeremy Ngakia and veteran Pablo Zabaleta.

Tomas Soucek’s former Slavia Prague team-mate Vladimír Coufal is one potential option but Montiel now appears to be a very viable option.

The report from Goal suggests that West Ham have made an offer of €7.5 million (£6.7m) for the 80 percent rights that River own regarding Montiel.

The other 20 percent appears to be owned by a third-party, meaning West Ham would need to come to an agreement over that. West Ham fans know all too well how difficult life can become when third-party agreements for Argentine footballers are not settled.

The report claims that River are aware they may need to accept a lower offer for the player in the current financial climate. That is despite Montiel having a €20 million release clause (£18m), as reported by La Pagina Millionaria.

Montiel, who has two caps for the Argentine national team, is just 23-years-old and would represent a serious investment for the future from West Ham if a deal can be done.

Whilst that third-party business will need to get sorted as well, at an initial price of just £6.7m, this could be a real bargain for the Hammers.









Replies - Newest Posts First (Show In Chronological Order)

chiff 6:47 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Thanks Alan

Mex Martillo 4:56 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Thanks Alan 1:41 Wed Aug 5

Texas Iron 2:16 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Cheers...

Thanks Alan 1:41 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
With Kind Regards 10:57 Wed Aug 5

Alan 12:23 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Guardian Rumour Mill added

Sven Roeder 11:08 Wed Aug 5
Thanks Alan
Thanks Alan

Alwaysaniron 11:05 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Oh and Thanks Al

Alwaysaniron 11:04 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Oh good, 3rd party Argentinian players. Just what we need with Sheffield Utd back in the Prem.

With Kind Regards 10:57 Wed Aug 5
Re: Wednesday newspapers (includes West Ham)
Thanks Alan.





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