The Irons will be involved in the prestigious competition which will of course see our manager Manuel Pelegrini returning to the orient after his spell in management out there.
And it’s ironic that striker Marko Arnautovic is also likely to be part of the squad after his on/off Chinese transfer in January.
The Irons will be joined by Manchester City, Newcastle and Wolves in the Shanghai based competition as the club look to increase their profile in a football crazy nation.
A highly placed Hammers source told us by e-mail: “We are definitely involved along with the three clubs you mention.
“It’s going to a tough competition to win because our understanding is we will be playing Manchester City as our opening game.”
The Irons have been involved in the Asia Trophy once before in 2009 when we finished in third place but Pellegrini will be looking for a happy return as he prepares for the second year of his Hammers contract.