West Ham open the season at home to premier league champions Manchester City, City will be parading their new signings and West Ham will be hoping to be able to put a team together! With that game a virtual write off much attention had been given to the club's 2nd fixture, away to newly promoted Nottingham Forest, well that game has taken on a whole new significance now that long term David Moyes transfer target Jesse Lingard has elected to join Forest instead of West Ham!

It’s easy to dismiss the Premier League for the constant failure of England to impact the international football stage or the continuous influx of foreign players, but nearly three decades after its launch the Premier League continues to set the stage for all others. This is because it generates the most excitement and wealth across the globe.

“Fate puts us on different paths” is what Argentinian national Paulo Dybala said on his social media post, confirming his departure from Italian giants Juventus F.C. this summer as a free agent.

With the soon-to-be free agent available on a free transfer this upcoming summer transfer window, a whole host of clubs are lining up for his signature these days. Above all, Chelsea F.C. and West Ham United reportedly could hold a crucial advantage over their rivals Arsenal and Tottenham.

Paulo Dybala’s Highlights

Football deals at an elite level are seldom straight forward, as Hammers have found out to their cost in the past mainly due to the club's propensity for conducting their potential business far too much in the public domain, with the usual result being either another club 'sniping in' and nabbing the player, or the deal fizzling out showing just how inept and embarrassing the club's recruitment policy was.

Now there's needy and there's greedy and then there is needy and greedy, which category would most football fans fall within? The answer being the latter at almost EVERY club on the planet, so when there is even a sniff of West Ham 'splurging out' for a top player it is greeted with equal amounts of scepticism and enthusiasm as well as world weary realism by supporters who have seen and heard every smoke and mirrors trick in the book and some that are still yet to be added!

Wolves will accept a £10 Million bid for Adama Traore this summer, the pacy winger's contract expires in 12 months and the Midlander's want to get something now rather than nothing next year. Everton are showing a lot of interest but it is believed the 26 year old is holding out for a top four club or at least one playing in Europe.

Hammers split the main squad of players available into separate teams to play at Ipswich and Borehamwood this evening, a narrow win and a draw were acceptable results as players get used to the travails of playing again, although both Hammers teams were devoid of those who had been on International duty until late on.

Manchester United's tonking of Liverpool was a classic example of a pre-season money earner rather than a pre season preparation game for both teams, but you get the feeling the Reds that will be doing the damage once the season has begun will be from Merseyside.

As expected at this time of the transfer silly season, everytime someone gets a text message 'live on air' speculation is immediate that a transfer is in the offing, or at least an agent is suggesting so.

The Express earlier reported that the Irons have held loose agent talks over Stuttgart star Sasa Kalajdzic, so that would be no surprise if he was the man who triggered the pocket wobblers.

Having 'sold' or virtually given Sebastien Haller away nearly TWO years ago, Hammers manager David Moyes has searched far and wide to find a striker that he considers 'fit for purpose'. Thus far the search has proved fruitless with more blind alleys than a Mayfair exit on a Pride day attended by over 1,000,000 people!

When Sebastien Haller was sold on to Ajax the club were asked, by ourselves as to what sort of sell on clauses had been added to the contract, we were answered "well the club would be crazy NOT to have added them given such a huge drop in value, there would have to be a 'substantial' value added factor for the numbers to make any sense!"