http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/04/stoke-city-scott-parker-west-ham Stoke City have inquired about Scott Parker, who is valued no lower than £8m by West Ham United, with any move for the 30-year-old likely to free up the Hammers to explore signing Joey Barton on a free transfer from Newcastle United. Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal all retain an interest in Parker. But the interest from Aston Villa â who offered £7m this summer â and from Chelsea â who considered a bid, or a loan deal for Parker â appears to have cooled. Stoke nearly signed the West Ham striker Carlton Cole this summer only for the player to decide against the move, and Parker may be reluctant to move to the Potteries. West Ham will not accept any less than £8m for Parker, who has three years remaining on his contract at Upton Park, due to the £40m hole in their finances that relegation has caused. By the end of August West Ham will have injected around £18m for cash flow and wages purposes. If Parker were to depart, Barton would cost West Ham nothing after the controversial midfielder was told he can leave for free due to his dispute with the hierarchy on Tyneside. This follows a bust-up with management and series of tweets in which he has criticised the board. Were he to join West Ham, he would be reunited with his former Newcastle team-mate Kevin Nolan and the manager, Sam Allardyce, who signed Barton from Manchester City. Nolan, the new West Ham captain, wants to continue his goalscoring form of the previous two seasons. Last season the attacking midfielder managed 12 in the Premier League for Newcastle, having collected 17 when the club was promoted two years ago. He told the West Ham website: "[I am setting] no targets, well none I am going to make public anyway, but hopefully I can get into good goal figures and help the likes of Piq [Freddie Piquionne], Coley [Carlton Cole] and the other lads. "If I can chip in great but first and foremost we have got to make sure we are winning games. That is the key, that the winning mentality comes back and hope that this starts on Sunday against Cardiff [in their first Championship fixture]." Nolan praised the spirit at the club since joining this summer. "Obviously when you go down, it is tough on everyone at the club and players â people don't realise but they do find that tough, it does live with you. So I think when we came in on the first day it was all about doing things the right way, everybody enjoying being here and everyone having a smile on their face coming to work every day, ready to work hard and enjoy what we are all doing. "That is something that Sam [Allardyce, the manager] does bring in abundance, making sure you are happy with everyday life as well as on the training pitch and games. The lads seem to have responded very well to that â it is a good group. You know I was a bit surprised, I was half expecting maybe to find it hard. You know teams go down, everyone is low, there may be a few cliques here and there, but there is none of that there. "There's a lot for us to prove and although this is positive, we must remain grounded, we work hard and get to where we want to be and that is the Premier League again at the end of the season."
Sarge, Just seeing this morning what TP is still saying about transfers don't expect anything to happen until near the close of the transfer window. Good to see that Matty is fir for tonight. Best Wishes
Thanks Sgt, been waiting for this one to raise it's head for ages!! Nothing new on Rodellega for a while, nay fear laddies we still have Woodgate to savour, Pulis wants him to be considered for England again, I hear, yea but they missed out the England Paraolympic knitting team. Before ANYONE kicks off, to reiterate WHEN fit Woodgate is/was one of the very best in the world, the opportune words are When & Fit
It's rather sad to see that some of the contributors appear rather sceptical about the people who run what has become a very successful team. I tend to think that Pulis will spring a few surprises before the transfer window closes. Im sure that Jonathon Woodgate is doing everything he can to both play and attain something like the standard of football that he was capable of - I wish him the best of luck!
Yeah me too Mahoney, looking forward to seeing Woodgate play at the Brit and just hope he can stay fit! As the transfer clock ticks down, I'm sure that TP and PC are going to spring surprises on us. As Tenterden says, the business will go right down to the wire, as that seems to be the nature of the beast (agents and players holding out for the best offer thay can get etc). As for me, I would go MENTAL if we signed Rodallega and yes I would take Barton too, regardless of his past. I think TP could manage him. None of us are saints after all and he is quality imo. As for Parker, heard that he is too settled in London to consider moving up North?
