West Ham’s Gold Rush
Alan Curbishley is expected to be the busiest manager in January 2007 as he attempts to mount a rescue operation of Redknapp proportions. Funded by Magnusson (who had planned to jettison Mascherano along with Pardew before he bought West Ham), Curbishley is busy ringing up managers and hammering out deals with players.
Luis Boa Morte is Curbishley’s first signing, a 5 mil capture from Fulham for 3.5 years. Poaching Fulham’s captain is just the first of a series of transfers AC has planned for West Ham though - here’s a list of players West Ham are reportedly after:
Mathew Upson
Lucas Neill
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Mark Viduka
John Hartson
Ashley Young
Tal Ben Haim
Sylvain Distin
Joey Barton
Upson and Neill have a host of clubs chasing them, including Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle. I don’t realistically see West Ham getting either player, although they could be able to bag 1-2 defenders on loan if they are smart about it.
SWP is reportedly a done deal, but with Boa Morte already signed up, why go for another winger? The 10 mil rumoured for SWP could surely be better used elsewhere.
Tal Ben Haim is probably going to stay at Bolton, or go to a bigger club than West Ham. Distin is unlikely to stay at Man City, and could be a surprise move to Upton Park (if Glenn Roeder doesn’t get to him first. There’s little chance that Joey Barton will come to West Ham, although it would improve the team quite a bit.
Where strikers are concerned, John Hartson is not a smart choice, nor is Viduka. Charlton are unwilling to sell Bent to a club who’s just above them in the relegation stakes, and Watford are unwilling to let go of Ashley Young as well. That makes West Ham’s job a lot harder, considering that they’ve just scored 12 goals this season.
With Dean Ashton out of action till March, West Ham need a forward (or two). Alan Smith? Anthoney Stokes?
Peter Crouch? 
My money’s on Darren Bent and Distin. What about you?
The 2008 Soccerlens Awards: Vote For Your Favourite Football Sites Here
Curbs has his work cut out thats for certain. New players in the side also need time to bed down so for me whoever he signs it’s too little too late for the club that already has Tevez.
It’s a shame but why would a player of the calibre needed to keep them up go to a club that looks increasingly likely to go down?
Sorry Ahmed, but I don’t think they’ll get either.
I think you were right when you said that Glenn Roeder will get his hands on Distin, as we all know Newcastle are in desperate need of cover at centre back (although with the departure of Boumsong and the absence of Bramble, they’ve looked a lot more reliable at the back. Who would’ve guessed it?!)
I’m putting Liverpool at the top of Darren Bent’s list of suitors, which may well see the exit of either Fowler, Crouch or both. There was some talk of a summer offer for the England striker, and I think with Alan Pardew virtually auctioning him off this morning, Liverpool may well step in sooner rather than later.
I believe West Ham will pay out for Shaun Wright-Phillips. If the rumours are true, £10m should do it. I know they’d be paying 15 of their reported £25m transfer budget on two wingers, but these are class wingers that will hopefully leave out of form strikers such as Harewood and Zamora with little choice other than to put the ball in the back of the net. As well as contributing some well-needed goals themselves (remember SWP’s goalscoring form in his last season at Eastlands?)
As for the rest of the list, I believe they will all be staying put, other than Lucas Neill, who will join Bent at Liverpool.
Looks like Neill has signed with West Ham, I don’t know how they did it but it’s been published in australias’sydney morning herald - i personally think he is a great purchase, his world cup performances were of the highest standard.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/neill-chooses-west-ham/2007/01/18/1169095909847.html