Up The Hammers – Latest West Ham United FC News

The Premier League returns this weekend but it is a fair bet Slaven Bilic and Frank de Boer have not enjoyed the international break too much and both are in dire need of a positive result As international breaks go, the one England have just enjoyed was quite eventful, even if nothing Gareth Southgate’s players could produce on the pitch was likely to steal the headlines from the way in which Wayne Rooney celebrated…

Read the full story

The director of football role is underrated in England but may have helped the transition to Frank de Boer or forced Arsène Wenger to leave his comfort zone Now the honeymoon period has well and truly fizzled out, extinguished by so much sideways football that soon Louis van Gaal will be making a pilgrimage to Selhurst Park to see what all the fuss is about, it comes as no surprise to learn Crystal Palace …

Read the full story

Fans assess the window’s best buys, saddest exits, and the ones that got away Related: Transfer window 2017 – every deal in Europe’s top five leagues Related: David Squires on … Liverpool v Arsenal and Bilic on the brink Related: Sergio Agüero has been left feeling like a second-class Citizen | Daniel Taylor Continue reading…

Read the full story

Jack O’Brien was on motorbike when he pulled alongside West Ham striker’s Jeep in north-east London and demanded watch A serial thief has been jailed for attempting to steal the Premier League striker Andy Carroll ’s £22,000 wristwatch in a drive-by robbery. Jack O’Brien, 23, was on a motorbike when he swooped on the England player’s Jeep Wrangler near Hainault, north-east London, as Carroll was driving home from West Ham ’s training ground last

Read the full story

A record amount of money was spent in the window following the latest Premier League TV contract, but some of the most publicised deals didn’t materialise The summer-long Alexis Sánchez saga twisted at the very last, with Arsenal relaxing their absolute not-for-sale stance. Manchester City made their move only for Arsenal to fail to get Thomas Lemar and the status quo endured. Arsenal will now pray Sánchez …

Read the full story

Fans from all 20 Premier League club tell us how well their signings are settling in and who they want to bring in before the window closes on Thursday night Alexandre Lacazette looks ready to hit the ground running but another centre-back is a must. Virgil van Dijk would be a big improvement in a defence that includes an ageing Laurent Koscielny, an erratic Shkodran Mustafi and a slow, retiring Per Mertesacker. Having said that, Sead Kolasinac looks like a great …

Read the full story

Our resident cartoonist picks his highlights from week three of the Premier League season, including Arsenal’s disastrous trip to Liverpool and Frank De Boer’s shaky start at Palace Continue reading…

Read the full story

The only downside for Rafa Benítez is that winning as comprehensively as this will probably convince Mike Ashley that his summer transfer market parsimony has been fully justified Fine performances from Joselu, Ciaran Clark, Mikel Merino, Isaac Hayden, Matt Ritchie and Chancel Mbemba, in particular, certainly suggested that Newcastle United’s squad might not be quite as weak as their manager fears after all. Related: Gloom for Crystal Palace after Tammy Abraham inspires Swansea to easy win Related…

Read the full story

• Transfer under threat after talks stall over £32.5m bid for midfielder • ‘We need someone to boost our team and quality,’ says Slaven Bilic Slaven Bilic says he is “quite confident” of signing William Carvalho despite West Ham United’s struggle to agree a fee for the midfielder with Sporting Lisbon. The transfer is under threat after negotiations with Sporting stalled, with the two clubs £5m apart in their valuation of the Portugal international…

Read the full story

• Last season’s finalists crash out at home against Championship side • Lancashire derby marred by crowd disturbances at Ewood Park Last season’s runners-up are out of the Carabao Cup as Southampton were stunned 2-0 at home by the Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers. Southampton, who lost 3-2 against Manchester United in the Wembley final in February , fell at the first hurdle this time. Danny Batth headed in Ivan Cavaleiro’s corner in the 67th minute and substitute Donovan Wilson made it 2-0 with …

Read the full story

Minute-by-minute coverage of the action at Whaddon Road Live scores: keep up with all Wednesday’s goals! Email jacob.steinberg@theguardian.com | Tweet @JacobSteinberg 8.30pm BST 45 min+1: There will be one minute of the added stuff. “West Ham certainly are bereft in the pace department but Rice again looks like an assured young player,” says Alastair Angus. 8.30pm BST 44 min : “I’m delighted to see Bilic play three defensive midfielders against lowly Cheltenham when he only …

Read the full story

Charlie Austin snatched a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot as Southampton beat 10-man West Ham United. Austin sent Joe Hart the wrong way as Mauricio Pellegrino clinched his first win as Southampton manager in dramatic crescendo. After going two goals behind, Javier Hernández had rolled back the years with two poachers finishes to very nearly get the Hammers off the hook. Southampton had sailed into a two-goal lead, thanks to Manolo Gabbiadini and a Dusan Tadic penalty, before West…

Read the full story

Liverpool’s defensive frailties, Wayne Rooney’s nous in both boxes, an unwanted headache for Paul Clement and Manchester United’s unsung heroes The excellence of Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic will attract most attention, but equally crucial was went on around them. Because José Mourinho omitted Ander Herrera – completely unnecessary against opposition likely to sit deep – he could pick an extra attacker, and whether that was Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Marcus Rashford, the…

Read the full story

For Manchester United, it is difficult to see how their first game of the new season could have gone much better other than perhaps another goal or two to polish up their superiority. As it was, they shouldn’t be too greedy. Romelu Lukaku has wasted little time demonstrating why he became the club’s most expensive summer recruit and, on this evidence, it is shaping up to be a season of rich promise for José≈ Mourinho’s…

Read the full story

Romelu Lukaku scored twice on his league debut for United, who produced a very confident statement of intent by battering West Ham 6.11pm BST And here’s Daniel Taylor’s match report from Old Trafford . Related: Romelu Lukaku gives Manchester United dream start against West Ham 5.50pm BST Peep peep! That was a very confident statement of intent from United. Matic was good, Lukaku scored twice, and there were patches when United played with devastating speed…

Read the full story

West Ham have brought in plenty of experience – and it could be the start of something, says Joe Hart, as he seeks to play at ‘the highest standard possible’ A dab of make-up cannot conceal the black eye Joe Hart is sporting as he walks into West Ham United’s press room and the topic is swiftly raised: have pre-season preparations at Rush Green taken an unsavoury turn? “Yeah, …

Read the full story

The long squint over the running track could be a more rewarding one for West Ham fans this season after some encouraging summer transfer activity Star man: The Hammers have a rich heritage when it comes to discovering Argentinian talent, from Carlos Tevez to Jonathan Calleri, and Manuel Lanzini’s joyful performances after Dimitri Payet buggered off to Marseille in January cemented him as a firm crowd favourite. The cherubic 24-year-old finished last …

Read the full story

Slaven Bilic’s side will hope for a smoother second season at the London Stadium but with a shift in transfer policy and doubts over the manager’s tactics and future it is hard to detect a clear plan at the club Guardian writers’ predicted position 10th (NB: this is not necessarily Jacob Steinberg’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position 11th Continue reading…

Read the full story

• Striker to make West Ham debut at former home Old Trafford • Hernández won two Premier Leagues with Manchester United Javier Hernández will return to Old Trafford as a West Ham player on Sunday and says he feels “only happiness” towards the club that brought him to the Premier League seven years ago. The Mexico forward expects to make his competitive debut for Slaven Bilic’s side at the stadium he called home for…

Read the full story

Fans have their say on key players, weak leaks and summer spending – and make their predictions for the season ahead • Part one: Arsenal to Liverpool Related: Transfer window 2017 – every deal in Europe’s top five leagues Related: Premier League 2017-18 fans’ previews, part 1: Arsenal to Liverpool Related: Premier League 2017-18 fans’ previews, part 1: Arsenal to Liverpool Continue reading…

Read the full story

• Gareth Bale’s agent dismisses reports Wales forward could leave Real Madrid • Chelsea ‘make enquiry’ for Bayern Munich’s Renato Sanches Newcastle have confirmed the signing of Spain Under-21 midfielder Mikel Merino on a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund. Merino, who began his career at local side Osasuna before moving to Germany last summer and made nine appearances for Dortmund in his debut campaign, becomes the fifth new arrival at St James Park…

Read the full story

The club are celebrating ‘a great transfer window’, but Joe Hart, Javier Hernández and Marko Arnautovic may turn out to be sticking plasters in lieu of a real plan West Ham United are feeling very pleased with themselves at the moment. Relieved, too. After making a spectacular show of themselves in the transfer market last summer, when they started out with hopes of luring Alexandre Lacazette to east London and ended up convincing themselves that Simone Zaza …

Read the full story

Today’s fluff has got the skills to pay the bills Welcome to the Rumour Mill on a day when Real Madrid could complete a £161m deal for Kylian Mbappé – a player who has, to date, scored 16 league goals. They once got Ferenc Puskás for free. Anyway, this is where we are, although Real’s hopes of doing irreparable damage to the space-time continuum might be scuppered by Manchester City , who are preparing a £143…

Read the full story

• Former Manchester United striker signs three-year deal • Federico Bernardeschi moves to Juventus from Fiorentina West Ham have completed the signing of Javier Hernández from Bayer Leverkusen for £16m. The 29-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker has signed a three-year contract with the Hammers. Related: Transfer window 2017 – every deal in Europe’s top five leagues Related: Manchester City sign £52m Benjamin Mendy to take spending over

Read the full story

• Austrian international signs five-year contract • Arnautovic: ‘I can only say it is a massive club’ West Ham have announced the signing of Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City on a five-year deal for a club-record fee believed to be around £24m. The 28-year-old had been agitating for a move and after rejecting two earlier bids Stoke finally relented. Arnautovic will bolster the Hammers’ squad following the addition of Pablo Zabaleta and …

Read the full story

• ‘Chicharito’ will join for fee believed to be £13m • Striker will fly to London to finalise personal terms and undergo a medical West Ham United have agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign the former Manchester United striker Javier Hernández. The Hammers have confirmed the 29-year-old Mexican will arrive in London in the next few days to finalise personal terms and undergo a medical. Related: …

Read the full story