Diafra Sakho is today being named as the possible Irons bait in a swap deal for West Brom’s Saido Berahino.
ClaretandHugh revealed several days ago that the Baggies striker was a target for the Hammers and with doubts surrounding Sak’s situation at the Hammers this one was always likely to arise.
Sunderland’s interest is likely to founder on two fronts with Sakho reportedly not keen on a move to Wearside and the offer lodged being far too far off the £15 million minimum required by the Irons anyway.
However, any deal for Berahino looks to have a long way to go and could hit snags on various fronts.
The Baggies front man has refused a new contract at around £50k a week and with the Hammers likely to have to pay double that and more for Alexandre Lacazette, they may not be willing to go much higher should talks for the Frenchman produce fruit.
It would be unlikely for them to bring in Berahimo first and compromise any finances put aside for the Lacazette possibility given he would want at least double the £27k currently being paid to Sakho.
They also have to consider the striker’s track record at West Brom where he has shown he is not happy with a support role! And it seems clear that the new top line striker and Andy Carroll will be filling the front men roles when fit.
Everton, Stoke and Crystal Palace are reportedly keen on Sakho but his agent Mark McKay yesterday claimed was happy at West Ham.
He added that his issue was that he needed to understand was where he fits into the manager’s plans after the arrival of the new striker.
Don’t want Berahino. He’s not a team player.
Let’s concentrate on sorting the Lacazette deall out, then if Sakho and Valencia are surplus to requirements, we can think about a 3rd striker (to support Lacazette and Carroll).
I am convinced that Carroll should stay with us – he brings something different to the party.
Is Diafra Sakho only being paid 27,000 pounds/week, while Andy Carroll is being paid four times that amount. I don’t know how many times I have to make the point; Sakho is our no.1 striker (when fit). If you have seen Enner Valencia’s most recent performances for Ecuador, you may well argue that he is (potentially) our no.2 striker. Whether you share these opinions or not, there is no question that when Sakho and Valencia play as a striking duo, they can be among the best in the EPL.
(Forget about Berahimo- I’d sooner have Mario Balotelli playing for us!)
Seriously- if Bilic and the West Ham chairmen continue with this ‘love affair with Andy Carroll, while at the same time, showing the door to both Sakho and Valencia, we could be in for a very difficult season. Whether we get our marquee signing we wanted (Lacazette, Batshuayi, Bacca, and/or Icardi), they are not going to make Andy Carroll a better striker. Even Messi, Ronaldo, or Suarez will not make Andy a better striker!
The only other solution to our striker crisis, is for the 2 David’s to splash the cash (even if it involves both of them putting their hands into their own pockets on a once in a life-time investment-this would show how much they really love this club!). So I am suggesting that we should be prepared to spend 40 million pounds and 30 million pounds on Marquee Striker 1 and Marquee Striker 2 respectively, and another 10-15 million pounds on a quality 3rd striker (from the EPL or Championship League). With Dimi Payet at the very peak of his career at age 29, this surely must be the best time to try and get the best strikers for him to play with. We’ve just had a very good season, and we’re in the Europa this season; right coach, right players, and we could even do ‘a Seville’, and win it. If we are serious about attaining the status of a ‘great club’ (as opposed to a very good one season team), we surely have to do the very best by our fantastic world-wide fan-base, and set up a period of English/European dominance. We must move forward; sure we had Moore, Peters, and Hurst, but have we ever won anything aside from 3 FA cups and a Cup Winners Cup, since then (approx. 50 years ago!). This surely must be the time to seriously address the big. big question of who is going to get us regularly scoring at an average of 2 goals/game/season. Check the history of world soccer; there are very few teams, who when capable of reaching this objective, are very far from the top 2 teams in any league; it is great to see us playing so attractively, but I’m sure there is an expectation to take our club to the next (high & higher levels). here I’m mooting a West Ham way, but it is time to display the West Ham Will!!
COYI
Watching Valencia play last season in the PL he looked & played disinterested, time & time again he missed chances which he should have buried. He plays well for his country & scores nearly every game, is this because the standard is not so high? A lot of south american players (not all) have trouble adapting to the PL, we signed him coming out the World Cup 2014 & he Should be top scorer by now. I dont see AC as a starter anymore he is the best player in his style of play but an impact sub or plan B at most.
Slav knows what or who he wants & has set sugo to do the deals. Personnaly I would do a swap for Sako & Berahino, for whatever reason Pulis doesnt fancy him anymore so he get little game time but he has shown he is a proven goal scorer in the PL.
SUGO have invested a ton of their own money into the club & imo have shown they love the club & dont need to prove anything. We were knackered as a club after the biscuit barons went tits up & broke, without SUGO & their money who knows what would have happened to us.
Hi Marko! greetings from ‘down under’
Carroll always brings something to the party- shame is that it has nothing to do with football.
Always life of the party, but not the solution to our long-term needs.
I say keep Sakho & Valencia (by all means keep Andy, but not as our no.1 striker).
I’ll keep saying it until I turn blue in the face!
Keep bjue-mooning, friend….or maybe just keeping mooning (as my Aussie friends do). ‘Ere, considering you guys were in the Euro Song contest, you guys should come over and moon them Ruskies; get ’em to effing lighten up.
Great posts lads. We’ll have to agree to differ.
For me, at his very best, Sakho is an 80% excellent striker (butr normally ticks over at 70%)
At his very best Carroll is a 90% striker and described as “unplayable” by the pundits (but normally ticks over at 50%).
At his very best, Valencia is a 70% strriker who can be anonymous, has a terrible first touch and falls over far too much (normally ticks over at 45%)
In summary, Carroll as a no.2/3 striker, who may well start on the bench, adds more to the squad than either Sakho or Valencia IF we are to buy the mega-striker so much has been written about.
I can’t wait to see the match day squad for our first league game at Chelski!
Have to disagree. I think Carroll is finally getting the correct medical attention and getting over his injury troubles. The last 3rd of the season he was an absolute menace and showed how good he is. Sakho also I think is unbelievable but seems to have some things on his mind outside of football and misses his family. I dont think we need 3 new strikers at all, and where on earth are we meant to find £85m to spend just on forwards, besides their wages?
We need one marquee striker and let Sak/Carroll compete for 2nd place. It will only up their game.
At least one of Sakho and Valencia will have to go and probably both as neither look good enough or consistently fit enough to do the job we need and Carroll did enough to further his career a little longer as compared to them. Fact is the new big money striker will be given first opportunity to prove his worth with Carroll as support as and where needed. Sakho wants conformation of his role but having been unable to prove his first 6 mtgs at the club was anything other than a one off or even being fit enough to even have a go at truly proving his worth what commitment can the manager give him?
Valencia, under 2 managers now has shown himself, good player though he fundamentally is, totally unsuitable to British football and an inability to adapt at all. He simply is not quick thinking or physical enough to play central here, while he simply is not good enough in the skills required to play out wide, where Antonio has shown the skills that you do need especially if you are not an out and out winger. I suspect a less physical league may well suit him better, but he has shown nothing to suggest that he is going to improve here, especially considering the more competitive nature that will surface at the club this season and the higher expectations. Both he and Sakho retain value now but I suspect will have little value in a year so surely best to move them on as long as better alternatives can come in.
All 3 strikers had to perform in the last 3 mths of last season to prove their worth and only Carroll went anywhere near doing so I’m afraid, while problems off the field with Sakho have probably taken away any chance of him being given any benefit of the doubt.
We need to sign Laccerette, keep Enner and Sakho (Sakho is our no 1 striker) and get rid of AC – he is not worth the money. And I don’t believe for one minute we would consider swapping Sakho for the West Brom player – they are so far apart in terms of ability it is just laughable. From speaking to a lot of West Ham fans they all agree – so a big no thanks to Saido. A big yes to Lacceratte and keeping Enner and Sakho.
keep sakho sell valancia. we need to sign Lacazatte as well. Carrol should stay he offers something different and can come on as an impact sub such as against Chelsea at home. He is the sort of player you bring on when you need a goal. He should not start though. Sahko and Lacazette if we get him should alternate between he starts in Europa league and prem. Both shako, Valencia and Caroll picked up injuries so I think we need to replace Valencia if we do sell him.
I wonder if Sak’s attitude would improve if his money was doubled. He could easily get £50k per week elsewhere, surely, so no wonder he’s pofaced. Wouldn’t you be? I’d prefer Berahino anyway, but maybe increasing Sak’s wages would be the simplest solution??
Berahino for me is in the mould of player that don’t apply themselves to make the most of their talent and when things go against them don’t accept responsibility and step up, look at Antonio last season he was bought for reasonably big money 7.5 million, he was stuck on the bench but he didn’t complain he just worked harder until he got his chance then he took it. Berahino is always likely to be in and out of sides unless something happens that puts a rocket up his backside and he changes his mindset, he thinks his potential will always get him a contract much like Ravel well he will learn eventually that it wont and it is upto him to prove it consistently. As for the Sakho / Valencia debate, Sakho is an assett but he did not finish very well last season for whatever reason, Valencia is someone that we play out of position, as for falling over too often as has been mentioned I would challenge anyone to look at all those times again in most cases he was fouled and we should have gained free kicks and penalties not just last season but the season before, the referees are to blame for that not Valencia, he in my opinion is the highest quality striker we presently have and the one capable of playing in the widest variety of systems.
With all those contradictory opinions, Bilic / SUGO are going to disappoint someone. Fortunately, I suspect all of us would go along with the decisions. I’ve got loads wrong. I thought Bilic’s appointment was just ’emotion and Froth’s. I was dead against bringing in Obgonna (because we already had 3 superb young centre backs)…. About the only thing I DID get right was my username!….As many will testify, eh Stan?
I likes hear talent and this boy has it,he scores goals for fun,
Just don’t understand the financial problems,Song £85k per week,Moses £80K per week
Emineke lots of money,all gone now,
If Sak goes we only have to find £65 K for Barahino,
Novedt was cheap,
We also have higher income through new ground and TV so we can spend more on wages for the silly fair pay rules,
Replace Sak and Valencia with the Moses whole with the 2 above and Tore,
Then go after the big forward and bye bye AC,
What a great forward line and midfield we would have
That’s Entertainment
You been drinking bubs? Your words are all over the place 😀 lol
I think I moderated myself,had a drink now and it looks readable,
Just trying to say Essex that the wages we paid last year for Song and Emineke were a waste and Moses was worth £30K aweek and no more,but now they have gone and add JOB wages as well,there is plenty to play with,
Enner is not cheap either and now I really know what’s unsettling Sakho,he would be quite happy on the bench with AC as long as he gets £85 k he won’t want to anywhere,
Our 3 forwards of last year can not give us the goals we need with the amount of chances we create,
Bony would be a good replacement for AC, Tore would replace Enner,Barahino would cover Sak that needs our replacement for Emineke,Take your pick from a list of 12 or more,
I would like Wilson or Dehenney but Batman Jensen Sandro Lazette,would do,
A good Italian or Argie CH and RB I am done
I would rather we didn’t sign any players with any kind of an attitude problem. What I love about Bilic is he understands the importance of team spirit and that means players not getting too big for their boots but staying humble. Carroll was our number one striker last year. He is a total team player. The work he does for the team seems to go unnoticed by some. He tracks back and works as hard defensively as going forward sometimes. When he is fit and on form I don’t think there is a defence anywhere in the world that could stop him.