West Ham: Midfielder signing close; Payet and Ogbonna latest; Tore could join

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Thanks to the consistent tweeting of both chairmen and their sons, everyone is very much in the know about West Ham United’s transfer dealings. The upshot appears to be that the Hammers want a big name striker – and fast. A list as long as the history of Upton Park itself includes Michy Batshuayi, Nabil Fekir, Alexandre Lacazette, Carlos Bacca, Simone Zaza and about 250 others as potential targets, but not one appears to fancy the switch to Stratford.

However, the Hammers look to have made a breakthrough if recently breaking news is to be believed. Indeed, French news outlet L’Equipe suggests that West Ham are close to announcing the signing of Sofiane Feghouli on a free transfer. The Algerian is out of contract after his deal at Valencia expired and despite having offers from around the world, the attacking midfielder is reportedly keen to join a Premier League club.

Meanwhile, Bilic has stated that he’s going to be scouting throughout Euro 2016 for potential signings, making Michy Batshuayi the stand out candidate from the aforementioned. The 22-year-old will most likely be restricted to substitute appearances but will still be eager to impress the Premier League big boys. Tottenham and Chelsea are reportedly scrapping it out to claim his signature, but expect West Ham to also throw their hat into the ring – with the funds to pay his £100,000 a week wages.

With at least one striker incoming, forward Enner Valencia seems to be getting ready to depart. The £12 million signing from Pachuca has vaguely stated that he would like to play in La Liga at some point – describing it as ‘showy’ and ‘one of the best leagues in the world’. Whether or not this is a poor attempt to try and secure a move to a mid-table Spanish side remains to be seen, but it certainly isn’t the words of someone who is keen to stay in the Premier League. Hammers fans won’t be too disappointed to see the back of Valencia, who is third choice striker behind Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho – the latter also being linked with a shock move to relegation survivors Sunderland.

However, one name that east London will be having nightmares about the departure of is Dimitri Payet. Super Slaven’s man has made a name for himself with a man-of-the-match performance in the opening game of Euro 2016, meaning that nearly every club on the planet will be drooling from their collective mouths at the prospect of signing the Frenchman. Chelsea are the first club to make an enquiry, according to the Express, but the prospective fee of £60 million is likely to deter the Blues and others, considering that Payet will be entering his thirties next season. He has also stated his intentions to remain at West Ham, having signed a new long-term contract in February.

Chelsea have also reportedly taken an interest in centre back Angelo Ogbonna, according to Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio. The defender was selected to play in the Euros by Antonio Conte, who will be managing at Stamford Bridge for the 2016/17 season. With John Terry’s future still uncertain, Ogbonna could fill a tough, no-nonsense void in the heart of the defence. Although a Chelsea deal is possible, the 28-year-old will not be moving back to Italy anytime soon, claiming that the English league is very good and that he has ‘no nostalgia’ for Serie A. Ogbonna had limited opportunities with Juventus but has struck up a strong partnership with Winston Reid for the Hammers.

Elsewhere, the Gokhan Tore saga seems to be nearing its conclusion after a month of hearsay and talks of transfer fees. Bilic has confirmed that he wants Tore at the club, having managed the Turkish midfielder at Besiktas. A final figure for the deal is set to be somewhere between £13-17 million, a potential transfer record for West Ham. Tore’s namesake Gonul has also been on the Hammers radar as an experienced defensive option who would challenge Sam Byram and James Tomkins for a spot at right-back. He should be signing for the Hammers on a free transfer upon Turkey’s departure from France.

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