West Ham set to sign £14m Ajax striker
Avram Grant is set to pull off a transfer coup by signing £14million Serbian striker Miralem Sulejmani - when Martin Jol moves to Fulham.
West Ham boss Grant has earmarked 21-year-old Sulejmani (above) as a future star and agreed a season-long loan deal - and a view to a permanent transfer - with Ajax two weeks ago.
Jol blocked the move because he feared the impending departure of strike-partner Luis Suarez, targeted by a clutch of top European sides, would wipe out the club』s firepower at a stroke.
Since the row, Fulham have stepped in to lure the Ajax manager to London, leaving Sulejmani free to complete his move to Upton Park.
Should he do so, then Grant would go into the new season with an impressive complement of strikers having already secured Freddie Picquionne to join Carlton Cole.
Grant was also given fresh hope of sealing a deal for highly-rated French forward Loic Remy yesterday with an improved £11.3m offer from the Hammers accepted by Nice.
Sulejmani was Ajax』s record signing from Heerenveen at £13.8m two years ago.
He said last night: 「I really don』t understand why Jol has vetoed my move.
「It looks like he』s trying to ruin my career. I was looking forward to relaunching myself at West Ham.
「Avram Grant sees me as a big talent and I』m keen to make a fresh start elsewhere.」
Hammers』 keeper Robert Green, meanwhile, is taking out his World Cup frustrations by turning to boxing.
Green』s confidence took a battering in South Africa after his calamitous error for England against the USA.
But he showed a mean side to his character when he joined up with the West Ham squad at their pre-season training base in Germany this week.
The club』s new goalkeeping coach David Coles is putting Green through sparring, shadow-boxing, skipping and working on a punchbag.
Coles said: 「It』s a stimulus and the fitness relates to goalkeeping in terms of explosive movements, footwork and handling.」
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West Ham set to beat Liverpool to Loic Remy
West Ham boss Avram Grant is poised to beat Liverpool to the signing of Nice striker Loic Remy.
New Anfield chief Roy Hodgson wants the 23-year-old France frontman to bolster his ranks in the wake of the capture of Joe Cole and skipper Steven Gerrard's commitment to the Merseysiders.
But despite Liverpool's interest, West Ham appear in the box seat to sign the player after Nice sporting director Patrick Governatori said the Ligue 1 club is prepared to accept an improved £11.3million bid from the Upton Park outfit.
Governatori said: "On Tuesday we received a new proposal from West Ham, for a full payment in cash.
"If Liverpool want to sign Loic, we need clear rules and commitments from them. But West Ham are hot for the player and we want to complete the transfer before the end of the month."
Remy is now expected to join the Hammers after a farewell appearance for Nice in this evening's friendly with Grenoble.
Read more:
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-West-Ham-set-to-beat-Liverpool-and-Tottenham-to-Nice-striker-Loic-Remy-article532933.html#ixzz0uOATjGNz
