Arsenal To Offer Bendtner In Part Exchange For Villa & Spurs Target?

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could be forced into offering striker Nicklas Bendtner (below) to West Ham United in part exchange for defender Matthew Upson if the Frenchman wants to bring the former Gunner back to the North London club, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa also reportedly interested in the England International.

29-year-old Upson has been widely tipped to leave Upton Park this month along with Welsh International Craig Bellamy, who is a target for Spurs and Manchester City. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola is understood to have identified Bendtner as a possible replacement for Bellamy, with a player plus cash deal being mooted.

Bendtner aged 20, has also been linked with a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the transfer window, with it remaining to be seen if the Danish International is prepared to move to East London in order to allow Upson to return to the club he left for Birmingham City in 2003.

Despite reports that West Ham have to sell in the transfer window, Zola is determined not to let any of his key players leave the Premiership club on the cheap, with the Irons valuing Upson in the region of £15million. This would mean Wenger, having to find somewhere in the region of £9million to make the deal go through, with Arsenal valuing Bendtner at around £6million.

However, with Spurs and Villa still interested in Upson it remains to be seen if the England defender wishes to go back to the club, where he made only 35 appearances in six-years at his first spell at the Gunners, with Wenger in charge.

Chelsea v West Ham Premier League Preview: Can Zola Cause an Upset on His Return To Stamford Bridge?

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Chelsea play, Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham United in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Despite Chelsea going into this clash just a point off Liverpool at the top of the Premiership. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Blues side have looked vulnerable at home this season, with losses to Liverpool and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge already this season after a run of four and a half years without tasting defeat at home in the league. However, Chelsea’s away form this season has more than compensated, with the West London side winning all eight on the road in the Premier League this season and go into this clash with West Ham on the back of a 2-0 win against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium last weekend and a 2-1 win in the Champions league against Cluj, which sent them through to the knockout stages.

The Hammers go into this London derby with Chelsea, having only won once in the last ten Premier League games, which was the 1-0 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. West Ham have drawn three and lost six of the other nine games and lost 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park on Monday. This has seen the East London club slip down the table, with the Hammers in 16th place and just three points of the relegation spots.

Scolari will be without long-term injury Michael Essien (knee), while Franco Di Santo (hamstring), Juliano Belletti (ankle) and Ricardo Carvalho (knee) are all struggling to make it for the visit of West Ham. The Blues will have Didier Drogba available again though as the Ivory Coast International has completed his three-match ban for the coin throwing incident against Burnley in the Carling Cup.

West Ham seem to have gotten over the worst of their injury worries, with only striker Dean Ashton (os trigonum syndrome) and Daniel Gabbidon (groin) unavailable for the journey to Stamford Bridge. Former Blue Carlton Cole and Craig Bellamy are likely to start upfront for the Hammers.

Chelsea: (from) Cech, Terry, A Cole, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Ballack, Lampard, Mikel, Kalou, J Cole, Anelka, Drogba, Cudicini, Alex, Carvalho, Di Santo, Sinclair, Deco, Belletti, Malouda, Bridge, Ferreira, Mineiro, Stoch, Woods

West Ham United: (from) Green, Neill, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Dyer, Parker, Bellamy, Etherington, Cole, Boa Morte, Noble, Mullins, Spector, Collins, Faubert, Stokes, Lastuvka, Tristan, Davenport, Bowyer, Collison, Di Michele, Sears, Widdowson, Hines, Jefferey

Hammers Boss Eyes Pazzini Reunion?

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West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola is to step up his efforts to bring former Italian Under-21 International Giampaolo Pazzini to the Premier League from Serie A side Fiorentina, according to the Daily Express.

Former Chelsea player Zola knows all about 24-year-old Pazzini, having coached the Viola striker, while being part of the Azzurrini coaching staff before taking charge at Upton Park in September.

Fiorentina have always maintained that Pazzini will not be leaving the Stadio Artemio Franchi, despite the striker losing his place in the Gigliati first team to Alberto Gilardino, who joined Fiorentina from Serie A rivals AC Milan in May.

Pazzini is valued at around £7million by Fiorentina and has scored 24 goals in 96 appearances for the Viola, but has been reduced to playing nothing more than a bit-part for the Italian side under coach Cesare Prandelli this season. With, the former Atalanta striker understood to be keen on a reunion with Zola in the Premier League.

However, it has been widely reported that Zola has to sell players before new faces can arrive at the Premiership club after the collapse of Icelandic bank Landsbanski, which the Hammers chairman was a major shareholder in. With reports suggesting that Zola is ready to offload players surplus to requirements at the East London club in order to raise the necessary £7million to lure Pazzini away from Fiorentina.

Tottenham Plan £16million Bid For Upson & Green?

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is set to raid his former club West Ham United for two of the Hammers key players, with defender Matthew Upson and goalkeeper Robert Green the targets, according to the Daily Mirror.

Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola has already been told by the board at Upton Park that the East London club must sell before they can recruit new faces in the January transfer window. With former Portsmouth chief Redknapp ready to take full advantage by offering Tottenham’s Premier League rivals £16million for Upson and Green.

It is no secret that a keeper is top of the list for Redknapp in January, with summer signing Heurelho Gomes making a string of high-profile errors in the Premiership since the Brazilian International’s arrival at White Hart Lane from PSV Eindhoven for £7.8million. Add to this Redknapp’s reluctance to give Spurs No2 Cesar Sanchez his opportunity in the Premiership, with the former Spanish International likely to return to Spain with Valencia.

Redknapp is also keen to add cover in the centre of defence, with Tottenham captain Ledley King still unable to play every game for Spurs due to a persistent knee injury. Although Tottenham have Michael Dawson and Ricardo Rocha as cover along with Vedran Corluka, who has deputised in that role in the absence of King, Redknapp is a big fan of Upson and is keen to add the England International to the squad at the North London club in January.

The Hammers will resist any bid for two of their key players, but due to the financial position West Ham are in after the collapse of Landsibank in Iceland, which the West Ham chairman was the major shareholder. An offer in the region of £16million for Green and Upson should prove too much for board at Upton Park to turn down.

Gianfranco Zola: Modric Was The Key Man For Spurs

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West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has identified Croatian International playmaker Luka Modric as the key player in the Tottenham Hotspur side that beat the Hammers 2-0 at Upton Park on Monday night.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp stated that he intended to build the Tottenham side around 23-year-old Modric, when he arrived at White Hart Lane from Portsmouth to take charge at the Premier League club. With Redknapp choosing to deploy the £16.5million summer signing in a role behind a lone striker, which worked to good effect as Spurs enjoyed a good run upon Redknapp’s arrival.

Tottenham have struggled slightly of late, with it no surprise that this blip coincided with Modric being out injured for Spurs recently. However, the former Dinamo Zagreb player returned to the starting line-up for Tottenham last night, with Zola believing that the Croatian schemer was a major factor in Spurs collecting all three points in the Premiership clash.

Second half goals from Tottenham captain Ledley King and Jamie O’Hara, who came on as a second half substitute secured the win, but Zola believes that had West Ham gone ahead the outcome might have been different.

Zola said: “They started to play in the second half.

“Modric found his position behind the striker and that caused us problems.

“It was important for us to score first. We knew there were going to be chances in the game and if we'd have got in front it would have been a big help.

“Unfortunately for us it was a disappointing game.

“It's not an easy situation for us to be in, we all know that and we have to work hard to change it. We won't panic and we'll keep going.”

Redknapp: West Ham Will Always Be Close To My Heart

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has revealed that Monday nights opponents in the Premier League, West Ham United will always be close to his heart, but insists that Spurs will show no mercy to the Hammers as the North London club desperately need to pick up points to steer them to safety in the Premiership.

Redknapp spent a total of 15-years at Upton Park as a player and then manager and has insisted that the crop of young kids that came through, while he was in charge at West Ham are as good as any in recent times. These players included Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand (left), who are all established England International’s.

“The club will always be very close to my heart,” Redknapp said.

“I went there at 15, played for them and ended up managing them.

“We produced the best young players any club have produced since God knows when – in my opinion, as good as the Man United crop from the early 90s.

“Six kids who went on to play for England and four of them played in the Champions League final for Chelsea and United last year.

“We also established ourselves as a top-half club.”

Speaking about new West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola, Redknapp insisted that the former Chelsea player was the right person for the job, with his intent ion to bring attacking football to the East London club.

“The fans have been brought up on attractive, attacking football,” he said.

“That is what they've always demanded there and, with the way he played his football, he'll fit into that perfectly.”

However, despite his backing for Zola, Redknapp is keen that Spurs take all three points at Upton Park on Monday and start climbing the Premier League.

He added: “My priority now is picking up points for Spurs.

“It's a very important game. We are where we are in the league and that is our main priority.

“West Ham is always a tough place to go. Monday night at Upton Park under lights means a great atmosphere and great support.”

“If we hadn’t had the run we’ve had, we’d be in a desperate situation, but we’ve got some tough games coming up and we need to keep trying to pick up points.

“It has gone well since I got here, but we’re still bang in the relegation battle.”

West Ham v Tottenham Premier League Preview: Can The Hammers Continue Their Recent Form Against Spurs?

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West Ham United play, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Upton Park on Monday.

Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola was starting to come under pressure at Upton Park in his first managerial job. However, a spirited 0-0 draw against Liverpool on Monday night at Anfield, which was on the back of a 1-0 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light has turned things around for West Ham, who had not won in their previous seven Premier League games. West Ham, are just three points above Tottenham and with things so tight in the Premiership this season, will hope to collect all three points against their London rivals.

Spurs lost at White Hart Lane last week to Everton, which was the first loss at home under Harry Redknapp, having won all their other matches on their own patch since the former Portsmouth boss took over from Juande Ramos. However, despite having a good run of form before the defeat to the Toffees, Spurs are just out of the relegation spots on goal difference in 16th place in the Premier League. However, Tottenham did make it through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday, when they beat Championship side Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent bagged one apiece to send the North London club through, with Redknapp hoping for more of the same to fire Spurs up the table.

Zola is unable to call on Kieron Dyer (broken leg), Jonathan Spector (Thigh), Daniel Gabbidon (groin) and striker Dean Ashton (os Trigonum syndrome) for the visit of Tottenham. With Craig Bellamy, Carlton Cole David Di Michele and Diego Tristan all fighting to play upfront in a Hammers attack that has been misfiring recently.

Tottenham will be without Alan Hutton (metatarsal), Luka Modric (thigh) and summer signing Giovanni Dos Santos (ankle) for the trip across London to Upton park. Redknapp is likely to field his strongest side against the Hammers as the Spurs boss is only too aware of the tightness of the situation at the bottom of the table and the importance of staying in the Premier League to Tottenham.

“It's very hard to get out, you need a good run. We've had a good run, we've taken nearly two points a game,” Redknapp said earlier this week.

“Long term the most important thing for this club is the Premier League. That's the most important thing by far.”

West Ham United: (from) Green, Neill, Ilunga, Lopez, Parker, Bellamy, Etherington, Cole, Boa Morte, Upson, Noble, Mullins, Collins, Faubert, Behrami, Stokes, Lastuvka, Tristan, Davenport, Bowyer, Collison, Di Michele, Sears, Stech, Hines, Jeffery

Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, King, Woodgate, Corluka, Bale, Jenas, Bentley, Zokora, Lennon, Huddlestone, Bent, Pavlyuchenko, Cesar, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto,
Gunter, Campbell, Stalteri, Ghaly, Taarabt, Rocha, Boateng, O’Hara, Gilberto, Alnwick

West Ham Boss Zola: Upson Not Going Anywhere, But Players Will Be Sold In January

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West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has conceded that there will be a lot of players leaving Upton Park in the January transfer window. However, Zola is adamant that key players such as reported Arsenal target Matthew Upson and Robert Green, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur will not be leaving the East London club.

The Hammers currently have 36 first-team squad members at Upton Park, with former Chelsea player Zola knowing that he will have to sell a majority of the fringe players at West Ham, who are unlikely to make the grade in the Premier League.

Zola insists that he has been promised that he won’t have to sell the likes of Upson or Green or any other key player at the Hammers in January, but as former boss Alan Curbishley found out in the summer it is easier said than done to move these players on.

“Matty is not for sale either now or in January," Zola said.

“I don’t have to sell any of my best players. I have been promised that.

“But when we have all the players back fit we will have to make some decisions. For me, it's not worth having 24 players and having some players only training and not playing. It's not good for them or for us.

“So yes, we will probably be selling some players but we'll decide only when I have the full squad training and then I can make my decision. The players who are not playing here regularly we will give them the possibility of playing a little bit more or going somewhere else.

“But we won't be selling our best players. The club intends to keep and to sign good players who we think have a good future at the club.”

However, with the board at West Ham still reeling from the Icelandic bank collapse any big offer for a player is sure to be given serious consideration by the Hammers, who could go back on any promise made to Zola when the transfer window opens in January.

West Ham Boss Zola Backs Green For England Recall

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West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has claimed that an England recall is not far away for goalkeeper Robert Green if he continues to put in performances like the one against Portsmouth at Upton Park on Saturday in the Premier League.

28-year-old Green was the difference between the Hammers losing to Pompey or coming away with a point as the former Norwich City pulled of a series of fine saves to keep West Ham in the match and ensure that Zola’s side did not endure their sixth defeat in seven games.

Former Chelsea legend Zola claims Green played like an International keeper and now wants the Hammers stopper to maintain that high level and force himself in to England manager Fabio Capello’s plans.

“Robert was outstanding. He was aware and made some fantastic saves, I'm really pleased for him. He played like a national team goalkeeper, but it's not down to me to judge. Capello knows what to do better than me,” said Zola.

“To be in the national team you have to perform at high levels all the time, week in week out. I wish that Robert will do the same now here.

“I am expecting him to perform like this for many other games. We need Robert playing the way he did against Portsmouth.”

Green, who was pleased to have kept a clean sheet in the match with Pompey is confident that West Ham have enough quality to avoid relegation, with the Hammers stopper upbeat about winning another England cap. Despite being overlooked in favour of Joe Hart and Scott Carson for the clash with Germany on Wednesday.

Green said: “We have not had the best of runs but I am sure we can go forward - I am confident we will avoid it [relegation].

“I've been sick of people reminding us that we've not kept a clean sheet for goodness knows how long. It's good to get that monkey off our backs.

“I was in the last squad for Kazakhstan. If it comes along it comes along. It is motivation enough to do well for West Ham.”