Now we all like a bit of transfer speculation over the summer months, and for West Ham United, we are normally in the thick of it. Sam Allardyce, and the Chairmen have already been busy, even before the transfer window opened. However, we all know that with a lack of news, comes silly transfer rumours, and the press putting 2 and 2 together, and coming out with 5. I decided at the end of May, to keep track of every player that was linked in the media arena from 1st June 2013. This does not include so called ‘ITK’s’ or Twitter rumours about who we should or shouldn’t sign. These are players that have been linked by newspapers, established websites, and TV Broadcasters like Sky Sports and ESPN.
So these are the names I have collated so far, up to the day of writing this article: Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Massimo Ambrosini (Free), Adrian (Betis), Shay Given (Aston Villa), Allan McGregor (Fenerbahce), Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn), Alvara Negredo (Sevilla), Benat (Betis), Gary Hooper (Celtic), Wilfried Bony (Vitesse Arnham), Arouna Kone (Wigan), Jonjo Shelvey (Liverpool), Martin Harnik (Stuttgart), Karim Moutmour (Eintracht Frankfurt), John Ogu (Academica Coimbra), Bakary Sako (Wolves), Demba Ba (Chelsea), Danny Simpson (Newcastle Utd), Wilfried Zaha (Man Utd), Alpaslan Ozturk (free), Florent Malouda (free), Salomon Kalou (Lille), Marc Barda (Barcelona), Sotiris Ninis (Parma), Carlos Bacca (Club Brugge), Lamine Sane (Bordeaux), Danny Whitehead (Stockport County), Jeremie Aliadiere (Lorient), Rory Delap (free), James Milner (Man City), Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Joel Campbell (Arsenal), Matej Vydra (Udinese), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Anthony Revilliere (free), Nabil Ghilas (Morierence), Steven N’Zonzi (Stoke City), Yannick Bolasie (Crystal Palace), Morgan Amalfitano (Marsielle), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Javier Saviola (Malaga), Duvan Zapata (Estudientes), Titus Bramble (free), Dejan Stankovic (free), Joey Barton (QPR), Graham Dorrans (West Brom), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Inter Milan)……. Phew!!
Now remember, these are players that have been linked from 1st June 2013, and not before. They are also players that I have seen, no doubt I may have missed some, and despite checking NewsNow every hour, some do slip through the net. Some of those links are quite believable, some are utterly ridiculous, but it just shows that in all honesty, nobody, apart from those with direct links to the club, have any idea who our transfer targets. I’m surprised we haven’t been linked to some Arsenal reject as that normally happens every summer. We usually get linked to a massive name as well, (Beckham and Neymar anyone?!) however that hasn’t really materialised as yet, but give it time. There are a lot of good players in that list above, but of all the players there, we have signed 3 of them (Rat signed before 1st June)
We get the usual games from the management team, Neil McDonald being the classic example when we were linked to Razvan Rat in May. McDonald come out and said the deal wasn’t happening and it was just paper talk. A week later, the deal is announced, and I imagine McDonald was walking around Chadwell Heath with a big grin on his face. McDonald has done the same again with regards to Stewart Downing. The press are now going to think that Downing is probably going to sign in the coming weeks due to McDonald’s previous form. As I mention above, it goes to show just how little we all know. We hear a good player linked, and we assume that he’s ours. Names will come and go through the press, and until I see it widely reported in media sources, or on the Official Website, I won’t be believing a word!
COME ON YOU IRONS!!
By Chelmo Hammer
Great stuff, but you really need to get out more!!
Please sign moses
But wait there’s more