West Ham Online

Mex Martillo 4:32 Wed Aug 14 HaHa that was my first thought too. Not anything about the article :-).

Cheers…

Moving puctures! A new WHO first.

Thanks Alan 2:07 Wed Aug 14

Thanks Alan

"BBC Brentford are holding out for at least £60m for 28-year-old England striker Ivan Toney, who is being monitored by Chelsea and Manchester United. (Independent) Ajax are interested in signing Arsenal's England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, 26. (Sky Sports) Arsenal are considering a move for Espanyol's 23-year-old Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia as Ajax ponder a new offer for Ramsdale after having a loan bid rejected. (Mail) Real Madrid will not allow 24-year-old Brazil forward Vinicius Junior to leave for the Saudi Pro League even if they receive a world record fee. (AS - in Spanish) Al-Ittihad do not want to sell France midfielder N'Golo Kante, 33, despite links with West Ham and Atletico Madrid. (Fabrizio Romano) Bournemouth are targeting Arsenal's 25-year-old English forward Eddie Nketiah to fill the void left by Dominic Solanke's move to Tottenham. (Mail) Brighton have made an approach for 26-year-old French defender Olivier Boscagli, but PSV Eindhoven want much more than the Seagulls have offered. (Eindhovens Dagblad - in Dutch) Leicester City have made a £4m offer for Crystal Palace and Ghana forward Jordan Ayew, 32. (Mail) Chelsea want to hand Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson a two-year extension that would commit him to the club until 2033. (Telegraph - subscription required) Everton have had an offer of £23.9m including add-ons for 19-year-old Brazilian striker Vitor Roque rejected by Barcelona. (Sky Germany) Manchester United are interested in signing 33-year-old former Chelsea and Spain defender Marcos Alonso, who is a free agent after leaving Barcelona. (Athletic - subscription required) Wales defender Ben Davies, 31, is likely to see out the final year of his contract at Tottenham rather than look for a move elsewhere this summer. (Football Insider) Napoli and RB Leipzig are leading the race to sign Atletico Madrid's 20-year-old Spanish forward Samu Omorodion after his move to Chelsea collapsed. (Football Insider) Getafe are interested in taking Tottenham's English centre-back Ashley Phillips, 19, on loan. (Sky Sports) Two Premier League clubs have asked Southampton about the availability of 21-year-old Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz. (Teamtalk) Brentford are closing in on a deal for Republic of Ireland centre-back Dara O'Shea, 25, which will give Burnley a profit on the £7m they paid to sign him from West Bromwich Albion last year. (Telegraph - subscription required) Sky Paper Talk DAILY MAIL Manchester United have reignited their interest in Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong after having an opening £42.7m bid rejected, but the LaLiga giants are willing to sell, according to reports. Crystal Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has been stripped of his No 1 jersey ahead of the Premier League kick-off. Alejandro Garnacho requested to cut short his time off after winning Copa America and return to Carrington early in a bid to be ready for the Community Shield at Wembley. Atletico Madrid have reportedly opened talks with N'Golo Kante's camp following stumbling blocks in negotiating Conor Gallagher's transfer. Michael Appleton is returning to Manchester United to assume the role of loans manager. THE TELEGRAPH At least five Premier League players have been approached by match-fixers, according to a whistle-blower who worked with the top tier and Football Association. Leicester's bitter feud with the Premier League over an alleged breach of financial controls is threatening to drag into next year. World Rugby has announced an adjustment to the regulation which was the catalyst for Spain's disqualification from the 2023 men's World Cup. THE SUN Newcastle will make a ""once-in-a-generation"" investment to resolve the St James' Park expansion dilemma. Ben Chilwell is assessing his options at Chelsea ahead of the closing weeks of the transfer window. Liverpool are still open-minded to selling Wataru Endo - and Celtic are now monitoring the player. Super-agent Jorge Mendes has arrived in England for talks with Manchester United about Manuel Ugarte's stalled transfer. Jamie Vardy was offered the chance to reunite with Dean Smith this summer at Charlotte FC. Gareth Southgate has splashed out on a string of new signings - snapping up £2.4m-worth of properties for his growing investment firm. THE ATHLETIC Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal says the current football calendar is ""harming"" players ahead of the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday evening. THE INDEPENDENT Arsenal and Real Sociedad are still some way apart over the structure and value of a deal for Mikel Merino, in a negotiation that could go to the end of the window. Brentford are still holding out for at least £60m for Ivan Toney in this window, although interested clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United may test that stance with the offers of loans with obligations to buy late in the window. The British Olympic Association (BOA) is hoping to enter a men's football team into the 2028 Games in Los Angeles - but they are likely to face opposition to the decision. DAILY EXPRESS Manchester United transfer target Manuel Ugarte has reportedly been left out by Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique during recent training matches. EVENING STANDARD Carlo Ancelotti has denied suggestions Vinicius Jr could leave Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia. THE TIMES Premier League clubs who are considering suing Manchester City for compensation over the 115 alleged rules breaches may have to lodge legal claims before the outcome of the case is known because of time limits. The Premier League has launched an account on X that will provide supporters with ""near-live"" clarification from Stockley Park over refereeing and VAR decisions for the 2024-25 season. Tom Daley is in line to receive a knighthood in the new year's honours list after announcing his retirement from diving on Monday. Two boxing officials from Kazakhstan who between them oversaw almost 50 bouts at the Olympics were removed from the referees' and judging selection pool midway through the tournament. DAILY RECORD Ianis Hagi could cost himself his international future if he opts to stick it out at Rangers due to a clause in his contract. Millwall are set to win the race to sign Celtic midfielder Daniel Kelly. SCOTTISH SUN Gustaf Lagerbielke has declined a move to Champions League hopefuls Malmo, according to reports in his homeland. Rangers are considering a move for Mali international striker Mahamadou Diarra, according to reports. The Athletic Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham: The Athletic 500 transfer ratings West Ham United have continued their busy summer transfer activity by signing Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka for a fee of £15million on a seven-year deal. Our writers — experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance — have come together to rate this summer’s senior Premier League moves in five categories, with each aspect given a score out of 100, to reach a total score out of 500. Hence, The Athletic 500. The ratings are explained in more detail here (not all transfers will be rated as there may be a lack of data to support an analysis). Below is our rating for Wan-Bissaka to West Ham. Tactical fit — 78/100 A look at how the player fits into his new club tactically, using Sentient Sports’ bespoke tactical-fit model, explained by our tactical expert. Wan-Bissaka divided opinion during his five seasons at United. While many loved him for his defensive ability, his lack of productivity in the attacking third brought him detractors. More recently, Wan-Bissaka’s case has not been helped by injuries — he featured in only 41 of United’s 76 Premier League games across the past two seasons. Regardless, having turned 26 last November, Wan-Bissaka is in his peak years. In 22 league appearances last season, all but two of them starts, his defensive qualities were on show again as he averaged 2.1 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per 90 minutes. He also won 73 per cent of his 2.3 dribbler tackles, which ranked him in the top seven per cent of Premier League full-backs. Wan-Bissaka’s one-v-one defending is his biggest strength, and one that separates him from most of his competitors in the English top flight. The sequence below, against Manchester City in May’s FA Cup final, is one example of how he slightly opens his body up to invite wingers (in this case, Jeremy Doku) to try to beat him before making a perfectly-timed slide tackle to win the ball back. Obviously, this is a ploy that comes with its risks. Wan-Bissaka has occasionally mistimed those slide tackles and missed opportunities to dispossess an opponent earlier. Wan-Bissaka’s passing has been decent but not spectacular (an 83.5 per cent success rate on 49.8 attempts per 90 in last season’s Premier League) while dribbling is not one of his strengths. However, his ball progression has improved — Wan-Bissaka’s 3.9 progressive passes per 90 last season was his best in the league for that metric since the 4.3 of 2020-21. He can also make productive overlapping (a key element in new West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui’s playing style) and underlapping runs. The latter is evidenced by his dribble and clever pass in the build-up to Rasmus Hojlund’s opener away to FC Copenhagen in the Champions League last November. Overall, Wan-Bissaka projects to be a solid fit at West Ham. While Vladimir Coufal, their long-time No 1 right-back, offers more going forward (seven assists in 36 Premier League appearances last season), Wan-Bissaka is a better defensive option who has recently displayed the ability to be a front-footed player and occasionally contribute offensively too. Season rating: 56/100 Rating the player over the course of last season, using statistics from The Athletic’s data team. Wan-Bissaka had a mixed season, in which he made 22 Premier League appearances and registered two assists. Despite being second-choice to Diogo Dalot for much of 2023-24, Wan-Bissaka delivered when called upon. He had a standout performance in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City and shone in a thrilling 3-2 home win against Newcastle United, also in May. Wan-Bissaka’s season was affected by injuries, contributing to him missing 22 games across all competitions. Nonetheless, his contributions on the field were solid defensively, but more is desired from him in the final third. Gaming rating: 73/100 Rating the player according to Football Manager 2024’s data across both current and potential ability. A seasoned and experienced Premier League player, Wan-Bissaka has the attributes to come into West Ham’s starting line-up immediately, according to Football Manager. His current ability rating is 143, which compares well with Lopetegui’s other options in defence. Coufal, likely to be his primary competition at right-back, has a rating of 136, making Wan-Bissaka the club’s standout player at that position. In terms of their defenders overall, he ranks slightly lower than Kurt Zouma (150) and new loan signing Jean-Clair Todibo (147) but compares favourably with Emerson (139) and Maximilian Kilman (143), another of this summer’s recruits. Sports Interactive’s extensive scouting network believes there’s more to come, too. Wan-Bissaka has a potential ability score of (150), which would put him on par with Zouma, should he reach that ceiling. Financial value rating: 59/100 A four-category summary of the player’s transfer in financial terms — and whether it makes sense for his new club Market value — 20/25 At 26, and with eight years of Premier League experience already at both Manchester United and previous club Crystal Palace, a fee of £15million seems good value, especially when compared to other defender transfers in this window, such as West Ham’s purchase of Kilman, 27, from Wolves for £40m. Elsewhere, Crystal Palace paid Barcelona £15m for Chadi Riad, now 21. Squad cost — 14/25 This deal adds to what has already been something of a summer spending spree by West Ham, following the arrival of Lopetegui to replace manager David Moyes. They have been linked with further signings too but, having already brought Kilman and Todibo into their defence while also welcoming new faces in midfield and attacking areas, there may be little room for more recruits. Contract sensibility — 12/25 The seven-year deal will take Wan-Bissaka into his thirties. It gives him the opportunity to assert himself as a leading Premier League full-back, but it is a long contract for the club should the deal not work out. Resale value — 13/25 Should Wan-Bissaka impress in the years ahead, he could be moved on for more than West Ham’s original outlay, but it would be surprising if they recouped anywhere near the £45million Manchester United paid Palace for him in summer 2019. Risk or reward? 73/100 Is there a history of injury or other problems that could crop up and make this deal a bad one in retrospect? Or does the player come with a clean bill of health? Our expert takes a look. While Wan-Bissaka struggled to fulfil his potential after moving to a club of Manchester United’s stature for £45million at age 21 and after only 42 Premier League starts, this appears to be a more suitable transfer for both him and the team he’s joining. Coufal has proven a good signing since his summer 2020 arrival, but he turns 32 this month and there were signs last season that he is on the decline. In signing Wan-Bissaka, West Ham are replacing him with perhaps the most effective one-v-one defender from right-back in the Premier League. At his best, Coufal is the more dynamic attacker of the two but Wan-Bissaka’s defensive attributes are so impactful that Lopetegui will be content to sacrifice some offensive qualities. As stated above, Wan-Bissaka is at an age where he is in his prime years but with plenty more to give. Old Trafford has not been the easiest place for young players to develop in the past decade, but there is room for him to improve in possession in this new environment. If he does that, he could become one of the best right-backs in the league… if he doesn’t, he’s still a generationally gifted one-v-one defender. West Ham will have some reservations about him having suffered six injuries since the 2018-19 season that sidelined him for three matches or more but Wan-Bissaka, who brings experience and also adds to the east Londoners’ homegrown quota, is a signing their fans should be excited about. Overall rating: 339/500 Ex West Ham are set to sign a new Academy recruit who scored 29 goals last season for his U18’s side, it’s been reported by ExWHUEmployee. Despite being busy in the summer transfer window, the club are also working to build and improve upon our Academy and have lined up a deal for a highly rated forward with much potential. Bradley Dologhan, who is 19, was in stunning form for Worthings U18’s last season which has caught the attention of a host of clubs. The player though has agreed a deal to move to east London to continue his rise and development, with the hope being he can be a future star at West Ham The club are set to formally announce the deal soon, with the player ready to join our Academy ahead of the 2024/25 season. TBR West Ham eye ‘phenomenal’ player who has rejected Tottenham this summer West Ham have been on quite the tear in the transfer window this summer, with the east London side backing new manager Julen Lopetegui in the market. This week’s capture of Aaron Wan-Bissaka brought West Ham’s spending for the summer close to the £125m mark, with the Irons also making big moves to sign the likes of Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug, with Jean-Clair Todibo also joining on loan. With West Ham also pushing to sign Carlos Soler, it’s clear that the Hammers are far from done in making summer signings, with the London Stadium side intent on building a squad that is good enough to qualify for Europe. And the east London side are now eyeing a player who has already rejected Tottenham this summer. West Ham eyeing former FC Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto According to Mundo Deportivo, West Ham are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Sergi Roberto, who as per the report has already rejected a move to Tottenham this summer. Labelled by FC Barcelona’s official website as a ‘phenomenal’ player, Roberto would be quite the addition for West Ham if the Irons can beat the likes of Ajax, ACF Fiorentina and Girona for the versatile fullback’s signature. Although West Ham have just signed a new right-back in Wan-Bissaka, Roberto could offer something completely different for the Irons if Lopetegui was to get his wish and land the former Barcelona captain. Indeed, the Premier League is untouched waters for Roberto, and the chance to play under a Spanish coach for a club who have clear ambitions for the new season could be tempting for the former Spanish international if a deal can be reached. Hammers need to push hard to sign Roberto With no European football and facing competition from some big teams across the continent, West Ham are already facing a big challenge in trying to sign Roberto this summer. However, with the Irons looking ambitious in their transfers and setting the foundation to push for European qualification, West Ham can again add to their message by pushing hard to sign Roberto. The 32-year-old could be keen on a move to England, and West Ham would be an ideal destination for Roberto having already rejected a switch to Tottenham this window."