Central defender Angelo Ogbonna is currently in the process of completing a medical as the prospect of a switch to West Ham gets ever closer.
The Hammers are now confident the Senegal international is set to become an Iron sometime today or tomorrow – after turning down an offer from Everton.
The 27-year-old started his medical last night and is expected to complete it sometime this morning (Friday) or later this afternoon.
Claret & Hugh has been told the player turned down the Merseysiders because he believes the Irons are set for big things over the next three or four years.
And the Hammers insider added: “He feels he will develop under Slaven Bilic better than elsewhere because he was an outstanding central defender himself. It’s a classic example of top managers attracting top players!
“The player has decided that West Ham is the club where his game will progress the best. So long as he gets through the medical successfully the announcement will be made.”
Discussing the player’s abilities we were told: “There’s international level and the one below it. Angelo is probably somewhere in between.”
Presumably that will sort out the defence, once Jenks re-signs.
With Downing almost certain to leave and Jarvis in the shop window, Bilic will want at least one more winger.
Finally, we need another striker to compliment what we’ve got. I’d be happy with Destro.
I thought he was 10 time capped Italy international not Senegalese?
Who gives a fu*k as long as we sign him!
He has played for Italy, was at euro 2012 with them but didn’t play.
Yeah he is italian.It was hippo loved a seneglese player or seven.Hugh must still be having nightmares about him,lol
Yesterday I posted a link on here to an article which said Ogbonna is a good player but has lapses of concentration.
By co-incidence, my cable TV showed a match last night, from last season between Juventus and Napoli, and he was playing. He was rarely troubled by Napoli as Juve were in control, but his game in general was very good. He won his headers well, covered any stikers and did lots of great interceptions. His passing was near perfection, and he liked to push forward occasionally. In the second half, he took the ball from a striker stepped past him and dribbled the ball forward, while looking up to see his next pass. He didn’t notice that the sriker was still around and let him sneak up and nick the ball back off him and run away with it. Now I see what the article meant about loss of concentration.
It was very ameturish slackness which he would not get away with in the Prem.
Still the rest of his game was good, so I’m sure Bilic will coach the bad stuff out of him.
Let’s not get carried away with this crap that he walks in condemns our other defenders to an early grave.He has a lot of proving to do. Good luck to him.
So he made 1 mistake in 90 minutes playing in Italy against a good side,
I wonder if you watched any game we played in last season and checked our defenders how many mistakes they made,I would bet my house on it that it would be a lot more than 1
He has played 10 times for Italy where defensive play is an art form,
That makes him an International not in between anything,
Let’s hope the deal gets done soon
Born in Italy, plays in Italy, played for Italy…… Im gonna call him a Senegalese International
Bet he didnt score an own-goal any better than Ginges at Citeh last season,lol 😀
Apparently that mistake ( and it was horrendous ), is a habit of his.
You can be sure that when defenders in the Prem are in possesion, they are under a lot more pressure than in Italy. He will need to deal with that for the first time.
Also Italien teams pass the ball alot more across their back line, so he was the key player in their passing, but he will be told not to do that so much here. He will learn a lot about a very different game, and from a good teacher.
Im sure that if Slav sees him as the guy he wants he will know all he need to know about him.As a former cb himself i think he will understand what this guy can give us.Dont worry,be happy 😉
of course and he will teach him a lot.
My point is too many are writing of our other defenders, before this geezer has even kicked a ball in the Prem.
Unfortunatley a number of our other CB’s have reached their limit, Ried is the stand out CB, Tomkins will be the fall guy, good squad player & back up but not top class, you can never accuse Collins of not giving 100% & is solid, he will take a ball straight in the face or other parts to block a shot. Again back up. The kids coming through hopefully are the future. A back four of Jenks, Ried, Ogbonna & Cresswell should be the nuts.
your opinion is supported by most people on here, but I dont totally agree. Thats why I posted this subject.
Tomks was having a very decent season in the first half of it. Probably his best so far.He played only 22 prem games, not because he was dropped but because he had a dis-located shoulder.
Ginge played easily his best season for us ( probably his best ever for anyone )
Yet they get slaughtered here for whatever reason.
I hope this new CB is at least as good, because we need 4 of them. Thats why I am happy that we are buying him. But he is not beckenbauer and we should keep an open mind about who will play the most games at CB this season.
Perhaps he doesnt get injured as much as the other 3 so it could be him.
I’m in no way slaughtering them, imho i believe that that this is an area we need to strenghen.
Oh behave yourself dafishes,Tnks & Ginge never get ‘slaughtered’ on here,if you ment Nolan & Carroll you have a point,lol.But not these two.People say we need better than them.That is logical progression isnt it.Ginge is getting on & Tomkins is a decent prem cb.He doesnt even get close to international recognition which aint saying alot these days.He is a decent prem defender,but that is about it imho 😉
By the way he was Bilic’s 3rd choice after the CB in the Ukraine, and the one in Monaco, who were far too expensive ( 20 mil ).
Now we have 4 decent CBs
Sleeps all good teams pass the ball a lot along the line and out from the back,
Your just used to watching Hippo,s ways when the ball never got passed just heaved up to towards the forwards and into orbit,
Give the lad a chance he has played 10 times for a top 10 international team,
We don’t have any player with that experience,
I’m used to watching football of all kinds for many years ; nothing to do with any hippos.
I always give ALL of our players a chance ( I can teach that if you like )
As I said good luck to him in his learning process.
Sleeps you are a teacher good for you,know doubt you watch a lot of football but maybe you should watch every game he played not draw a view from one game,
Everybody makes mistakes including the very best defenders in the world,
And you know Hippo or BFS exactly what I mean,
Stop knocking people before they even play for us
Stop being negative
We are played 2 won 2 and Slav wants him beware what you wish for
I was refering to the article which said that was his problem. It was just co-incidence that I saw him play last night.
bubs, wash your mouth out….. please dont mention his name… i come out in cold sweats. 🙁
essex sorry I only just answered your post above
Thats like saying he was Bilics 20th choice because he couldnt afford Ramos or anyone else out of our price range 😉
yes so whats your point?
My point is that for you to say he is third choice is bs because you are basing this assumption purely on media speculation with no foundation.That was my point,but it wasnt ment with any malice unless you choose to take it that way & reply with the hump 😉
of course I never have the hump.
I was just curious. So my answer below is the one you can read.
Lol,none of us know who Slavens first,second or third choice was.Do paper or media reports suddenly make these targets factual.
true but apparently we put bids in for the one from Monaco earlier. And it was someone related to west ham who said that the one in Ukraine was Bilic’s first choice, but I can’t remember who now.
Of course it’s not important who was first choice or second ; it only matters which one we got.
I have not seen this player play but again I trust Bilic. However if he has lapses of concentration then I will be shpcked with are buying this player. Secondly Jenks is a joke as a defender and I would become very worried if we have a defence including Jenks and this new lad. I like both Tomkins and Collins and I do not think they let us down last year – what let us down last year was our midfield (or the crazy selections of the manager). I also believe Henry is class and this is my preferred back 4, Oxford, Henry, Red and Cresswell, a few eyebrows raised but in my judgement you must trust lol lol
LOL funny enough I’m not shocked or worried, we are spending our budget wisely, and strengthening and already decent squad, but we should give new players some room to breath and not expect great things before we see them play.
I think Italian defenders in general know what they are doing so I’m sure he will acclimatise to the pace of the premiership. I hope he is given time to adjust Because I can see him dozing well (doing well) . COYI
LOL I agree
Well we got there in the end
Well done Sleeps,
And now he is our player official
GREAT NEWS FOR OUR CLUB