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Obviously there will be many twists and turns in the hugely inflated transfer market this summer, but forwards seem to always be the recurring theme, and the forwards at West Ham United are no exception. On the face of it Hammers are fairly well catered for with Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia all competing for the lone striker role that is part of Slaven Billic's normal team line up, however beneath the surface there are serious causes for concern.

West Ham United's second longest current player and product of the once legendary Hammers academy, James Tomkins, is on his way to London and Barclays Premiership League rivals Crystal Palace in what seems to those not necessarily in the know as a bargain basement £10 Million transfer deal. 'Tomka has been involved with West Ham for nigh on twenty years, and his departure is seen as a negative inditement of the modern age to many supporters who see 'one of their own' coming through the ranks as a glowing endorsement of a halcyon day loved view of all things claret & blue.

Manchester United striker Ashley Fletcher is under going a medical at West Ham ahead of a proposed move to the Olympic Stadium according to various media sources, the 20-year-old's current contract at Old Trafford expires this summer and he will be allowed to join up with 'Super Slav' and his boys on a free transfer. Well, not exactly free, if a deal is completed Manchester United will be due a compensation fee as Fletcher came through the club's youth system.

Is Michy Batshuayi worth £35 Million? In the current cash sloshing world of not only the Barclays Premiership but also in the world of the massively rich clubs like Real Madrid and Paris St Germain, not forgetting the burgeoning Chinese Super League, yes he is!

England's premature, but inevitable, exit from the European Championships in France has paved the way for out of touch manager Roy Hodgson's resignation, not before time but sadly not soon enough. Little sympathy, if any at all, will be shown by West Ham United fans irked by the omission of their players who should have been there representing England on pure merit rather than meritocracy, however "these things happen", and Hammers have ended up as beneficiaries in that none of their players will have been tarnished with the same brush as those who underachieved in france.

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has re-iterated Hammers mid field maestro, Dimitri Payet, would "Improve any European team", he went on to say "He's always had the talent, but now at 29 years of age he's getting the recognition he deserves," Zidane added, "When he was not in the national team he never gave up and is now showing that he's one of the most important and talented players, not only in France but in Europe. "He's had an incredible season with West Ham and is now at the European Championship.

At 2pm BST the Parc Olympique Lyonnais will be the venue for the France against the Republic of Ireland Euro Championship knock out match, a match which sees West Ham United team mates Dimitri Payet and Darren Randolph line up against each other. Surprisingly, apart from a cameo appearance by Angelo Agbona for Italyand some bench warming by James Collins for Wales, Payet and Randolph are Hammers only representatives at the Euro's, rather strange considering West Ham finished 7th in what is supposed to be the best football league in the world!

There was a time in the season when Dimitri Payet was not considered part of Didier Deschamps’ plans ahead of Euro 2016 in his home country, but it became difficult to ignore a player who simply lit up the Premier League in his first season in England. It was a joy to watch such a talented player make a big impact at the Boleyn Ground, and it was probably no surprise to Hammers fans to see Payet light up the European Championship on the opening day with a performance right out the top drawer.

West Ham United kick off their Barclays Premier League Fixtures with an away match at Chelsea followed by a home match against Bournemouth, the first match against Tottenham is an away tie on the 19th of November with the return match being played at the Olympic Stadium on the 6th of May.
A full list of all West Ham's Barclays Premier League Fixtures follows: (all match times and dates are subject to change by the FA and the TV broadcast organisations)
Premier League
Chelsea v West Ham Sat 13th Aug 15:00
West Ham v Bournemouth Sat 20th Aug 15:00

West Ham United have signed winger Sofiane Feghouli from Valencia on a three year deal on a free contract but with a 'significant' undisclosed signing on fee, he is the club's second signing this summer following that of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Havard Nordtveit, who joins on the 1st of July 2016. Feghouli, a 26 year old Algerian International, spent six seasons with Valencia scoring 42 goals in 243 appearances. Feghouliwas the 2012 Algerian Footballer of the Year, has 40 caps and has played in three major tournaments for his country.