West Ham Online

Cheers…

bill green 2:27 Thu Aug 22

Thanks Alan

"BBC Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign England defender Ben Chilwell by Chelsea after the 27-year-old was told he does not feature in boss Enzo Maresca's plans. (Talksport) West Ham want to sign 27-year-old Spain midfielder Carlos Soler from Paris St-Germain but must sell players before they can buy. (Guardian) Brighton defender Valentin Barco, 20, is set to join Sevilla on loan but the deal for the Argentina international does not include an option to buy him. (Fabrizio Romano) Napoli director Giovanni Manna has returned to England to continue transfer talks for Brighton and Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour, 23, Chelsea and Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, 31, and Manchester United's 27-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay. (Gianluca di Marzio - in Italian) Watford have agreed a season-long loan deal with Bournemouth for 21-year-old Canada-born English forward Daniel Jebbison. (Sky Sports) Former England forward Raheem Sterling, 29, wants to remain in the Premier League after being told he has no future at Chelsea. (Sky Sports) Barcelona are considering a move for Juventus' 26-year-old Italy forward Federico Chiesa. (ESPN) Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, 23, from Paris St-Germain. (Sky Germany) PSG are not prepared to lower their ¬£51m valuation of Ugarte. (Mirror) Arsenal's 20-year-old English forward Charlie Patino is close to joining Deportivo La Coruna in a permanent move. (Athletic - subscription required) Fulham have agreed a deal with Lyon to sign 21-year-old French forward Rayan Cherki. (L'Equipe - in French) Lyon have accepted a bid worth up to ¬£16.7m from Fulham for Cherki (Mail) Sky Paper Talk DAILY TELEGRAPH Newcastle United have moved closer to making the statement signing of England centre-back Marc Guehi, with the deal just ¬£5m away from meeting Crystal Palace's asking price. Manchester City will re-sign their former captain, Ilkay Gundogan, on a one-year deal with the option of keeping him for a further 12 months. Raheem Sterling's Chelsea humiliation deepened on another dramatic day at the club as the forward had his No 7 shirt removed and was banished from first-team training. Cristiano Ronaldo has recorded the most successful YouTube channel launch ever after giving viewers the impression he and Georgina Rodriguez had secretly married. Plans to build the world's biggest football stadium, which may host the 2030 World Cup final, have been revealed with the release of spectacular images of the proposed site in Morocco. DAILY MAIL Arsenal are closing in on signing Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad after further talks on Wednesday night. Raheem Sterling has held clear-the-air talks with Chelsea with the aim of finding a resolution to his uncertain future. Manchester United are reportedly on the verge of signing midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester United have axed lunchboxes for matchday staff and cut the number of programmes given to corporate fans in half as part of a series of ongoing cost-saving measures at Old Trafford. Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho ahead of a potential loan move. Crystal Palace have made a ¬£12m offer for Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix and bid for Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo. Almeria winger Largie Ramazani flew into England on Wednesday evening ahead of undergoing a medical with Leeds United. THE TIMES Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal in a deal believed to be worth ¬£30m. Manchester City are contemplating a move for the Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi. Ilkay Gundogan is set to return to Manchester City this week after agreeing a one-year contract with his former club. THE GUARDIAN John Textor is in Liverpool to hold further talks with Everton's owner, Farhad Moshiri, over a proposed takeover of the club, with a deal expected to be agreed by the end of the week. Raheem Sterling wants to leave Chelsea on a permanent basis after being frozen out by Enzo Maresca, who has denied that his treatment of the winger has been ""brutal"". West Ham's hopes of strengthening their midfield by signing Carlos Soler from Paris Saint-Germain are likely to depend on whether they can raise funds through sales before the transfer window shuts. THE SUN Ilkay Gundogan has arrived back in England ahead of sealing his free transfer to Manchester City from Barcelona. Raheem Sterling is training at home after being frozen out at Chelsea by Enzo Maresca. DAILY MIRROR Arsenal are closing in on a ¬£30m deal for Spain midfielder Mikel Merino. Arsenal have agreed to sell talented 20-year-old midfielder Charlie Patino to Spanish side Deportivo La Corona, though the move remains subject to personal terms. Rafa Benitez claims he has had job offers from around the world - but that he wants to return to the Premier League. Chelsea have offered Ben Chilwell to Manchester United as they aim to further trim their wage bill, it has been claimed. SCOTTISH SUN Manchester City are ready to make a shock swoop for Kyogo Furuhashi. Steve Clarke is weighing up a shock Scotland call-up for Ryan Gauld. Derek McInnes has tapped up Scott McKenna for inside info on Conference League opponents Copenhagen. DAILY RECORD Celtic are pushing to strike a deal for ¬£8m-rated LAFC star Mateusz Bogusz. Rangers chiefs could be set to hand back the keys to Hampden as early as this weekend as they push to reopen Ibrox for next month's Dundee clash. Tony Docherty insists Luke McCowan will be fully focused on Dundee at Easter Road on Saturday - and not a potential move there. Jimmy Thelin has challenged Topi Keskinen to burst his way into the Finnish national team. The Athletic How Niclas Fullkrug and Michail Antonio compare as Lopetegui searches for West Ham‚Äôs No 9 By Roshane Thomas and Thom Harris The arrival of Niclas Fullkrug was long overdue. Although West Ham United‚Äôs track record in signing strikers makes for grim reading, there is confidence that their new marksman will not fail like many of his predecessors. Earlier this month, Fullkrug joined West Ham from Borussia Dortmund for ¬£27million ($34.4m) on a four-year deal. In a window that has seen the addition of eight players, the 31-year-old‚Äôs arrival is arguably the most important. It is a position that saw Tim Steidten, the club‚Äôs technical director, and new head coach Julen Lopetegui initially identify Fullkrug, Jhon Duran of Aston Villa and Sevilla‚Äôs Youssef En-Nesyri. With Duran staying put and En-Nesyri signing for Fenerbahce, Fullkrug became the priority. The Germany international canvassed the opinions of ex-West Ham players Sebastien Haller and Thilo Kehrer before joining. Fullkrug is 31, so is not a signing who can be afforded years to adapt, but he has proven he is a top-level goalscorer in recent seasons. In the 2022-23 campaign, with Werder Bremen. he finished joint top-scorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals. It earned him a move to Dortmund and, in his sole season there, he scored 16 goals in 46 appearances, helping them reach the Champions League final. While he is not the promising young forward West Ham initially set out to sign, he is the polished front man they need and will battle it out with Michail Antonio to be the focal point of Lopetegui‚Äôs attack in a 4-2-3-1 system. He has played the majority of his career as a lone striker, so should have no issues with the demands made of him. ‚ÄúWe added Fullkrug because he is a very good player,‚Äù said Lopetegui. ‚ÄúHe is a very natural player. There is his height (6ft 2in/189cm), his personality. He will help us a lot in all of our challenges ‚Äî on the pitch and off it.‚Äù Fullkrug made his debut as a second-half substitute in last weekend‚Äôs 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa and will be pushing to make his first start away to Crystal Palace. He is a traditional No 9, known for his physical presence and aerial dominance. He contested an average of 7.3 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga last season ‚Äî the 13th-most of any player in the division ‚Äî while Antonio contested 4.6 per game at a slightly lower success rate (38.4 per cent vs 40.7 per cent). In the air, Fullkrug is a dependable out-ball and will give West Ham the option to go direct more frequently. The German is a central presence, less likely to run into channels and hold up the ball as much as Antonio. His shot map from the Bundesliga last season shows that he likes to stay within the width of the posts, where he uses his physique to muscle his way into dangerous goalscoring positions. He attempted plenty of shots around the six-yard line and 45 per cent of those efforts were with his head. Using smarterscout, an analytics company that breaks down elements of a footballer‚Äôs game to create ratings from 1-99 based on advanced metrics, we can directly compare Fullkrug and Antonio from last season. One difference that jumps out instantly is that Antonio is more likely to move the ball forward, as illustrated by his high progressive passing score of 84. Fullkrug is more about linking the play ‚Äî holding up the ball and making sideways or backward passes to keep attacking moves flowing. Fullkrug is statistically more intense without the ball, his score of 74 outscoring Antonio‚Äôs 52 ‚Äî this shows how often the player is the most relevant defender when his side are out of possession. The higher the number, the more it shows the player to be actively applying pressure and making defensive actions. Meanwhile, his score of 53 for receptions in the opposition‚Äôs box points to him being more of a fixed central presence. In his interview with West Ham‚Äôs in-house media, Fullkrug explained what he will bring. ‚ÄúHis (Lopetegui) playing style is important and I am confident that under him I will be able to perform at my best and score lots of goals,‚Äù said Fullkrug. ‚ÄúI have a very good feeling ‚Äî I‚Äôm strong, fit and in shape ‚Äî and I just want to get out there and start playing. ‚ÄúI need assists too. I‚Äôm not a guy who will dribble past five players. ‚ÄúI am not only a strong player but I also like to come into the No 10 position towards the ball. I am capable with both feet and have good aerial ability. These are my strengths.‚Äù Fullkrug‚Äôs ability to hold up the ball would complement Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus. The forward amassed 10 assists for Dortmund last season and was a regular provider at Werder Bremen, Hannover and Nuremberg too. Even more significantly, it has been 16 months since Fullkrug last sustained an injury: a contributing factor behind his ability to develop into a late bloomer. There was a point in his career when he could not play without pain. Between 2018 and 2021, the forward missed 61 matches, with the most significant injury being a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). From 2021 onwards, only a calf and niggling knee injury have caused Fullkrug to miss games. When the forward recovered from his ACL injury, he scored six goals across 19 league appearances for Werder Bremen in the 2020-21 season but could not save them from relegation. The following campaign, Fullkrug scored 19 league goals, the most he has managed in a season, to help his side bounce back to Germany‚Äôs top flight. He was making up for lost time ‚Äî can Fullkrug continue that at West Ham? Tony Cottee, a former West Ham forward, thinks he can. ‚ÄúI like the look of him and I back him to do well,‚Äù Cottee tells The Athletic. ‚ÄúHe caught my eye during the Euros and he‚Äôs shown he‚Äôs able to get better with age. Look at Jamie Vardy: he scored against Tottenham (on Monday) and he‚Äôs 37. Sometimes, forwards peak towards the end of their careers and that‚Äôs the case for Fullkrug. ‚ÄúFullkrug is a goalscorer and he will get the service from Kudus, Lucas Paqueta and Bowen. The only issue I have is, will Fullkrug still be the main striker for West Ham in five years? Fullkrug, Antonio and Danny Ings are all in their thirties. Jhon Duran would have been a good long-term investment but they couldn‚Äôt get a deal done. But in the short-term, Fullkrug is a good signing and he should have the mindset of wanting to be the main man for Lopetegui.‚Äù Lopetegui and Steidten have spent big on an ageing forward ‚Äî they and the West Ham fans will hope he becomes the seasoned No 9 they have lacked in their modern history. Sport Witness West Ham have been ‚Äòmain option‚Äô for player with PL dream ‚Äì Hammers yet to take ‚Äòfinal step‚Äô By Naveen Ullal Last week, we covered claims from the Catalan press which stated West Ham United are one of the clubs in the picture to sign Sergi Roberto. It was also suggested Julen Lopetegui could be driving West Ham‚Äôs transfer pursuit. Thursday‚Äôs edition of Sport talks about West Ham‚Äôs chances of signing the 32-year-old this summer. Roberto‚Äôs deal at Barcelona expired on June 30th and he‚Äôs now available on a free transfer. His ability to operate as a right-back and in midfield make him an interesting option in the market. Como manager Cesc F?†bregas is keen on signing his compatriot. The Spaniard is seriously evaluating their offer, while he also has proposals from Italy, Germany and France. West Ham have been the ‚Äòmain option‚Äô from England for Roberto. It‚Äôs claimed a move to the Premier League is ‚Äòcomplicated‚Äô because the Hammers haven‚Äôt ‚Äòtaken the final step‚Äô. Estadio Deportivo state Roberto‚Äôs dream has been to play in the Premier League. West Ham have explored the possibility of securing his services but are losing ground because they haven‚Äôt make the decisive move so far. Guardian West Ham are still in the market for a centre-back, with Victor Nelsson a potential target. The Denmark international, who plays his club football for Galatasaray, is also wanted by Sevilla, Lille and Bologna. It is thought a deal could be done for a fee in the region of ¬£12m but the Hammers are reliant on sales at the moment to generate income. Sport Witness West Ham ‚Äòclose to an agreement‚Äô for signing ‚Äì ‚ÄòComing hours‚Äô crucial after significant progress By Sean Lunt West Ham United are ‚Äòclose to an agreement‚Äô with Paris Saint Germain for Carlos Soler and a deal could be done ‚Äòin the coming hours‚Äô. That‚Äôs according to Le Parisien, who report that a deal would be done for around ‚Ǩ23m with bonuses included. The newspaper reports that after two years with the French side, Soler is about to leave the Ligue 1 champions as he‚Äôs ‚Äòabout to join West Ham‚Äô. PSG and the Hammers are getting closer to an agreement for the midfielder, worth around ‚Ǩ23m including bonuses. There are final details that need to be resolved but significant progress has been made in negotiations today. Soler still has to reach an agreement with West Ham, where he could sign a four-year deal. Julen Lopetegui is ‚Äògreatly involved‚Äô in the transfer process. PSG director of football Luis Campos is determined to secure a permanent exit for the midfielder and not a loan with an option to buy. That suits them better as they‚Äôd not lose money on a player who cost them ‚Ǩ22m in 2022. A deal is now progressing and West Ham are closing in on their latest signing of what has been an extremely busy summer of incomings."