Less than 24 hours before the window slams shut and today's Sunday tabloid gossip round-up is one of the quieter ones in recent memory. I would like to think it is indicative of the clinical professionalism with which the club now conducts its transfer business. I would like to think that. In all probability, it is simply that a financially stable(ish), capably administered, well managed and chakra aligned West Ham United is of waning interest to the guttersnipes of the written press...
Bolton and West Ham have approached Henrik Larsson about a Premier League return, according to today's Independent. Larsson, 37, is a free agent and Bolton manager Gary Megson and West Ham's Gianfranco Zola have enquired about him. Larsson, who hit 173 goals in seven seasons at Celtic, has pencilled in contract talks with Helsingborg the Swedish league resumes in March but could still move to England on a short-term deal as he did when playing for Manchester United in 2007. Larsson's agent Rob Jansen confirmed: "Premier League clubs are interested in Henrik but we'll negotiate a contract with Helsingborg."
Elsewhere Rob Shepherd claims West Ham will sell Dean Ashton and Kieron Dyer at the end of the season because the Hammers hierarchy have become fed up with the injury records of both players. Writing in the News of the World, Shepherd states that the new direction of the club is to try and slash its massive wage bill and nurture home-grown talent as well as young stars with sell-on value. To that end, neither striker Ashton nor midfielder Dyer fit that bill and will be moved on.
The article insists that the high-earning England stars are seen as a symptom of the previous regime, which saw the Hammers brought to their knees financially by free-spending Eggert Magnusson. It is understood Newcastle will be at the front of the queue for Ashton, 25, who, despite a string of long-term injuries, would still command a fee in the region of £12million. He has failed to live up to the potential that once saw Spurs bid £20m for him - and many at the club believe his best days are now behind the former Norwich striker. United will accept £3million for Dyer, 30, who has broken down again after 17 months out of action since his £6million, £60,000-a-week move from Tyneside.
The same paper states Birmingham are in negotiations with West Ham over a loan move for centre-half Calum Davenport. The Hammers have been holding out for a £3million permanent deal but Brum want to take him until the end of the season with an option to buy him then. St Andrew’s boss Alex McLeish made Davenport, 26, his No 1 target and has been chasing him throughout the transfer window.
About half-way so time for a shamelessly gratuitous shot of Klara Medkova, prettier other half of new Czech signing Rado Kovac. This did not actually feature in any of the morning papers by the way, I just thought I would enter into the salacious spirit of things.
The Sunday Mirror has the club returning with an £8million bid for Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley after having an £5million offer rejected by the Welsh club. The 22-year-old, who has won 24 caps, was also the subject of a failed £6million bid by Stoke City earlier in the transfer window and James Collins reckons his Wales team-mate would be the perfect addition to the West Ham squad. Collins, who made the move from Ninian Park to Upton Park in 2005, said: "I'm not surprised by the hype surrounding Joe. He's a great player. He is so young and yet he's probably played more games than I have. It's a matter of time before he is playing Premier League football."
Meanwhile, Savio has vowed to repay the faith shown by West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola after the Italian smashed the club's transfer record to land the striker. Savio, 19, who completed his potential £9million move from Brescia last week, made a cameo appearance during the home win over Hull. But the Uganda-born striker, who has played for the Germany Under-20 side, is now raring to go and wants to prove Zola was right to sign him.
"Gianfranco Zola was a great player and I think he'll be a great manager," said Savio. "I'll improve a lot under him and try to do my best. Both he and Gianluca Nani explained what they want to do here at West Ham with all the young players. They want to improve me and I want to pay them back on the pitch. I'm proud to wear that shirt and I'll try to do my best to improve. The No.10 shirt is a big responsibility but I'll do my best every day. Every time I'm on the pitch I'll play with the heart and make the fans happy."
Finally Julien Faubert has confessed what we have all thought, namely, that he was the victim of a prank when Real Madrid came calling. The French winger signed out of Upton Park, possibly for the last time on Friday when he completed an unlikely switch to the Spanish giants where he will act as cover for a talented first team squad. Real have taken the 25-year-old on loan for the rest of the season with view to a permanent deal in the summer - although given Faubert's comments, it is unlikely that he will ever feature for the Irons again even if that particular deal was to fall through.
Talking to L'Equipe last night about his move, Faubert - who had also been in talks with two other clubs prior to accepting Real's offer - said: "I got a phone call from a representative of Real Madrid. I wasn't very polite to him as I thought I was being made fun of, that it was a joke. I had just found out that contacts with Lyon and Newcastle had fallen through. I wasn't feeling good. But it's up to me to fight, to show that I can get in the team."
Faubert, who has sadly failed to show very little of that 'fight' since joining the Hammers 18 months ago in a £6million switch from Bordeaux also claimed that he had been 'suffering mentally' since moving to London. "I couldn't see a way out," he added. "I thought I would be staying at West Ham, suffering." He's not the only one.
Bolton and West Ham have approached Henrik Larsson about a Premier League return, according to today's Independent. Larsson, 37, is a free agent and Bolton manager Gary Megson and West Ham's Gianfranco Zola have enquired about him. Larsson, who hit 173 goals in seven seasons at Celtic, has pencilled in contract talks with Helsingborg the Swedish league resumes in March but could still move to England on a short-term deal as he did when playing for Manchester United in 2007. Larsson's agent Rob Jansen confirmed: "Premier League clubs are interested in Henrik but we'll negotiate a contract with Helsingborg."
Elsewhere Rob Shepherd claims West Ham will sell Dean Ashton and Kieron Dyer at the end of the season because the Hammers hierarchy have become fed up with the injury records of both players. Writing in the News of the World, Shepherd states that the new direction of the club is to try and slash its massive wage bill and nurture home-grown talent as well as young stars with sell-on value. To that end, neither striker Ashton nor midfielder Dyer fit that bill and will be moved on.
The article insists that the high-earning England stars are seen as a symptom of the previous regime, which saw the Hammers brought to their knees financially by free-spending Eggert Magnusson. It is understood Newcastle will be at the front of the queue for Ashton, 25, who, despite a string of long-term injuries, would still command a fee in the region of £12million. He has failed to live up to the potential that once saw Spurs bid £20m for him - and many at the club believe his best days are now behind the former Norwich striker. United will accept £3million for Dyer, 30, who has broken down again after 17 months out of action since his £6million, £60,000-a-week move from Tyneside.
The same paper states Birmingham are in negotiations with West Ham over a loan move for centre-half Calum Davenport. The Hammers have been holding out for a £3million permanent deal but Brum want to take him until the end of the season with an option to buy him then. St Andrew’s boss Alex McLeish made Davenport, 26, his No 1 target and has been chasing him throughout the transfer window.
About half-way so time for a shamelessly gratuitous shot of Klara Medkova, prettier other half of new Czech signing Rado Kovac. This did not actually feature in any of the morning papers by the way, I just thought I would enter into the salacious spirit of things.The Sunday Mirror has the club returning with an £8million bid for Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley after having an £5million offer rejected by the Welsh club. The 22-year-old, who has won 24 caps, was also the subject of a failed £6million bid by Stoke City earlier in the transfer window and James Collins reckons his Wales team-mate would be the perfect addition to the West Ham squad. Collins, who made the move from Ninian Park to Upton Park in 2005, said: "I'm not surprised by the hype surrounding Joe. He's a great player. He is so young and yet he's probably played more games than I have. It's a matter of time before he is playing Premier League football."
Meanwhile, Savio has vowed to repay the faith shown by West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola after the Italian smashed the club's transfer record to land the striker. Savio, 19, who completed his potential £9million move from Brescia last week, made a cameo appearance during the home win over Hull. But the Uganda-born striker, who has played for the Germany Under-20 side, is now raring to go and wants to prove Zola was right to sign him.
"Gianfranco Zola was a great player and I think he'll be a great manager," said Savio. "I'll improve a lot under him and try to do my best. Both he and Gianluca Nani explained what they want to do here at West Ham with all the young players. They want to improve me and I want to pay them back on the pitch. I'm proud to wear that shirt and I'll try to do my best to improve. The No.10 shirt is a big responsibility but I'll do my best every day. Every time I'm on the pitch I'll play with the heart and make the fans happy."
Finally Julien Faubert has confessed what we have all thought, namely, that he was the victim of a prank when Real Madrid came calling. The French winger signed out of Upton Park, possibly for the last time on Friday when he completed an unlikely switch to the Spanish giants where he will act as cover for a talented first team squad. Real have taken the 25-year-old on loan for the rest of the season with view to a permanent deal in the summer - although given Faubert's comments, it is unlikely that he will ever feature for the Irons again even if that particular deal was to fall through.
Talking to L'Equipe last night about his move, Faubert - who had also been in talks with two other clubs prior to accepting Real's offer - said: "I got a phone call from a representative of Real Madrid. I wasn't very polite to him as I thought I was being made fun of, that it was a joke. I had just found out that contacts with Lyon and Newcastle had fallen through. I wasn't feeling good. But it's up to me to fight, to show that I can get in the team."
Faubert, who has sadly failed to show very little of that 'fight' since joining the Hammers 18 months ago in a £6million switch from Bordeaux also claimed that he had been 'suffering mentally' since moving to London. "I couldn't see a way out," he added. "I thought I would be staying at West Ham, suffering." He's not the only one.
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2 comments:
Trilby, is this Klara Medkova's arrival at Heathrow? Was her boyfriend equally shackled? We need to know!
I'm pretty sure all West Ham transfers arrive in some form of bondage; that's how we get them to sign for us.
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