Brentford are still demanding a £15 million fee for Scott Hogan and that is helping the Irons to cool on a deal.
There has been long term speculation the Bees were ready – or had – trimmed their expectations of such a fee but that is not the case with a source telling us there had been no compromise .
The Championship’s management and board see an inflated market for players – notably strikers – and appear to believe that their prize asset’s goals at the lower level is worthy of such a fee.
However with no willingness to compromise at all, the Hammers are coming close to pulling the carpet from under ‘negotiations’ and wait on a Diafra Sakho return with Michail Antonio going through the middle in the meantime.
There’s a chance that Brentford will bend on the last couple of day of the window but with Slav uncertain of the player, the chance of a deal is receding.
We were told that some moderation of the fee was required by the Hammers but that in the panicky last 24 hours when clubs were desperate to bring in much needed funds “that was always possible.”
With Brentford looking safe if not challenging for a play off place, their insistence on £15m seems a little hard to figure.
Forget it . Hogan isn’t worth 15m . Plus we don’t really need him .
Yes Antonio and Cresswell have been great buys from the championship and made the England squad too, however their combined cost does not approach the 15mill asking price for Hogan who could do a job for us but is way over valued by Brentford.Feels like a Mexican standoff at the moment between the 2 clubs.
They wont get £15 mill for him.I dont think that is even what they have said they want,only the media have.All i have read them say is no one has met his valuation.No mention of £15 mill.
I hope we get someone in because if China Doll goes down again the thought of Fletcher being our one true striking option is going to be depressing.Still cant see what the fuss is about him from some fans.Can someone explain 😁
He came from Manure so is obviously the chosen one 🙂 Just like Will Keane and James Wilson (remember them) lol.
Honestly mate i must be missing something others see.I have been waiting for something but i see nothing.I hope he turns into a regular scorer for us but all i see is a forward who will go on to be a decent Championship striker,nothing more than that 😉
sounds to much money save it and spend it in the summer i would not pay more the 6 mil for him and even that is a RISK
It’s simple. TV money is poured into the clubs (with Sky & co droning on about the ‘riches’ the clubs now receive) & the players & their agents wait at the other end to scoop it all up. It hardly touches the sides. Wages go up- demand/ supply.
If Ozil is worth £40m odd to old Scrooge Wenger, then I guess Payet is worth £30m & a striker, even an unproven one, is worth not far short of £15m. My memory is not good but didn’t Dean Ashton come to us from Norwich about 10 years ago for about half that. The TV money must have doubled in that time. OK Deano probably had a more established record than Hogan. We saw last summer that top strikers are hard to find. Carroll & Sakho are class strikers, but they will always be injury prone, so we will have to take a punt at some point, & that won’t be much easier in the summer.
I see what you are saying Hammer64 but he has a bad injury record as well dont really want 3 of them but yes for the right price i would have him
Save the money
Bring in a loanee if Calleri goes,
Plenty out there want playing time
Yeah I wasn’t saying a definite yes to buying him. I am on the fence because I haven’t seen him play- & nobody has in the PL. My point is just what a difficult decision it is. Say ‘no’ & Sakho’s recovery is delayed with AC getting an injury- we are then in big trouble. Could see someone else take him like Austin last year. Say ‘yes’ & he could be a costly dud. Also we don’t know the exact financial situation. So glad I don’t have to decide!
Buy him and his knee goes,board are mugs cos they knew he had knee trouble. Don’t buy him and he cracks away, board are mugs. no win situation for the board. At 15 mill is it worth the gamble?
Save the cash for a Summer signing.
Can’t believe we are paying £15 mil for this guy when we have Martinez and then loan him out 😏