Despite rejecting the club in the summer, leading to the signing of Simone Zaza instead, a deal for AC Milan forward Carlos Bacca could still be on the cards as his agent, Sergio Barila, told Colombian newspaper El Heraldo:
“There were various clubs interested, but what Carlos prioritised was the football aspect and his family, not the finances. He’s very happy in Italy. He’s happy in Milan, and the club are happy with him… If an offer interests both, then a transfer could be done.”
Bacca has scored six times in ten games to date this season, with the Colombian excelling whilst the West Ham frontline has struggled to find the back of the net with new signings Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri both struggling to adapt to life in London. If the Irons can pull out of a deal for Zaza, they may be wise to spend that money on Bacca instead.
Off the field, the Guardian claim that the club are in the process of identifying 200 fans who will be banned from watching West Ham United play in the future after violent clashes between West Ham and Chelsea fans during the EFL Cup clash on Wednesday night. Police were present at the game for the first time in the London Stadium, with three reportedly arrested.
Some Hammers fans ran through segregation lines to goad opposition fans, whilst there were also reports of coins, bottles and ripped out seats being thrown, leading to riot police being called and arriving within 60 seconds. There is a growing fear among club bosses that children and families will be put off attending the London Stadium in the future so a tough stance is being taken by the club.
On the field, there was better news as club record signing Andre Ayew returned to action with a substitute appearance. After picking up a thigh injury on the opening day of the season, the Ghana international has missed more than two and a half months and will now be looking to make up for lost time with him reportedly in contention for his first start this weekend.
Ayew has returned to action slightly ahead of schedule, so he will be carefully managed to avoid a potential recurrence of the thigh injury which has already seen him miss so much of the season.
Featured Image: All rights reserved by Federico Civerchia.