A well known fact of life these days is that the Premier League is where the big bucks are at: Just about the highest salaries in the western world and huge transfer fees compared with Germany. France, Spain and Italy. Not surprisingly, clubs will try a shakedown over a Premier League club who might come knocking for one of their players. Such certainly seems to b the case with, reportedly, a West Ham target in Italy’s Serie A.
Only brought into Cagliari in June for €12 million, striker Roberto Piccoli is apparently available just two months later at double the paid price – West Ham are being told they must pay €24 million and do it fast since Cagliari don’t want to start the season without a striker: 15 August has been claimed as the ‘cut-off’ date for a deal according to sportwitness.co.uk as Cagliari brazenly try to pressure the Hammers. As SW puts it:
“This feels like another attempt from the Italian press to make sure that the Sardinian side earn as much as they can from Piccoli’s transfer. They signed the player permanently from Atalanta in June, for €12m, and want to make a quick profit.”
You’d suspect they’re wasting their time: Unless the player is a Salthouse client and available on a free transfer, the Hammers won’t go anywhere near Piccoli.
Agreed. This is an agent rumour. I’d put money on us NOT buying him.
With Fullkrug, Wilson and Marshall is he a realistic target ?
Price wise it’s reasonable for a CF looked a real handful in his early career and the gamble would be can he get back to that level ?
Spot on. We’ve made our only striker signing of this window – Wilson.
Instead of spending the €24 million being asked, West Ham should go get Rasmus Højlund from Man United. Their asking price is rumored to be £30 million. That would be a better spend of the Kudus money (£20m on Diouf and £30m on Højlund) and we would still have money left over!
It’s just laughable how badly we manage our recruitment activity. The only positive this window so far is Diouf, nothing else and start of the season is fast approaching with the same midfield and forward issues we had last season, oh joy!
I think the story here is yet again, our owners muck about and leave it late and then wonder why no one wants to do a deal late in the window when they will have to pay up for a replacement. Not rocket science science we do it to ourselves every transfer window by not paying for what we need on a targeted basis. Instead we faff around looking for bargains on fringe players and missing out on the players we need
Franjo Ivanovic (21yo Croation, Union FC Belgium) is a very good up and coming striker valued 13m euros. My good friend was doing his AFCAS L7 course. One project was finding a budget striker for the future. 4 coaches/agents came up with this player.
Highly recommended for Hammers budget and future.
This striker is now talking to Wolves So count this one out and lost