Rumour Mill

Amidst the torrent of rumours, there are a few deals that I think definitely could happen. In this article, I will focus on a few players who may less familiar to fans, and try to give an idea of the likeliness of us signing the player.

The fastest growing Hammers website is now on Facebook, click the link to be entered into our up and coming competitions http://www.facebook.com/pages/ForeverWestHamcom/200938616608282

Nathan Mabi-Mavila – Wycombe Wanderers – Left Back. Who? I hear you ask. Don’t worry, I come with reassurance that this won’t be our flagship signing this summer. Sam Allardyce is clearly building for the future with this one, and the highly rated 16 year old has caught the attention of the West Ham scouts. After breaking into the Wycombe side last year, the youngster, who can play either left back, or in a more advanced position as a left midfielder, he has agreed terms, and will sign a contract subject to passing a medical. Rumour Rating – 10/10

Joselu – Real Madrid – Striker. Usually, at the first mention of “Real Madrid” in the same breath as”West Ham” is reason enough to ignore the rest of the sentence. But perhaps this is one to keep an eye for. The German born striker, who is just 21, seems fairly high on Allardyce’s wishlist, and has already been in contact with the Spanish champions. Initially a loan target, Real told us that they were only interested in a permanent deal, wishing to cash in on the youngster. Top scoring for the B team with 22 goals, he must be frustrated that he only made one appearance for the First Team, and scored a late goal after coming on as a substitute. You may also be surprised to hear that he is 6′ 3 and looks as if he could adapt to the English game. Don’t write this one off, especially considering we seem willing to meet Madrid’s valuation of £5mill for the player. Rumour Rating – 7/10

Claudio Yacob – Free Agent – Defensive Midfielder. This is another ambitious one, but an exciting one nonetheless. As a highly rated Argentine international (where have we heard that before?), he has caught the attention of top clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal, but now it seems that West Ham are hot on his tail. If you believe some reports, we’ve even contacted him to offer him a deal. This could just be a rumour, but it does appear he is certainly a target, and after missing out on Mohamed Diame, he could be an excellent addition to bolster our midfield. Rumour Rating – 6/10

Chris Solly – Charlton Athletic – Full Back – Staying in the Npower Championship, we are keen to sign another promising defender in Chris Solly. The 21 year old is fully established as the main man in the Charlton defence, winning both the Player and Young Player of the season last year. After coming through the youth ranks at the South London club, and making 74 appearances for the first team, he may now be tempted to step up to the top flight by making the short journey across the river to East London. This deal is in its very early stages with no official approach having been made yet, but this is another one to watch out for. Rumour Rating- 6/10

 

Looking for experience? Just want to be heard outside of the Boleyn? We are currently looking for writers, drop us an email at foreverwestham@snack-media.com for more details

Wilfried Zaha – Crystal Palace – Winger. Perhaps the most well known name on this list, and one who I have mentioned before with regard to our exploits to sign him. We are at loggerheads with Palace, who seem to be staying firm on their valuation of him. Talks keep stalling, but reports suggest we are preparing to table a final offer for him, comprising of £5mill & a year loan deal for Sam Baldock. This does seem to fall short of their valuation of the player who want £8mill & Baldock on a permanent deal. (Credit to BP for that) Perhaps this fee is too large, but I distinctly remember his performance at Upton Park earlier in the year, in an otherwise dreadful match, he was the stand out player on the pitch, and Palace are understandably trying to hold out for as much money as possible. Rumour Rating – 4/10.

Robert Snodgrass – Leeds United – Winger. If we fail to pick up Zaha, don’t be surprised to see us turn our attentions to the talented Leeds winger. Although I am not a fan of his personality, there’s no doubting he has talent, and would be a great addition to our attacking side of our team. He is the sort of player who makes things happen, and if we are willing to spend a chunk of money (probably around £5mill) this could go somewhere. Rumour Rating – 6/10

I hope I’ve shed some light on the players who may not be household names, and those deals that are more likely than others to happen. Follow me at @tom29whu and let me know what you think of these deals.

Ever dreamt about getting paid for reading about West Ham? Well now you can make dreams a reality http://bit.ly/ffc-foreverwestham-lp