Summer 2017 Transfer Speculation

grey_til_I_dye

alderz ;ok

For me, losing Norty boy just means that there's more chance of Fernandes getting games, and room for Cullen in the match day squad, which works for me.

Lukerz

According to Ex:

Giroud open to joining.
Iheanacho talks continue over buy-back option.
Traore will have talks with us and another club.

OldCastleSwift

Ok, the Giroud thing is irritating me now. Based on what we’ve heard, albeit from unofficial sources, we want him, we’ve spoken to his representatives, he’s open to joining and we’re prepared to match any offer.

Soooooooo…

Why don’t we go crazy and actually make an offer. If, as reported, Wenger doesn’t want to sell, Arsenal can reject the offer and we can move on.

MrsGrey

And if Arsenal do want to sell, we can then start talks with the player and he can keep us dangling all summer in case a better offer comes in.

;weep

Lukerz

If we go "here's £25m for Giroud, can we speak to him' do we think Arsenal will reject? For a player who is a substitute player for them. They might be reluctant given they lack strikers but it's a very good offer for a 30 year old, 31 in September.

MrsGrey

I wouldn't call him a substitute player, Luke. I think the way Arsenal use him is more than just 'he's not good enough to be in the starting XI' and more of a 'he's an important part of the matchday squad and he offers an important option, that we like to use at key points and he usually gets us a goal when we do'.

And a lot of those goals have been really important ones, points-wise.

Lukerz

I agree MrsG ;ok

But from the players POV, he is a substitute.

Assuming of course he'd rather play every week.

MrsGrey

Ah, yes, I see what you mean (from Giroud's p-o-v) ;ok

Pearces_Left_Foot

Its the world cup next summer so he will want to be playing more I would imagine so might tip things in our favour ;hmm

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Arsenal won't sell until they have done a deal for a replacement. Wenger doesn't take that kind of risk IMO.

Yeoldhammer

Lacazette to Arsenal paves way for Giroud to West Ham what a difference a year makes

Adam

alderz said:

Part of me wants the club to throw caution to the wind and sign Iheanacho irrespective of the buy back clause, but actually when I take a step back I see that it isn't a good deal if that clause is too low, so if he goes to Leicester so be it.

But who are the other realistic options for us?

Giroud - Arsenal might not want to sell.
Batshuayi - Chelsea might want to keep.

I'm struggling to think of others ;puzzled

grey_til_I_dye

OCS

We don't know that we haven't made an offer, though. Or an enquiry.

Perhaps, as others have suggested Arsenal won't listen to any offers for Giroud until they have made some signings.

Or, the whole rumour could be a load of old tosh...

IronHerb

I really don't see Giroud coming to us.

alderz

I'll do a bold prediction and say we will sign either Iheanacho or Giroud this summer.

OldCastleSwift

I think we have a chance, Herbie. If he wants to leave Arsenal, and if he wants to stay in London and if he wants regular first team football then it's pretty much between us and Palace, realistically.

Yeoldhammer

2 weeks till pre-season to get a striker in or its a FAIL on the board to not at least secure 1 of 2 strikers needed.

Pearces_Left_Foot

I think its important to get the right player and I don't think its a FAIL if its not before preseason it will only be a FAIL if we don't sign any by the end of the window.
If Giroud etc are n't available yet until their clubs get replacements there is not a lot the chairmen can do, there isn't a long list of decent strikers out there especially with PL experience.

Lukerz

I'd be looking at:

Giroud
Batshuayi
Defoe
Vardy
Gray
King
Wilson
Llorente
Rodriguez

As possible options we may be interested in. Not sure how many are realistic but that's probably the best crop from the PL. You can add Iheanacho too if we sign another forward.

Or we go abroad or to the lower leagues?

Yeoldhammer

No because if we don't sign them before pre-season it will be "oh they didn't play with the team it will take 10 games for them to get running excuse" followed by "they only had half a pre-season" not acceptable imo, the club have known the striker situation for 6 months. We need someone who is going to be there day 1 of pre-season to gel with the team ready for the first game against Man Utd.

Lukerz

I'll make a bold prediction and say I'm pretty certain Ross Barkley will be a West Ham player come September.

Yeoldhammer

Don't they want 50m for him ? can't see it at all.

Lukerz

We wanted that for Payet. Settled for half.

They won't get £50m.

Yeoldhammer

For an English PL Homegrown Younger player. I don't see them selling for much less and I don't see us stumping 30m+ for a midfielder we don't really need.

Pearces_Left_Foot

So who should we buy then Yeold as Chelsea Man City and Arsenal have n't signed replacements yet ? If we are buying a PL experience player not having a full pre season should not matter plus we don't have Europa League to worry about this year. Most clubs have done little transfer business yet as players are away on holiday and most transfers are done towards the end of the transfer window. Signing a player a 3/4 week earlier we make little difference over the course of a season and we are signing players for the next 2/3 years.

MrsGrey

If you insist we get one by the start of pre-season, then you're basically saying anybody will do - it's more important to get a warm body in than wait for a better quality player. I don't want that - I'd like a decent signing that will improve the 1st team. And if we have to wait for that, so be it - we want a player that's going to be good for us over 2 or 3 seasons, not someone to win the Betway Cup.

MrsGrey

OldCastleSwift said:

I think we have a chance, Herbie. If he wants to leave Arsenal, and if he wants to stay in London and if he wants regular first team football then it's pretty much between us and Palace, realistically.

If those ifs.. but, I would imagine the 'staying in London' would be below a different set of 'ifs' - wanting to win stuff, and wanting CL football.

I think he could get all those PLUS regular games if he went outside London. I really don't think we have a chance. We're just in the mix to force the others to up their bids.

OldCastleSwift

Of course he could. But if staying in London is important to him - and it may be for a number of reasons - then we have a chance.

Because we're West Ham United London.

That badge says so.

But yeah, I accept he will have better footballing options elsewhere.

grey_til_I_dye

Yeold

According to this: http://www.bbc.com/sport/36425471

13 PL transfers were completed in all of June last year (of which Feg was one.)

47 were completed in July and 51 in August.

Unless you are signing a free agent, getting a player in before the start of pre-season is really tricky.

Assuming we are after players currently attached, they will be getting their pre-season at their current clubs.

thornburyiron

Given that new players generally can't sign before 1 July and pre season for most clubs start in the first week of July, actual signings before pre season are going to be rare.