West Ham: Final attempt to persuade Bacca; Odegaard update; 33-year-old forward linked

By Sam Leveridge

The signing of Andre Ayew will not affect a move for Carlos Bacca, according to sources in Italy, with the Hammers raising their offer for the Colombian star to £80,000 per week in order to try to persuade him to head to London as the 29-year-old still has doubts over a potential move to the Olympic Stadium.

Bacca has been targeted as the marquee signing that Slaven Bilic is hoping for and the club is doing all it can to force through the move. AC Milan are happy to sell due to their financial situation, but it is the player himself who is reluctant to move and miss out on Champions League football for another season. Qualification for the group stages of the Europa League could go a long way to persuading the frontman to get on the plane to London.

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Another exciting signing for West Ham could be Real Madrid sensation Martin Odegaard, the 17-year-old Norweigan who was courted by most of the world’s biggest clubs only 18 months ago. The Sun now say that the Spanish club are looking to loan him out for two years with an option to buy, with a buy back clause, included in the deal and West Ham are believed to be leading the pack for his signature.

Liverpool were said to be interested but have been put off by his £80,000 per week wage demands, which may also provide an obstacle for the Irons, but they will be hoping that Odegaard can provide cover for Manuel Lanzini who will miss the next five weeks with a knee injury picked up whilst training for his national side before the Olympics.

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Odegaard would represent a gamble, having only made one La Liga appearance and only having experience in the Spanish lower leagues and Norweigan league, but given the profile of many of the club’s who sought to sign him permanently, he has undoubted potential. A real flair play with bags of creativity, Odegaard could well provide a lot of excitement to a debut season in Stratford.

Should a move for Carlos Bacca fail, AMK Spor, a Turkish outlet, claim that West Ham are prepared to compete with Stoke City to attempt to sign former Arsenal and Manchester United hero Robin Van Persie, with Fenerbahce happy to sell for a price of £5.1 million.

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At 33, he may lack the youth and pace that he once had, but having scored 22 goals in Turkey last season he clearly still has the quality which made him one of the most feared forwards in the Premier League. At just over £5 million, he may come fairly cheap, and with rumours circling of a return to England all summer, he is clearly desperate for a move. Whilst it may not be a long term solution, RVP would bring quality to the Hammers front line and with all of his experience he would be able to help bring through some of the club’s younger strikers.

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