Crazy turn of events as the Hammers hit the final hour of the transfer window!

 

With the Nayef Aguerd deal with Marseille done and dusted it’s going to be a frantic final hour for West ham as they are now rumoured to be back in the hunt for Brighton’s Igor Julio!

The Gueti transfer to Liverpool has stalled leaving the door open for Igor to head to West ham instead of Crystal Palace!

Meanwhile, the Hammers are reputedly trying to nail down a deal with Chelsea for another CB - Axel Disasi!

Either way, Graham Potter needs at least one additional CB nd we will know in an hour or so if he has gotten his wishes!

Is this the new Demba Ba - Hammers weighing up striking sensation!

Back in 2011 Demba Ba arrived at West ham and became an instant success, banging in 7 goals in 12 games as the Hammers tried to avoid relegation. Ba came with a health warning as he had failed a medical at Stoke. However, that proved unwarranted as he continued his excellent scoring form after he exited the relegated Hammers with impressive spells at Newcastle and Chelsea. 

Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface comes with a similar tag - having lost out on a high profile move to Milan due to a failed medical. The 24 year old Nigerian striker brings pace and power along with an impressive goalscoring rate of over 50% (22 in 42 games) for Leverkusen.

However, it hasn’t been all smiles as he has had lengthy injury spells that have included two ACL injuries (2019 for 6 months and a full year in 2020/21). At Leverkusen, 

He sustained an adductor injury which kept him out for 3 months in 2024 and subsequently has had a variety of niggles. 

This would be a bit of a punt for West ham but the worst of his injuries do seem to be behind him and his robust style seems suited to the Premiership. 

The perfect Antonio replacement? Boniface’s time at Leverkusen appears up and a loan deal might be in the offing. The Hammers would certainly be transformed by a fit Boniface!

We will keep you updated…

The picture West Ham fans want to see right now

 

After splashing out close to £60m last week the Hammers need funds to continue a much needed squad rebuild. The news that Nayef Aguerd has been photographed in Marseille suggests that the Moroccan is set to exit the Hammers and join Emerson Palmieri as Roberto De Zerbi looks to add flair to his defensive set up. An estimated fee of £20m has been mooted which will give West Ham cash to find a more suitable replacement.

At this point any of six options to add to the central defence appear possible. Top of the list appears to be 23 year old Charlie Cresswell who has enjoyed an impressive spell at Toulouse. Other reports suggest that  Taylor Harwood-Bellis (also 23 y/o) is being considered but Southampton appear to be seeking a big fee. Other possibilities include loan deals for Chelsea outcast Axel Disasi, Braga’s 22 year old starlet Bright Arrey-Mbi or even the experienced Manuel Akanji from Man City. Earlier interest in Brighton’s Igor Julio seem to have cooled as he looks set to move to Crystal Palace.

Whatever happens, it's pretty clear that Aguerd is finally leaving so incoming seems inevitable. With new cash and such an array of choices it seems that the Hammers are in a strong position to add to Graham Potter’s options at centre back!

Best of luck to Aguerd who sadly never quite adjusted to the rigours of the Premiership.

Hammers to raid South coast again in search of Brazilian talent?

It's no secret that West Ham are seeking a replacement for want-away centre back Nayef Aguerd. With ex-Leeds youngster Charlie Cresswell apparently on the radar, latest rumours suggest that Graham Potter may be ready to swoop for Brighton’s out of favour Brazilian centre back Igor Julio.

Igor is a left-footed pacey ball-playing centre back who would be well suited to the Potter system. He will be remembered by Hammer's fans as part of the Fiorentina side that lost to west ham in the Europa Conference league final in 2023. On that occasion, his last ditch effort to prevent Jarrod Bowen from scoring the winning goal was unsuccessful.

If, as rumored, Aguerd moves to France today, West Ham will need further back up at centre back, as injuries to any of Kilman, Todibo or Mavropanus would seriously weaken their defence.

We’ll find out as the transfer window comes to a conclusion today.

COYI!!!

Crisis? What crisis? Hammers pillage 3-0 victory at Forest

Graham Potter wil be a relieved man tonight as West Ham's season kicked into gear with a canny 3-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest. 

The Hammers had to be disciplined in defence as Forest huffed and puffed but they held firm and when their chance came they pounced. 

Potter will be chuffed with his game management as Summerville's introduction changed the game while Callum Wilson opened his goal account on a day Lucas Paqueta played a blinder!

Here's our player ratings...

Hermansen – 8. Much needed steady performance from the Dane. Importantly, communication with his defenders was solid throughout and he looked calm as Forest launched cross after cross into the Hammers box. 

Walker-Peters – 7. Lively all day. Linked well with Bowen to shore up the right flank throughout.

Mavropanos – 8. One of his best games in a Hammers short. Powerful in the air and looked unusually comfortable on the ball. 

Kilman – 7. More like what we expect. Disciplined and focused throughout in difficult conditions with the physicality of Wood to deal with. He seems to prefer the simplicity of a back four set up. 

Diouf – 8. Excellent stuff - blessed with pace but showed his calmness in defence. The pairing with Summerville on the left will terrify opponents as their understanding grows through the season 

Ward-Prowse – 6. Reduced to utility player status these days but a sensible head without anything flashy. Fernandes’ set pieces will dilute Ward Prowse's value as the newbie showed how accurate he can be.

Soucek – 7. Quietly effective. You cannot understate his value in the air - a big asset today as Forest bombarded the Hammers goal with crosses.

Bowen – 9. Once again he was the difference. Worked hard in defence and took his opportunity with aplomb.. 

Fernandes – 9. Tremendous debut. Energetic and skilful throughout. Looks like a masterful signing.  

Paqueta – 10. Tremendous throughout - competitive and, as always, an eye for an opening. The goal celebration was class. The Hammers need a gypsy-like soul (Di Canio, Payet, Arnautovic) and Lucas is the natural extension of that pulse. A great day for him.

Fullkrug – 6. Battled away but with limited impact. 

Substitutes:

Wilson: 8. Looked up for it and grabbed his debut goal in the process! 

Summerville: 9. Outstanding impact. His pace and control was a joy to behold!

Irving: 6. Solid for the few minutes he was on. 

The chaos continues as Hammers face a busy 36 hours

After three resounding defeats in a row, having conceded 11 goals, Graham potters West ham are in turmoil. After 12 consecutive seasons in the premiership, West Ham have rarely looked more like relegation fodder.  Mercifully, this disastrous start to season has spurred the board into action with the current level of movement akin to Brick Lane market!

Within the space of 24 hours in midweek the Hammers captured two mobile midfielders to add bite to their misfiring midfield with Mateus Fernandes arriving from Southampton for £38m while Soungoutou Magassa joined from Monaco for £17m. Addition of young, pacey and aggressive talent is much needed as Tomas Soucek’s ability is not based on pace whilst the ageing James Ward Prowse lacks the mobility West ham need in midfield right now.

However, those signings have left the hammers rather cash- strapped and rumours about a possible exit of midfield playmaker Lucas Paqueta to Aston Villa or possibly Spurs have upset the Hammers Apple cart as Paqueta is the one truly creative player in the squad and would surely thrive in a more dynamic midfield. Meanwhile,  Everton maintain a keen interest in bringing Tomas Soucek to Merseyside for a reunion with David Moyes. The Czech star brings an aerial presence  and goalscoring contribution that would be sorely missed.

At the back, Nayef Aguerd looks set to move to France with the possibility that Charlie Cresswell will move in the opposite direction to add some beef to what has been a feeble defence. The former Leeds defender is an impressive young talent who could be the player the Hammers hoped the off-form Max Kilman would be.

On top of all that activity, latest rumours suggest that West Ham are seriously looking at bringing in an attack-minded midfielder with Fabio Vieira of Arsenal in the spotlight. However, his time at Arsenal has been blighted by injuries and the Portuguese star has managed just two goals in thirty three appearances since his arrival at the  Gunners in 2022. With Summerville back soon Vieira would likely struggle to get game time and hardly seems worth an estimated £20m pay out right now.

The summer transfer window closes in England on Monday at 7pm. Buckle up because it's bound to get choppy over the next thirty six hours. In the meantime, the hammers make their way to the city ground.Looking for their first points of the season against Nottingham forest. 

Forest have experienced turmoil of their own at a board level.This season , with continued uncertainty about the future of manager Nuno Espirito Santo and have not kept a clean sheet in their last ten premiership games , but nonetheless have started the season strongly with four points from two games. No doubt , Chris Wood will be licking his lips in anticipation of scoring yet again against a leaky west ham defence. 

You’d take a draw!

KO is 2pm.

C’mon U Irons!!!

Here we go - "relegation six pointer" already beckons?

Its hard to believe but we are back already! After a relatively quiet Summer, mainly punctuated with exits, Graham Potters men make the long journey to Sunderland for the season's opener.

Its been a decent preseason in terms of results but that counts for little once the real business of the Premiership arrives. Potter will hopefully have gotten his squad finally schooled in possession-based tactics, while Sunderland have 11 newcomers to their squad and as such are an unknown quantity.

At the back, reintegrating Aguerd looks like a smart move with a new 3 centre back set up. Diouf adds pace down the wing, while Hermansen will hope to add consistency between the stick.

Up front, we can hope to finally get to see what Fullkrug has to offer - he's looked sharp in preseason. The continued absence of Summerville is disappointing but the prospect of a Diouf-Summerville left clank is exciting and should be possible in the coming weeks.

Midfield looks low in pace which is a worry. Potts may add in that regard as a substitute. Its hard to know what Rodriguez brings that Soucek couldnt offer, along with his exceptional aerial ability.....is he benched to rest him for an exit?

Folk on Talksport have penned this as a relagation six pointer which seems a bit harsh/histrionic but nevertheless a good start to the season would be very welcome!

KO is 3pm. 

Rory Nostradamus reckons the Hammers will expose the lack of familiarity in the Sunderland squad, with Callum Wilson coming on to score on his debut.

It's good to be back

COYI!!!

WEST HAM: Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez, Diouf; Paqueta;  Bowen (c), Fullkrug.

Subs: Areola, Mavropanos, Walker-Peters, Scarles, Soucek, Alvarez, Irving, Potts, Wilson.