Transfer Speculation (1st June onwards)

Lukerz

Few French reports suggesting Zouma is now close to joining.

ianbishoplegend

Would be well chuffed with Zouma and Lingard. Would be over the moon if we could somehow get Traore from Wolves.

OldCastleSwift

Lukerz said:

Few French reports suggesting Zouma is now close to joining.

Yeah, a couple of Twitter ITKs saying it's just about done, with one reporting that the medical is booked for tomorrow.

But after the Milenkovic shenanigans I think I'll wait for an Ex update.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Yea ex also confirmed that talks have progressed well and the club is confident

But nothing finalised and untill he's in the shirt I'm not going to get to excited

Would be a huge coup if we can pull it off

Still only 26, he has played a lot of prem football, the Chelsea fans like him and Everton fans before that...Chelsea fans think he should be worth a lot more than the rumoured £25mil we're playing

OldCastleSwift

Ex says Caleta-Car is the Plan B.

Not a bad one to have.

IronHerb

Is this the start of a cunning plan where we gradually bring Chelsea players to West Ham instead of Rice going to Chelsea?

eskimoking

This week is the week to persuade the people sitting on the fence. Penny for Lingards thoughts watching us go top while he doesn’t get a look? I’m not too fussed by him as I don’t think he’d recreate his form (although I was wrong about him before) but there’s others I hope we’re looking at.

alderz

Apparently Fabrizio Romano and Julien Maynard (French journalist) are saying we've agreed a 30m Euro fee for him, and personal terms, and the medical will be tomorrow.

Lukerz

Multiple reports saying deal agreed on all parties & medical within next 48 hours.

I am not overly convinced by Zouma (never was), but Moyes has my complete faith with whatever player he wants so I am fully behind this. Zouma certainly seems to be well thought of wherever he has been.

steve

I would love Zouma ,one of the few Chelsea players i like .And he is a beast to add to the other beast we love ,One at the back,One at the front fingers crossed

alderz

I think Zouma is a bit of a mix between Dawson and Diop. He's athletic like Diop, and a brilliant attacking threat at set pieces like Dawson. But he's a better all rounder than both, IMO. I think he switches off sometimes, but I also thought that about Ogbonna until Moyes got hold of him. I think working with Moyes will turn him into a better defender.

OldCastleSwift

Ex says no medical booked yet, and certainly not in Paris.

So yeah, no-one knows.

Lukerz

Could he not be in Paris? Maybe he's had permission to visit family?

OutcastLondoner

I still really hope Moyes can teach Diop better judgement. Because I think it’s just that which is holding him back. A lot of his game is still good and the potential’s still there at 24

Lukerz

Being reported by The Telegraph & The Guardian that we are interested in Nikola Vlašić of CSKA Moscow. Attacking midfielder & an alternative to Lingard.

Maybe a ploy to get Lingard here.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Zouma would immediately improve out first eleven and that's a good price in today's market for somebody of his age and experience.

Exactly the kind of signing we should be making, if it goes through.

One or two more - certainly a striker or Lingard type - and there is a lot to be excited about this season.

OldCastleSwift

Lukerz said:

Could he not be in Paris? Maybe he's had permission to visit family?

Yeah, could be, but Ex says he isn't.

In fact, he's being very cagey about the whole thing. Sounds like it's not as close as others are suggesting.

Or he's saving info for his podcast later...

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Or he isn’t as ITK as he says…

Lukerz

OldCastleSwift said:

Lukerz said:

Could he not be in Paris? Maybe he's had permission to visit family?

Yeah, could be, but Ex says he isn't.

In fact, he's being very cagey about the whole thing. Sounds like it's not as close as others are suggesting.

Or he's saving info for his podcast later...

To be honest, whilst it’s clear Ex has some inside knowledge & that had been proven, I take this sort of stuff with a pinch of salt. It’s easy to say, when multiple sources are saying something different, that ‘reports are premature & it’s not as close as being suggested’ because in a couple of hours he could be having a medical & Ex can say things progressed in between & nobody knows any different.

The chances are it will take another couple of days to be finalised anyway & Ex looks like he was right all along when he said it was not that close.

IronHerb

To be fair to Ex, he is pretty consistent when it comes to saying it's a done deal. All those saying Milenkovic was a done deal ended up looking pretty silly whereas Ex never claimed it was to my knowledge.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

He looks like a professional bet hedger to me, having a quick scan of his tweets. But then I'm not on Twitter and don't follow him, so presumably there are examples of him displaying genuine ITK knowledge that I don't know about.

I'm surprised Moyes hasn't tracked down whoever is leaking information (if it is actually happening) and put a stop to it. There can't be too many people on the inside track of our transfer activity.

Yeoldhammer

If we can get the Zouma that turned out for Everton he will be a great addition imo.

OldCastleSwift

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

He looks like a professional bet hedger to me, having a quick scan of his tweets. But then I'm not on Twitter and don't follow him, so presumably there are examples of him displaying genuine ITK knowledge that I don't know about.

I'm surprised Moyes hasn't tracked down whoever is leaking information (if it is actually happening) and put a stop to it. There can't be too many people on the inside track of our transfer activity.

I've been following Ex for years and he's comfortably the most accurate ITK out there. He used to work at the club (as his handle suggests) in the youth set up and still has contacts at the club. He also knows agents, some of the players, people in the media etc. so seems to have a decent network.

No doubt he fills some of the gaps with, as you imply, a few guesses, but he gets a lot more right than wrong.

Dodger58

I wonder if Zouma coming will actually help bring more out of Diop, 2 French speakers at the heart of our defence (when Ogbonna unfit or moves on). With excellent prospects coming through the ranks to keep them honest. Could be a 'changing of the guard' at the back over the next 18 months ...

IronHerb

Plus a French keeper.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Disagree on those that doubt Ex

Hes broke news for players like Alves, Kinnear, Ekwah, Dawson, Lingard etc and countless others that aren't exactly anything but obviously deals

Hes obviously not 100% right and does keep his cards close to his chest but he gets a LOT right

OutcastLondoner

Yeah I've come to trust him. I'm not sure I follow more than two or three other West Ham accounts on Twitter but I've stuck with him. He will often try to say what kind of area of the club the source of info is and it seems there are different sources. I think he's usually rather honest about not knowing things, takes his time and actually takes breaks at the times when people are desperate for info and he could get lots of engagement. He's been right on so much that it's hard to doubt him.

IronHerb

So this morning it's -

Zouma - CB
Cornett - LB
Lingard - AM
Bamba - LW
Vlasic - AM

4 out of 5 of them for £45m would be a good window I suppose. 😂

OldCastleSwift

Isn't Cornet going to Burnley for £15m? No way we're matching that price for a full-back.

I reckon Bamba and Vlasic are being used to pressure Man Utd to accept our Lingard bid. I'd be amazed if either of them came in ahead of Jesse.

OutcastLondoner

I thought Cornet was a winger who was converted to wing back based on watching him on Champions League. I’m sure he’s not a left back. He might make sense.