the sun
£7m is Sam’s Dost cost
SAM ALLARDYCE has slapped in a £7million bid for Dutch scoring sensation Bas Dost.
The West Ham boss wants 6ft 4in Dost, 22 — who topped the goals chart in Holland with 32 goals in 34 league games for Heerenveen — to bolster his squad for the Premier League next season.
Big Sam only has Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te as frontline strikers after Sam Baldock and Nicky Maynard failed to make an impact in the Championship last term.
Allardyce also hopes to sign left-back George McCartney permanently after a successful season on loan from Sunderland.
The club’s £33m wage-bill was eased slightly with big-earning Julien Faubert release
the mail
In demand: Cardiff and West Ham have joined the race to sign Rodriguez
Cardiff and West Ham enter race to sign Burnley ace Rodriguez
Cardiff and West Ham are ready to rival Southampton for £6million-rated Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez.
west ham till i die
Is Rodriguez on His Way to Upton Park?
There is a story this evening that West Ham are to compete with Southampton and Cardiff City for the £6m signature of Burnley's Jay Rodriguez. Last season he scored an impressive 21 goals in 42 league and cup games, a 1 in 2 ratio. He looks to be a very hot prospect and if our main competitors are the Bluebirds and Saints then we should stand a good chance of landing him. Cardiff City are still a Championship side, while arguably West Ham are a more attractive proposition than the Saints, even if only because geographically London is a bigger draw than the south coast. West Ham might even be able to clinch the deal by offering a player(s) on a season long loan or even a permanent part-exchange deal, if Allardyce feels that they are surplus to requirements in the PL. I am sure Burnley want to keep him, but he is a player who looks ready to step up this summer.
Could this be the opening gambit in Sam Allardyce's rumoured strategy to target two or three of the best and brightest prospects in the second tier? Could that see a couple from Clyne, Zaha, Snodgrass or King arriving at Upton Park this summer? We shall see.
SJ. Chandos
clubcall
Hammers set for Elmohamady swoop
West Ham are continuing to monitor Ahmed Elmohamady at Sunderland and are hoping to lure him to London this summer.
The Hammers, fresh from sealing a return to the top flight in last weekend's play-off final win over Blackpool, will need to recruit to try and be competitive in the Premier League next term and boss Sam Allardyce has his eye on Elmohamady.
The 24-year-old has failed to make much of an impact at the Stadium of Light since Martin O'Neill took charge last season and has recently expressed his desire to move on to secure regular action elsewhere.
Upton Park is thought to be his preferred destination at this stage and O'Neill, who did not give him a start since his mid-season arrival, would not stand in his way if he were to receive a suitable offer.
The Egyptian winger is under contract at Sunderland for another two years but it is thought a bid in excess of £2.5million would be enough to prise him away this summer.
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, 31, is keen on a summer move to big-spending French side Paris Saint-Germain.
the Sun
Belgian striker Eden Hazard, who is wanted by Manchester City and Chelsea, has decided to sign for Manchester United, according to French sources. Hazard, 21, has already confirmed he is heading for the Premier League after a fine season with Lille.
caughtoffside.com
But United have failed in a bid of around £12.8m for Borussia Dortmund's Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa, 23.
Guardian
Sir Alex Ferguson is poised to move for £4m-rated Crewe talent Nick Powell, 18, after the side's League Two play-off final against Cheltenham.
Daily Mail
Newly promoted West Ham have made a £7m offer for Heerenveen striker Bas Dost, 22, who has scored 32 goals in 34 league games for his club this season.
the Sun
Everton have opened talks with Norwegian club Lillestrom to sign Icelandic striker Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson, 21, in a deal worth up to £3m.
Liverpool Echo
Tony Pulis wants to sign Matt Jarvis, 26, although the Stoke boss rates the player at only half the £10m Wolves want for the winger.
Daily Mirror
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will make one last attempt to lure outgoing Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola to Stamford Bridge if he wavers about taking a year out of management.
Daily Telegraph
Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen has warned Tottenham they risk missing out to north London rivals Arsenal if they do not make a move for him soon.
The Sun
Clint Dempsey, 29, has cast doubt over his Fulham future by telling American magazine Sports Illustrated he wants to play in the Champions League.
London Evening Standard
Huddersfield have warned clubs chasing prolific striker Jordan Rhodes, 22, including Fulham, Everton and Aston Villa, that he will only be allowed to leave for £8m.
Daily Mail
DC United are weighing up whether to sign Tottenham defender Ryan Nelsen, 34, for a second time. Nelsen joined Blackburn after playing for the Major League Soccer club.
talkSPORT
Newcastle are in a battle with Porto to sign £3m-rated FC Twente right-back Roberto Rosales, 23, according to the Venezuela international's agent.
Newcastle Chronicle
Leicester are closing in on a swap deal for Celtic's English centre half Kelvin Wilson, 26, - with Matt Mills, 25, going the other way.
Daily Mirror
Wigan will sound out Steve Bruce about returning to the DW Stadium for a third spell as manager if Roberto Martinez leaves this summer.
Daily Mirror
England manager Roy Hodgson is prepared to gamble on Danny Welbeck by taking him to the European Championship finals even if he is not 100% fit. The Manchester United striker will miss the friendly with Norway with an ankle injury and is not expected to be ready to train with his team-mates before next Tuesday, when Hodgson must submit his final 23-man squad for the finals in Poland and Ukraine.
Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes
the Times (subscription required)
Jack Butland, 19, will not freeze if he is called upon to play for England at Euro 2012, according his Birmingham manager Chris Hughton. Butland spent the last three months of the season on loan at Cheltenham.
Daily Telegraph
Sir Alex Ferguson's old friend Dave Whelan, the Wigan owner, has claimed the Manchester United manager, 70, will retire at the end of next season.
Daily Mail
Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, 31, has put Birmingham's play-off disappointment behind him to declare he has no intentions of leaving St Andrew's.
Birmingham Mail
Wolves have admitted some seats in the new £18m Stan Cullis Stand will be taken off sale because half the Molineux pitch cannot be seen from them. "It's happened because we haven't gone ahead with the Steve Bull Stand redevelopment, otherwise the roof would have continued round," said club spokesman Matt Grayson.
Express & Star
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is set to show his ruthless streak - by releasing his son Andrea, 19.
the Sun
FABIO AURELIO has returned to his native Brazil after being released by Liverpool.
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The ex-Valencia left-back, 32, signed for Gremio after a six-year spell at Anfield — where he made just 58 league starts due to a string of injuries.
ASAMOAH GYAN has turned his back on a Sunderland return by agreeing to extend his £120,000-a-week stay with UAE outfit Al Ain.
The Ghana striker scored 20 goals in 17 games after arriving from Wearside in September.
STEVE BRUCE is ready to bounce back into management with Hull.
Bruce has been out of work since being dismissed as Sunderland boss last November.
But Tigers owner Assem Allam sees him as No 1 choice to replace the sacked Nick Barmby.
Bruce, 51, is set to return from holiday for talks after Barmby’s appeal against his axing — for comments about the club’s recruitment policy — was dismissed by Allam last night.
Allam said: “Nick’s behaviour has led to a breakdown of trust.”
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