Paper Talk
Chelsea target £60m-rated Antoine Griezmann to replace Eden Hazard if the Belgian joins either Real Madrid or PSG.
Sunderland will consider rekindling their bid to sign Andre Ayew in the summer after being frustrated in their efforts to sign the Ghana captain in this window.
Manchester City are emerging as the hot favourites to land £50m star John Stones.
Under-fire Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has employed security team to guard his house in case fuming fans turn up.
Tottenham's £5m swoop for Fulham's Moussa Dembele has hit a snag because the Premier League club want him to join them now instead of being loaned back to the Cottagers.
Real Madrid are determined to sign David de Gea from Man United and will launch a fresh bid for his signature.
Manchester City hope to unveil Pep Guardiola on a pre-season tour of China.
England international Michael Carrick is willing to listen to offers and could quit Manchester United in the summer.
Everton are on the brink of signing Lokomotiv Moscow's Oumar Niasse for £13.5m.
Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri will turn to Crystal Palace's Dwight Gayle if he fails to sign top target Loic Remy from Chelsea.
Stoke boss Mark Hughes is making a dramatic late move for Dynamo Kiev star Andriy Yarmolenko.
Michael Appleton has been asked to shape the future of Manchester United as their new academy chief.
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has joined the race for Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle as he looks for support for Jamie Vardy and co.
Tottenham have issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United, who have been keeping a close eye on full-back Danny Rose.
Manchester United have had scouts at Tottenham's last four matches as they build dossiers on England gems Harry Kane and Dele Alli.
Pep Guardiola's wife has been given VIP tour of a top Manchester school and was accompanied by the wife of City's director of football Txiki Begiristain.
Chelsea have entered the race to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Matthias Ginter, while winger Juan Cuadrado could be set to join Barcelona.
Manchester United's problems have spread from the pitch to behind the scenes with the owners the Glazers demanding cuts of 15 per cent in most departments.
Chile's Copa America-winning boss Jorge Sampaoli is on a Chelsea shortlist to become their next manager in the summer and wants to sign Alexis Sanchez.
Leicester City have reportedly had a £11.5m offer accepted for Chelsea striker Loïc Rémy.
Everton are poised to sign the striker Oumar Niasse from Lokomotiv Moscow after having an offer of £13.5m accepted by the Russian club.
Stoke City have scrapped a club record move for Giannelli Imbula and rejected a £10m offer for Mame Diouf.
Newcastle United have lined up a late deal for Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis.
BBC
Chelsea will move for Atletico Madrid's £60m-rated France forward Antoine Griezmann in the summer if their Belgium international Eden Hazard moves to either Real Madrid or Paris St-Germain. (Mail on Sunday)
Manchester City are emerging as favourites to sign Everton defender John Stones, rated at £50m, although Chelsea are also still interested in the 21-year-old England international. (Sunday Mirror)
Manchester United will receive a £23m bid from Real Madrid for Spain goalkeeper David de Gea, 25, in the summer. (Sunday People)
United midfielder Michael Carrick, 34, could also be on the way out of Old Trafford. He is out of contract in five months and a number of Premier League and overseas clubs are keen to tempt him away. (Sun on Sunday)
The Old Trafford club's owners, the Glazer family, have demanded cuts behind the scenes with up to 15% reductions in most departments.(Sunday Express)
Newcastle are set to continue their January spending spree by offering £7m for Swansea's former France striker Bafetimbi Gomis, two years after having a bid for the 30-year-old rejected by their Premier League rivals.(Sunday Telegraph)
Stoke have called off a club record move for Porto's French midfielder Giannelli Imbula, 23, and turned down a £10m offer from abroad for their 28-year-old Senegal striker Mame Diouf.(Sunday Telegraph)
Leicester City are reported to have had a £11.5m offer accepted for Chelsea's France striker Loic Remy.(BeIN Sports, via Independent)
The Foxes are also thought to be targeting Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle, with Swansea having put in a £7m bid for the 25-year-old on Friday.(Sunday People)
Everton are believed to be close to signing Lokomotiv Moscow's Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, 25, for £13.5m as a potential replacement for their 22-year-old Belgium international Romelu Lukaku.(Sun on Sunday)
Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim says their Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike, 28, is on the verge of joining West Ham United on loan for the rest of the season.(Metro)
Newcastle's French winger Florian Thauvin, 23, is set to rejoin his former club Marseille after failing to settle in the North East.(Chronicle)
Tottenham are keen to make one final bid for West Brom striker Saido Berahino, 22, before the transfer window closes on Monday.(Sunday Mirror)
But Newcastle are preparing to make a club record £34m bid for Berahino.(Sunday Times - subscription only)
Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola's wife, Cristina, has been given a guided tour of St Bede's College in Manchester as the Spaniard moves closer to a summer switch to Manchester City. (Daily Star on Sunday)
West Brom defender Sebastien Pocognoli may leave The Hawthorns after the 28-year-old Belgium international emerged as a loan target for Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers.(Birmingham Mail)
The Baggies are hoping to sign 24-year-old QPR winger Mat Phillips, who is a long-time target, in an £8m deal. (Daily Star on Sunday)
MLS side DC United are considering a move for former Manchester City, Celtic and West Brom striker Georgios Samaras, 30. The Greece international is a free agent. (Washington Post)
And finally
A cheeky Colchester fan tried to get a souvenir from Saturday's loss at the hands of Tottenham after invading the pitch to ask visiting goalkeeper Michel Vorm for an autograph. (Standard)
Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi, 19, has revealed he has literally been told to pull his socks up by assistant manager Steve Bould - and wear them higher to match his team-mates. (Talksport)
Former Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and England midfielder Steve Stone, 44, has put his Victorian stately home in Northumberland up for sale for £1.5m after he and his wife decided to move to Dubai to be with their daughter. (Birmingham Mail)
Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has been described as Britain's vainest footballer after it was revealed the 23-year-old gets his beard and hair cut every day. (Sun on Sunday)
Mail
Christian Benteke fluffs his lines as goalless draw forces FA Cup fourth round replay
Liverpool were held to a goalless draw by West Ham in their FA Cup fourth round clash at Anfield
Under-fire striker Christian Benteke wasted several opportunities to open the scoring in the opening half
Hammers forced to make pair of first-half substitutions after injuries to James Tomkins and Cheikhou Kouyate
Keeper Darren Randolph deserves credit for a succession of saves that forced a replay at Upton Park
By Rob Draper for The Mail on Sunday
The die was cast early. From the moment Jurgen Klopp announced 10 changes from their midweek match against Stoke it was clear that even the League Cup can take priority over a competition with 145 years of history.
You have some sympathy with Klopp, however, clearly incredulous at the demands of English football. It was not that the players were not committed, it was that the whole occasion lacked the significance it might once have done.
Slaven Bilic might have taken the whole affair more seriously than Klopp — most of his five changes were forced on him — but West Ham were still nowhere near the standard they set in their draw against Manchester City at Upton Park last Saturday.
Liverpool striker Christian Benteke grimaces after missing one of several chances to open the scoring
The Belgium international was thwarted by a combination of poor finishing and fine saves by Darren Randolph (left)
Jurgen Klopp (left) typically went through the full range of his emotions from the sidelines as the game finished goalless
Stand-in goalkeeper Darren Randolph was outstanding in the second half, when Liverpool might have won it and did their utmost to do so. But otherwise quality was the not the watch word of the evening.
There was youthful promise and honest endeavour but it was not an evening which sparkled. And we were warned as much. Liverpool’s starting line-up was a clear indication that their priorities lie elsewhere at present. But at least the players who were selected approached the game with a degree of intent and enthusiasm.
Joao Carlos Teixeira may never be an Anfield legend but he seemed determined to make his mark on this game, while Jordan Ibe was also keen to impress.
The early chances, however, fell to West Ham. Dimitri Payet’s free-kick in the 10th minute, in which he attempted to catch out goalkeeper Simon Mignolet by curling the ball in at the near post, was an exercise in audacity, yet came close.
And in the 16th minute, Enner Valencia bizarrely headed the ball away from goal when Aaron Cresswell had done the hard work down the left and swung in a dangerous cross.
Liverpool slowly found their stride with Teixeira and Ibe combining delightfully at times but the team as a whole lacked sufficient bite. It was not to fault their effort but, without the major players, it was a side bereft of quality — and it showed.Christian Benteke’s header from a corner was cleared off the line by Cresswell, while Cameron Brannagan’s swirling free-kick caused panic in the West Ham penalty area, albeit briefly.
But it was Teixeira’s through ball to Benteke in the 25th minute which caused fans to rise to their feet in expectation, as the Belgian raced through on goal. On this occasion, however, goalkeeper Randolph was quick off his line to collect.
And in the 35th minute, Brannagan found space 20 yards out and delivered a powerful, curling shot which Randolph did well to tip wide. But though there was plenty of effort, there was distinct lack of quality from both sides in the final third in the opening half.
West Ham, with Payet, Victor Moses and Valencia, should have made more of their pace and craft against a second-string Liverpool back four.
Liverpool made 10 changes - giving youngsters like Kevin Stewart (right), pictured tussling with Enner Valencia, a chance
Caulker challeges Valencia
Benteke (left), who has come under criticism this season, missed several opportunities to open the scoring
The Belgium international came within inches of connecting with a perfect cross to hand his side the lead
Liverpool youngster Jordan Ibe, who starred in the previous round against Exeter, was behind the host's best moves
West Ham star player Dimitri Payet (centre) is put under pressure by a pair of Liverpool youngsters
West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell (right) gets a clearance away before Dejan Lovren can make a block
Bilic brought on striker Nikica Jelavic after just 35 minutes and it was unclear whether Cheikou Kouyate, whom he replaced, was injured. But it failed to bring any immediate improvement.
Indeed, Payet always seemed likely to be the major threat and in the 49th minute he almost provided a breakthrough with a delightful free-kick on to the head of Jelavic. The flick seemed to panic Steven Caulker, who virtually caught the ball inside his own penalty area, but survived as play was waved on.
A minute later, Nathaniel Clyne unleashed a shot from 20 yards which went just wide but West Ham had started the second half more convincingly and it took a crude lunge from Dejan Lovren, for which he earned a yellow card, in the 54th minute to stop Moses in his stride.
And when Liverpool did get forward, such as on the hour through Clyne, his cross was met with a wayward finish high into the Kop by Joe Allen.
They looked more incisive in the 64th minute when Benteke’s knock back fed Brad Smith, who found Teixeira, who in turn unleashed a shot which had Randolph scrambling to save. But Smith’s speculative strike into the upper reaches of the Kop two minutes later was symptomatic of the lack of incisiveness.
Liverpool's Allen and West Ham defender James Tomkins (right) collided with each other during an aerial challenge
Tomkins of West Ham receives treatment after a nasty clash of heads before being forced off injured
Hammers boss Bilic consoles midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate who was also forced to withdraw from injury in the first half
West Ham midfielder Alex Song (right) spent the game wearing a pair of protective goggles as a precaution against an eye infection
Allen (right) races on to a through ball as Liverpool strive to break the deadlock in the closing stages
Misfiring striker Benteke follows up Allen's effort but cannot find a way past Randolph in West Ham's goal
The Hammers keeper deserves credit for making the saves that have forced a fourth round replay at Upton Park
As was the unfortunate touch of Benteke in the 69th minute. He had done rather well to stay onside as Teixeira struck through a crowd of players but, as the ball fell for him, he seemed surprised and, instead of shooting goalwards from eight yards, he skewed the ball across the penalty area.
Teixeira did better in the 75th minute when Clyne’s cross was touched on by Ibe for the Portuguese, whose shot was smothered by Randolph.
And the West Ham keeper did even better a minute later with a superb trio of saves, twice from Benteke and once from Allen, throwing himself one way and then the other, as he continued to frustrate Liverpool.
Still, at least Klopp’s side have a final to look forward to at Wembley next month. And perhaps another 10 changes for that one, too.
PLAYER RATINGS by Rob Draper
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Mignolet 6; Clyne, 7 Caulker 5.5, Lovren 5, Smith 6; Brannagan, 7 Stewart 6 ; Ibe, 6, (Ojo 80) Teixeira 7.5, Allen 6; Benteke 5.5
Manager: Jurgen Klopp 5
West Ham (4-3-3): Randolph 8.5; Tomkins 6 (O’Brien 35 6), Reid, 6.5 Ogbonna, 6 Cresswell 6.5; Obiang, 6 Song, 7 Kouyate 6 (Jelavic 36 7); Moses 6.5, (Antonio 70, 6) Valencia, 6 Payet 7
Manager: Slaven Bilic 6
Ref: Martin Atkinson 5
Guardian
West Ham stand firm at Liverpool to earn FA Cup fourth-round replay
Andy Hunter at Anfield
Jürgen Klopp and Slaven Bilic fell about laughing when Joey O’Brien sliced a rare opportunity for West Ham United into the cold and presumably bored spectators in the Anfield Road. They had to find entertainment somewhere, to be fair, as there was precious little on offer in an all-Premier League affair that produced only another date in the congested diaries of Liverpool and West Ham.
A replay “is not what we want”, said Klopp on the eve of the fourth-round tie, but a replay is what he got following a lacklustre contest of more long-term positives than incident. Cameron Brannagan, Kevin Stewart and João Carlos Teixeira took their latest opportunities to impress for Liverpool in the FA Cup while the visiting goalkeeper Darren Randolph was instrumental in delivering the stalemate.
West Ham won the trophy when they completed a league double over Liverpool in 1963-64, a feat they only repeated this season, and will rate their chances of a hat-trick of victories on home soil with Klopp pledging to field a similar team for the replay.
“I don’t know where they will find a place for the replay, maybe in a morning when we play in an afternoon,” said the sardonic Liverpool manager following his team’s ninth game in 29 days. They will play eight matches next month, including the Capital One Cup final, should they overcome West Ham at Upton Park.
“The most important thing is everyone could see our lineup was not disrespectful to the FA Cup. It was the other way around. We thought this was the best chance for us to go through. This young team did really well.
“They played not too often together but they did well. We had a good structure, we had chances and we should have scored in one of the other situations. Now we play again.”
Bilic concurred: “Nobody is crazy about the replays but we can live with that. We got the clean sheet, we deserved the replay and now it will be one of those historical FA Cup nights at Upton Park.”
Both managers rang the changes with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet the only Liverpool player to start here and in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final win over Stoke City. It was a credit to the home side’s young players in particular that the clearer threat and understanding came from those in red. Dimitri Payet apart, West Ham were subdued in their attempts to strike on the counterattack although Enner Valencia and Cheikhou Kouyaté should have done better on the end of inviting crosses.
Stewart was a tenacious presence in the holding role, Brannagan brought composure and accuracy while Teixeira’s touch improved gradually against a disrupted visiting defence. First-choice goalkeeper Adrián had returned home to Seville to attend the birth of his first child. James Tomkins returned at right-back with Sam Byram Cup-tied and Carl Jenkinson a long-term absentee, but was forced off with 13 stitches in a head wound following a clash with Joe Allen, Klopp’s seventh captain since he became Liverpool manager. Kouyaté was also withdrawn in the first half as a precaution against a groin problem and the changes told on West Ham’s display.
A sterile Cup tie was in desperate need of incident and more alert officials might have provided it when Steven Caulker handled inside the Liverpool area shortly after the restart. Substitute Nikica Jelavic flicked Payet’s free-kick into a crowded six-yard box, in mitigation to the officials, and Liverpool’s on-loan defender raised his arm to make contact with the ball before the danger was cleared. A reprieve. Bilic admitted: “Because the benches are too close like in the British parliament, and we are democrats of course, we had few calls, they shouted few times and the crowd shouted all the time, but I didn’t see it.”
The home side should have capitalised when Nathaniel Clyne presented Allen with a clear sight of goal but, under little pressure and 18 yards out, the midfielder blazed over. Randolph’s goal came under sustained pressure midway through the second half. Allen failed to pick out Christian Benteke when free inside the box, Randolph saved twice from Teixeira and the former Aston Villa forward completely miscued when Stewart’s shot dropped into his path in front of goal.
Liverpool’s brightest moment brought out the best in West Ham’s stand-in keeper. Randolph made three fine saves in quick succession as Benteke met Jordon Ibe’s measured pass with a first-time shot, Allen charged in for the rebound and then the Belgian had a second bite. The West Ham substitute Michail Antonio headed against a post in the final minute but only after Aaron Cresswell’s cross had sailed out of play. The replay no one wanted cannot be worse.
Telegraph
FA Cup tie fails to live up to past meetings as both sides draw blanks
By Sam Wallace, Chief Football Writer, at Anfield
This was FA Cup football with the Premier League handbrake on: two under-strength teams anticipating Tuesday night league fixtures and assigning only as much resources to a fourth round tie as their respective managers might dare.
Not so much of the FA Cup magic on an evening when Jurgen Klopp later granted himself a resigned joke about Liverpool’s ensuing fixture congestion – they will play eight games in February if they win the replay at the Boleyn Ground the week after this. “Maybe it [the replay] will be in the morning when we have a game in the afternoon,” offered Klopp.
A draw was better than a defeat where both managers concerned but, in the words of Slaven Bilic, neither of them were “crazy” about the prospect of another game to their already hectic schedules. Klopp made the more radical changes – ten different outfield players from the side that prevailed on penalties against Stoke in the Capital One Cup semi-final – but his team were also the better of the two sides.
Bilic lost James Tomkins and Cheikhou Kouyate to injury, the first with 13 stitches in his head who must be a doubt to face Aston Villa on Tuesday. As for Kouyate, his withdrawal from the game was more of a precaution, Bilic said. West Ham had a good claim on a penalty in the first half when Nikica Jelavic’s header appeared to strike Steven Caulker on the arm, although Bilic did not see it.
“The benches are too close,” he said. “It’s like you are in the British Parliament. We are democrats, of course. We shouted a few times, they shouted a few times and the crowd shouted all the time. Without looking at it two or three times more I could not commit myself on whether it was.”
Five of Klopp’s team, including the newly signed loanee Caulker, had never started a league match for the club but the likes of Joao Teixeira, Cameron Brannagan and Brad Smith acquitted themselves well. They just could not find the goal that would have seen them through, and much of that was down to the Christian Benteke, who was there with Joe Allen, Dejan Lovren and Simon Mignolet to provide the experience.
For Klopp it was better than losing but only just. “It is how it is,” he said. “I think the most important thing is everyone could see our line-up was not disrespectful to the FA Cup. It was the other way around. We thought this was the best chance for us to go through. This young team did really well. They played not too often together but they did well. We had a good structure. We had chances. At the end it is a draw. We should have scored in one of the other situations. Now we play again.”
Given that he said he will pick a similar side for the replay, West Ham must be the favourites in east London to reach the fifth round of the competition. The goalkeeper Adrian was in Seville to attend the birth of his child and his replacement Darren Randolph did a good job in his absence.
“Nobody is crazy about the replays but we can live with that,” Bilic said. “We have injuries but, make no mistake, we would have liked to be without the replay. We got the clean sheet, deserve the replay and now it will be one of those historical FA Cup nights at Upton Park. In the first half it was a very even game, both clubs have some moments up front, not clear cut chances. In the second half until last 10 minutes they were better than us, much fresher and quicker and got the second balls but we defended well.”
Liverpool play Leicester on Tuesday in a game that Klopp’s side could do with winning and there will naturally be wholesale changes once again. As for the expensive pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian Alex Teixeira, there was no guarantees from Klopp of any new signings before Monday night’s deadline.
“We will buy a team for the replay,” he joked. “Ten players or 11. One more game should not be the reason for signing players. We had three or four more games than West Ham so it is like it is. We could rest the team that played against Stoke today. We will have fresh legs against Leicester. That is good news.
“We tried everything and now we have another game. It doesn’t feel brilliant at this moment but when we go to West Ham we will have the chance go again into the next round. Hopefully one of the injured players will come back in the next few weeks.”
There was not much to speak of in terms of chances before the break. Benteke had a header cleared off the line by Aaron Cresswell. The 23-year-old Portuguese attacker Teixeira had a shot well saved by the West Ham goalkeeper, Randolph. He also did well to push a shot from Benteke wide of the post.
In the second half Randolph stopped three attempts in quick succession, twice from Benteke and once from Allen. Legs were tiring and at last both sides were taking a few risks with Liverpool looking like they would come much stronger.
Liverpool’s Kevin Stewart, 22, released by Spurs two years ago and a veteran of the loan system acquitted himself well. Allen launched himself at a Nathaniel Clyne cross on 73 minutes and was mid-air when his technique seemed to be interrupted by a shove from an opponent. The ball fell to Jordon Ibe and then Teixeira but neither could finish. It was one of those evenings.
Mail
Nikica Jelavic set to join Ramires in moving to China once Emmanuel Emenike completes switch to Upton Park
Nikica Jelavic has received a lucrative offer from Guangzhou Evergrande
Croatian is expected to move once Emmanuel Emenike signs for Hammers
Newcastle United midfielder Cheikh Tiote would also like to play in Beijing
By Joe Bernstein for MailOnline
West Ham United striker Nikica Jelavic will be the latest Premier League name to head for a final pay day in China once Nigerian international Emmanuel Emenike completes his loan move from Fenerbahce.
Emenike has done his medical at Upton Park with West Ham just needing to complete the paperwork with his Turkish club and Abu Dhabi side Al Ain where he is currently on loan.
On completion, The Hammers have decided not to stand in Jelavic's way with the 30-year-old Croatian the subject of a lucrative offer from Guangzhou Evergrande.
He will follow the likes of Chelsea's Ramires who moved east earlier this month to join Jiangsu Suning in a stunning £25million deal. Newcastle United's Cheikh Tiote is also wanted to play in Beijing.
Jelavic joined West Ham from Hull City in the last transfer window and has scored three goals in 13 appearances, 11 of them as substitute.
C&H
Nigerian ‘Hazard’ invited to West Ham for trials
West Ham are claimed to have invited 19 year old Nigerian forward Ezekiel Bassey for trials.
“Bassey has been invited for trials by West Ham,” a report claims on the Africa Football website.
Last year, Nigeria defender Azubuike Egwuekwe also trialed with ‘The Hammers’ but his club Warri Wolves later turned down a £1m bid for Egwuekwe. “We rejected a bid from West Ham because we had disagreement with the agent handling the issue,” his club spokesman told the press.
Bassey has already been capped at full international level by Nigeria, when he made his debut in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Swaziland in October in Port Harcourt.
The left-sided player is claimed to have ‘dazzling footwork and dribbling’ which earned the nickname ‘Hazard’ after his first season at Nigerian champions Enyimba. But it is left to be seen if he could be granted a work permit should he impress trying out with the Hammers.
Nettavisen Sport
Sander Berge (17) may become the next foreign pro.
LA MANGA (Manager): The burly midfielder arrived late Saturday night at Valerengas training camp at La Manga in Spain. The last week he has spent in London, on a "get acquainted visit" by the Premier League team West Ham.
The big club wanted him over to both talk and see him in training. The interest will be great for the youngster who has taken huge steps in the last year.
- It was a nice experience and it was great to get there. West Ham is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and one top club in the Premier League right now, says Berge.
Felt it went well
He conducted a few sessions with the U21 team, and three sessions with West Ham's A-team during their stay.
Currently, it shall have ticked a bid for 17-year-old.
- How do you think it went?
- I felt it went well. I came nicely into the group, they were nice to me and took me fine pitches. Then it was just letting loose. The level was good, but they focus well most of the fighting, says Berge.
Kjetil Rekdal start shaking slowly on the head when Manager takes up Sander Berge as a theme as we speak with VIF boss at La Manga. Rekdal is namely extremely so impressed by 17-year-old who got 11 Tippeligaen (Norway's top league) matches last season.
"What the boy has done ... he had an insane development. We are not surprised that he got good feedback from the training field in West Ham. For me it's entirely logical", says Rekdal.
West Ham satisfied
The English Premier League club, according Rekdal have been very impressed by Sander Berge during the week.
"He has done well, and they like what they see. But they have seen him many times and he is not even 18 years yet. He has an impressive physique and a potential that is absolutely huge", says Rekdal.
Berge turns 18 on 18 February and is the 1998 model, like players like Martin Odegaard and Kristoffer Ajer.
The 17-year-old himself was impressed by several of the individual players at West Ham. As Berge correctly points out. "Payet and the guys can play ball".
- What happens next?
- Now I focus on Valerenga. Now it's pre-season here and I take with me motivation and a lot of learning from a week at West Ham, he says.
VIF boss has not yet received information about what West Ham want further with Berge.
- To say neither A nor B is not a joke, we take it as it comes. The boy certainly had a good stay and had the opportunity to learn a little. There are few 17-year-olds who get to experience how life is in the Premier League, says Rekdal.
- Are you in a position where you have to sell if you get a bid alright?
- No. But it's part of our everyday life. We want us to get players who are too good for us, it's part of having success, says Rekdal.
- Much faster than people think
VIF boss would rather not speculate on price or say anything about what Valerenga requires for the 17-year-old, but hints that the club would not stand in the way if it receives what he describes as a "sensible offer."
