January 2017 Transfer Speculation

Yeoldhammer

Sunderland and Hull look like they have consigned themselves to relegation. One other spot open it seems.

OldCastleSwift

Then I can see why he'd want to move, but if he did he'd have suitors much better placed to meet his ambitions than we could. I'd love to have him here, don't get me wrong, but I just can't see it.

Ashley Young, on the other hand...

alderz

If Ox gets to the summer without featuring regularly he'll be in the last year of his contract and I reckon he would be available for about £15m

tomkinsworldclass

I dont think we need much and if the right player isnt available then we should wait until the summer; why waste the money on a pointless stop gap, when we have the resources to accommodate until the summer and there only 16 games left for us because we are out of all cups- that should also aid the fitness+ injury situations as well.

In terms of RB, as long as Byram can keep fit during the transfer window then we should be fine. Byram 1st choice, Nordviedt has done reasonably well there when given protection, Kouyate could easily fill in there as could Antonio, as he did did last season although its not ideal, whilst there is also the option to play no RB and change system to 3 at the back. which has worked very well at times.

I dont think the right kind of players are available in this window, although there is the odd exception like Fonte, so unless we are totally convinced on the player, then we should try to sign them on loan with a view to permanent so we can protect ourselves and really check them out before committing to them. I think we need a pacy, direct winger who is left footed (only really have cresswell) and perhaps a forward as well because the situation around calleri is unclear and Sakho should be eased back, but i'm still a fan of Sakho and hope he stays and signs a new deal.

I like Modou Barrow from swansea, very quick and direct, tore us to shreds last season and has good ability, and although not the complete package, he is in interesting option who would add another dimension for us because we do lack out and out pace. Whilst Bojan I think would fit in really well and would get more from what we already have; he naturally drops deep and would link upvwell with Carroll, Lanzini, feghouli, antonio, noble but is also a threat in the box and a scorer of all different types of goals. Both players rumoured to be up for a transfer, so I'd try to bring them in on loans and see how they do. In the summer is the time to do business.

SuzanneClaret

I think we need right back.

Can't remember if I've said that already.

TwistandShout

OldCastleSwift said:

Ashley Young, on the other hand...

OldCastleSwift

So, Ex has said that no right back is likely to join this month, we've cooled our interest in Snodgrass and although Hogan is keen to join, Slav is still not sure about him and may wait until deadline day to make a decision.

Oh, and if Payet stays we may make a deal with him to let him play again.

Good news all round then...

thornburyiron

According to SSN the Hogan deal will only happen if Payet goes.

baracks_a_hammer

A bit of an aside, but i thought I'd do a quick wiki on our former striker Abdul Razzak - remember him, one of our classic January window punts?

Well according to wiki, at the age of 24 I think he is on his TENTH club.

And according to wiki he has never scored.

Yet he seems to have played for Ivory Coast!

So a few questions spring to mind

1) how on earth can one get called up as a striker to a national side like Ivory Coast - the didier drogba Ivory Coast, if one has never actually scored

2) at what point should one look hard at oneself and admit you have possibly chosen the wrong vocation in life

3) who is the scout who persuaded sully to sign him up for West Ham and is this scout still at our club?

;hmm

TwistandShout

If i remember rightly he was a defensive midfielder ;hmm

Lukerz

This is all very twilight zone ;hmm

MrsGrey

Ivory Coast call up because at the time he had played 5 times for Manchester City and half a dozen of more in the Champo and was still only 19/20-ish?

MarkNobleLocalHero

Abdul Razzak... ;hmm ....so forgettable ;whome ....no still doesn't register ..not even on google!!! ;nonono

Adam

thornburyiron said:

According to SSN the Hogan deal will only happen if Payet goes.

So, Marseille supposedly don't have the money to buy Payet (at our asking price) and we supposedly don't have the money to buy Hogan (at Brentford's asking price).

Great stuff! ;doh

MrsGrey

Adam said:

Great stuff, supposedly! ;doh

Fixed it for you. ;biggrin

secrethammersfan

I seem to remember Theo Walcott being called up despite never having played a game for his club's senior team.

Swissiron

the fact is African football at the national level is very poor. It's at roughly the same level as EL2, maybe worse. Reigning champions Cote d'Ivoire, which is now my home, went out yesterday afetr drawing two and losing one of their final qualifying stage matches. Sound familiar?

Nigeria, the Manure of Africa, didnt even qualify to come to Gabon. The football this year was hopeless, but believe me it was not much worse than the average across the board this year, and no one that we know or even have heard of has played well. Lots of the best players have invented injuries so as not to come to Africa, it's not the other way around...

The pitches have almost all been rubbish but I really dont believe that this is a mitigation. The players are all desperately trying not to get injured, everyone is diving and lots of them are getting away with it.

Cheikhou is one of the underperformers, clearly scared to be injured, Adebayor has been a joke, and Ayew has done virtually nothing. (Sigh)

On the other hand, Flag and Bock beers are excellent... and I've had a great time, but tonight was a joke with three canals running across the pitch and the ball not even bouncing in parts of the pitch. I thought I was back watching the Big Match with wotsisname back in the early 70s.. ;lol

OldCastleSwift

Snodgrass now 2/5 to sign for us ;hmm

Lukerz

;hmm

Lukerz

This just in on SSN
Hull accept £10m bid from West Ham for Robert Snodgrass - Sky

So that explains the dramatic odds shortening over the last hour

McHammer

TwistAndShout said:

If i remember rightly he was a defensive midfielder ;hmm

More a defensive striker
;wahoo

eskimoking

Yeoldhammer

Snodgrass really ????

We need a RB and a Striker ;facepalm

Bazshuayi

From twitter.... Snodgrass is being brought in to cover both Striker and RB roles - 'dg' ;run

TwistandShout

Poor poor signing. 10m wasted

MrsGrey

eski, that's interesting. On the face of it, looks like Snodgrass would be an upgrade.

But. ;hmm

Is it comparing like with like? Does it tell the full story?

In terms of where players have played in different formations, who is looked to as the 'out ball' or the creative player?

For the early part of the season I think Hull didn't have an actual striker, etc ...

Yeoldhammer

why are we purchasing these players who realistcally probably have no resale value going forward ? we're not in any immediate danger and we are not going for any silverware or Europe !? these signings so far seem daft. Why not try for some young players ? to grow over the 6 months for the end of this season.

What is Fonte and Snodgrass going to do for us this season ?

TwistandShout

Fonte will strengthen us. Snodgrass is a squad player. He doesn't get in ahead of Antonio, Lanzini or Feghouli for me

Adam

TwistAndShout said:

Poor poor signing. 10m wasted

Since both us and Burnley have had bids accepted, maybe he'll get confused, mix up the claret and blue teams, and sign for them instead of us!

sweepy23

The owners tried to get bigger/younger players in the summer and failed. Maybe they have decided to go another route. Pay over the odds to get players that will improve the team in the short term, premiership experience and make West Ham a top 7 team consistently.

Potentially £18m spent already. Enjoying the investment and ambition.