West Ham and Middlesbrough are now locked in talks over Stewart Downing’s future.
We reported yesterday that the Championship outfit had made a “fantastic offer” to the Irons in the hope of wooing the fans favourite back to the Riverside.
The Hammers had initially knocked back Boro’s opening offer and rebuffed interest from Sunderland but the north eastern club’s chairman Stewart Gibson has now upped the ante considerably with his latest bid.
ClaretandHugh was told yesterday (Sunday) of the new offer which has piled the pressure on the Irons management to do a deal.
And we understand talks are now again in progress but an insider stressed: “There is certainly no agreement at this stage of things.”
With the arrival of Dimitri Payet and Pedro Obiang the Irons are ready to talk but will play serious hardball over the fee given that Downing was one of our best players last season earning an international recall.
If we can get Cabaye in and sell Downing thats ok but if not we should keep Downing he is a good player with and without the ball, can play on either wing and he would also be cover for Payet playing just behind the front two.
I think it would be silly to turn down a large fee for him. A good player and yes we do definitely need strength in depth but with our new signings Obiang and Payet, possibly Song and Cabaye as well and with Poyet waiting in the wings I would be happy to let him go. I do like him but he is light weight, can’t tackle and does go missing a lot. He was immense playing in the middle at the start of the year and only faded when BFS changed his position but at his age and to be fair to him this is his boyhood club and they are looking to get him in for a coaching role after his playing days so I don’t think that we should stand in his way.
If the money quoted is near the truth take it get it converted to Turkish Lira and get the young lad Gokhan Tore from Besiktas,7 years younger and something about him that Slav’s enforcers would like http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/nov/16/turkey-gokhan-tore-omer-toprak-hakan-calhanoglu lol
Yeah seen that before.If Slav rates him he knows about him as his ex-manager.Take the cash for Downing,if the amounts being offered are true its silly money for Downing at almost 31.Give them that ****er Carroll as well!
Spoonie has your heart rate dropped enough to sleep yet? Loving your posts just don’t burst a blood vessel. Btw I can’t quite figure where you stand on the whole AC thing lol
Keep up the good work
Dear Mr Southon – I’m also a life long Hammer ( Born in Plaistow Hospital with West Ham on my Birth cert ! – Its my Mother fault I was not born in Knightsbridge ! :)) I think Mr Downing is a class player but you could not blame him for making such a profitable move at this stage of his career – What I would really like to see an article on is just what’s involved in buying players these days , no doubt gone are the days where a club just meets the price ! – one thing that’s must be happening at our club according to all the gossip is that we must be getting quite good regarding Transfers and all the settlements involved – don’t you think ?
Still won’t cover the free ride that’s Glass Ankle Andy…
I think the 2 Daves just love a haggle,never accept the price quoted which can be annoying
When you loose a player to another side over what seem a small amount,
But I think there is a lot of agent interference and where the incoming player wants to live,
London is a big draw to most,,