West Ham Summer Transfer Update
Iceland Under-21 International, Holmar Eyjolfsson is West Ham target
West Ham United are battling it out with Bayern Munich over a potential summer move for Icelandic prodigy, Holmar Eyjolfsson.
Holmar Eyjolfsson, already a veteran for Iceland under-21's, at the age of 17 is being linked with a summer move to Premiership club West Ham United. However, the Hammers face strong competition from German giants Bayern Munich who also reportedly interested.
The 17-year-old centre half spent a week on trial with West Ham and has said to be impressed with the East london club. Eyjolfsson said:
"It was a great expeiriance and a good lurning curve. It was also interesting to see how I compared with the Premier League players. They treated me like an equal and it felt like I was just one of the boys. When I sat down with Alan Curbishly and the clubs chief scout roger Cross, the manager said he wanted me to join the club and would talk to my dad as soon as I went home."
Holmar currently plays for Icelandic team Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogsor HK Kópavogs for short. His dad is former Iceland national manager Eyjolfur Sverrison. A possible reason for West Hams interest is due to their Icelandic owners who took over the club last year from terrence Brown.
Interest in another Icelander, Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has played for other premiership teams including Chelsea and Bolton, has died down lately with speculation rife that he would sign for the Hammers. This may be due to his lack of form for Barcelona, scoring just 8 goals in 33 appearances.
The Hammers who sit in 10th, just 4 places from a possible Uefa Cup slot, are also interested in a number of other targets. Steve Sidwell who signed for Chelsea on a free transfer from Reading only last year, could be on his way to Upton Park. The central midfielder has found it too diffuicult to break in to the first-team set-up at Chelsea with competition from world-class players such as Lampard, Mikel, Essien and Ballack. Different figures have been named but the most likely transfer price would be around the £3.5 million mark.
Also, Derby's 19-year-old midfielder Giles Barnes could join the Hammers in the summer. West Ham have been interested in the young attacking midfielder since last summer but now Derby could be ready to sell with relegation almost a certainty. Giles Barnes father, Bobby Barnes, played for the Hammers between 1980 and 1986. The West Ham manager, Alan Curbishly has admitted to being interested in the youngster, "Giles Barnes is certianly a player we like. Whether we will have a bid accepted remains to be seen."
