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Hammers refuse to deny striker reports

Batshuyi - looking for Champions League football

Batshuyi – looking for Champions League football

West Ham were this afternoon refusing to deny stories in the national media that they are ready to break the bank to bring Michy Batshuayi to the club.

The Guardian reported earlier that the Irons has bid €40m for the Belgian striker who is attracting interest right across Europe.

Usually the Hammers are quick to deny interest when stories such as this emerge but ClaretandHugh was told today it was impossible to discuss the rumours.

We asked our senior source directly on both Batshuayi and Alexandre Lacazette but were simply told: “We have a list but it is impossible to be specific as it impacts on negotiations.”

However, he added: “We are negotiating on several fronts.”

 

The earlier reports suggested the Irons have now returned with a firm offer which would smash their club transfer record but must now wait to hear whether it will be accepted.

Batshuayi claimed last week he wanted to stay in France but Marseille are understood to be keen to sell the striker they bought for just £4.8m from Standard Liège in 2014 with chairwoman Margarita Louis-Dreyfus having put the club up for sale last month.

Any deal is likely to be concluded before the end of the month with the player hoping to be selected in coach Marc Wilmots’ Belgium squad for Euro 2016 next week.

The lack of a denial in these sort of circumstances is always interesting and clearly suggests that negotiations could be reaching critical points with boss Slaven Bilic claiming last week he would love to get everything done by the time the window opens.

 

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

13 comments on “Hammers refuse to deny striker reports

  1. Let’s hope it’s enough to make the deal go through quick,if it’s a no the move on and do the same put in a strong bid for Lacazette,
    If that’s knocked back move on and hit City with a strong bid for Bony,
    Add a bid anyway for Wilson to give us cover,
    Confirm Novedt ASAP
    Then sort out which winger you want and go and get him,
    Then get the defender you want ,
    No messing when it’s done sell who you don’t need,
    Get the squad together early and hit the road running

  2. Batboy is definitely one for the future. I would prefer lacasette for now. French player of the year leading goal scorer and all that.

  3. I want iOS take any of the above if we keep Sak and AC or any 2 if 1 of them leave,
    Selling Valencia should cover the cost of the winger,
    The defender can be brought in by releasing 1 or 2 Slav does not won’t of ours,
    In the end not that expensive,

  4. Think it’s time some of our supporters woke up & realised it won’t be long before we are going in for players at this price.It ain’t fantasy anymore it’s fact imo.Being so dismissive of players in this price range coming to us is stupid.We won’t be alone either,other so called smaller clubs will also be going in strong in the transfer markets in the coming years.£25 to £30 mill players will be common place in many teams with all the money that’s going to be thrown about.
    These are only the thoughts of an ignorant pig though so feel free to dismiss them wise men haha 😉

  5. Fair point Lama there will indeed be most teams with multi,multi million pound players in their teams in the very near future.The TV money is going to make it a somewhat more even playing field isn’t it.
    More to the point is the fact that I still can’t hack all these tears,weeping,crying posts on WHTID or Wetpants as you call them.I can go to any other site & no drama.I mean is it really just a site for all the soppy sods or what??

  6. Hahaha,that’s really got under your skin today hasn’t it Stanley.
    So will we or won’t we make a marquee type signing in the summer.I’m not so sure we will if I’m truthful.I can see 2 or 3 players coming in who will cost a few quid but not a big,big money signing.Time will tell.

  7. Not under my skin fella but I have had generations of my family going to The Boleyn since Queen Victoria was reigning.Well not quite but you get my point.All that daily weeping on there makes some of them seem like a bunch of tarts.Harsh but true.Our memories ain’t going to get wiped as we walk out for the last time.They need to grow up.

  8. Im an old boy Stan & I really didn’t want to leave Upton Park but the more I thought about it the more I realised we have to.If we don’t you are going to get other clubs building bigger grounds & we will be left behind.Yes I maybe want to keep us as the same old West Ham we all love but at the same time I don’t want to see us being left behind by the likes of the Spuds & Chelski when they develop their new grouds.We have to move on no matter how sad it is.I will say my goodbyes next week & I will be fine with it.The OS is going to be for the next generation of fans & I hope they bloody love the coming years in The Olympic Stadium as much as I have loved The Boleyn.

    • Nice comment Jack 😉

    • Quality Jack,like it.I agree,this move is about the generations that will follow us.Ones who will with any luck be supporting a Champions League playing,Premier League winning team.Things move on in life,its our turn to move on in the next couple of weeks.With any luck to bigger & better things 😉

  9. I don’t care how big we get and I’m not averse to big time players coming in but they should have the right work ethic and not be prima donnas. Look at payet, superbly talented but still humble and a team player. I would also like to see us keep an English or homegrown spine in years to come. Look at the teams with a healthy proportion of homegrown players added to a good team spirit and your talking about Leicester Tottenham West Ham. The season Tottenham went out and bought all foreign superstars they didn’t gel as a team. It’s when the English players came through for Tottenham Kane Ali etc they’ve had their best season. Look at Leicester. Self explanatory. Look at us. Noble Tomkins carrol antonio Collins cresswell. All played a major role in our best premier league season. In years to come I hope to see a good percentage of our team as young homegrown players. They don’t have to be English but should have come through the academy, development squad, youth team etc. and understand the ethic.

  10. talking of transfers I heard the gooners and the spuds are battling it out to sign the giant Israeli Japanese goalkeeper Heiney D’Atishu they want him to be on hand for the next time they blow it !!!

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