HAMMERS WELL PLACED TO CAPTURE GIROUD
OLIVIER GIROUD will spark a scramble for his services as soon as Arsenal complete the £49million club record signing of Alexandre Lacazette.
Giroud is set to demand to quit the Emirates Stadium once his fellow French international puts pen to paper to join the club.
Arsene Wenger has been locked in talks this weekend with the star, who scored 28 goals in Ligue 1 last season, and is confident of doing a deal.
Giroud would headlinebe further pushed down the pecking order by will go in the arrival of Lacazette and will look for more regular playing time elsewhere.
WEST HAM, have been keen on Giroud all summer and would be able to offer the £20m-rated striker the chance to remain in London, where he has lived since leaving Montpellier in 2012.
MARSEILLE have also registered an interest in taking Giroud, 30, back to France, while EVERTON are also keen on him as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who is odds-on to return to Chelsea.
West Ham have made an inquiry about Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs, who wants to the leave the Emirates.
The England international is rated at £15m by the Gunners – a price that has deterred WATFORD and newly-promoted BRIGHTON. CRYSTAL PALACE are also being kept in touch with developments on Gibbs, who is earning around £60,000 a week and is keen to remain in London. New Watford boss Marco Silva could now turn to a cheaper alternative in George Friend, who is keen to leave relegated Middlesbrough. Watford have also announced the signing of midfielder Will Hughes. The 22-year-old, currently at the European U21 Championships in Poland with England, will leave DERBY for an undisclosed fee and has signed a five-year deal at Vicarage Road. TOTTENHAM are continuing to keep tabs on Middlesbrough’s former England Under-21 international central defender Ben Gibson. The £20m-rated nephew of Boro chairman Steve Gibson doesn’t want to play in the Championship and is pushing to leave the Riverside.
NEWCASTLE and WEST BROM are also said to be keen on Gibson after interest from Premier League champions Chelsea cooled.
Tottenham, who are in the Champions League next season, are keen to bring in a central defender.
Former Watford loanee M’Baye Niang is stalling on a move to join Everton from AC Milan to see who else comes in for him this summer.
Everton are willing to pay £15m for the 22-year-old Frenchman, who scored twice in 11 appearances for the Hornets. Premier League new boys
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN have made a £5m offer for Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward, who helped the West Yorkshire side win promotion last season.
Ward is surplus to requirements at Anfield and Town boss David Wagner will hope his close friendship with Jurgen Klopp could smooth the way for a pemanent deal.
Huddersfield are also weighing up if they are going to match DERBY’S £10m asking price for Tom Ince. Newcastle are also keen on the winger, while Derby are ready to move for QPR’s former England centre-back Steven Caulker. SOUTHAMPTON and BOURNEMOUTH both want Chelsea defender Nathan Ake, who was on loan with the Cherries for the first half of last season.