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West Ham have slapped a £20million price tag on Carlton Cole as the club brace themselves for a raft of offers for their star players in the January transfer window.
The Hammers would prefer to hang on to the in-form striker as they attempt to move out of the Premier League relegation zone.
However, the financial reality of a club now effectively owned by Icelandic investment bank Straumur - who themselves have creditors to satisfy - is that they would have to listen to any serious offers for Cole, or their other saleable assets such as England stars Robert Green and Matthew Upson, Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami or even youngsters Jack Collison and James Tompkins.
The situation would change should West Ham acquire new owners before January but the club are preparing themselves for moves from both Liverpool and Manchester United for Cole. The striker, who celebrates his 26th birthday today, is currently nursing a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the England squad for the friendly with Brazil on Saturday. The striker signed a new five-year deal a year ago, after which he said he expected to stay at the club for “quite a while.”
Cole has much for which to thank the club and particularly Gianfranco Zola, who has transformed him into an England international.
With the World Cup just over six months away, though, and with Cole nurturing a burning ambition to be on the plane for South Africa, it would be impossible to reject interest from one of the top English clubs.
West Ham boss Zola is becoming to accustomed to renewed interest in his best players every time another transfer window approaches.
A year ago reports were suggesting that a fire sale of their players was inevitable but only Craig Bellamy left for an attractive £11m fee.
A London-based financial company called Intermarket has claimed that it has signed a non-disclosure agreement with Rothschilds, who are handling potential bidders on behalf of West Ham, while former Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan remain interested.
Intermarket, who are keen to tie up a deal in the next month, have also said they would make funds available to Zola to strengthen his squad, which would head off any need to sell Cole.
Reader views (22)
You judge strikers by whether they put the ball in the net. And as I've said to you, six from eleven this season.
I'm utterly bored now Mark. Feel free to have the last word, you seem to need it.
- Stu, Beckton, 17/11/2009 11:21
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I judge strikers by whether they put the ball into the back of the net or a reghular basis; simple as that. What else should a striker be doing?
The fee paid for Rooney was based on his potential, in the same way Fergie played £12/13 M for an unknown teeanger called Ronaldo. I think we would both agree it was money well spent.
Cole has got better but I suspect he won't improve much more. He's an average striker when most other England strikers are also average.
I have different criteria for goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders who usually have to have a wider range of skills but with strikers it simply on goals scored. I've never seen a top striker with a 1:4 hit rate but have seen average strikers who have been quite prolific over one or two season.
- Mark, South East, London, 16/11/2009 19:04
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You ARE being selective, I was simply demonstrating the fact your ONE statistic is as invalid as my most recent one.
Do you base whether a player is good or not on that one statistic then Mark? That's it, is it? Career goals to games? Who are these "they" that you speak of, that will "only" look at this stat when he's finished? And what relevance is this article and the price tag quoted when his career is over anyway?
You don't think he's worth £20million. Neither do I. I have explained why the price tag has been mentioned and explained why you're wrong about the player being as bad as you make out.
You have argued an irrelevant and ridiculous point and think it has proven you right.
Presumably you think David James is a poor goalkeeper then due to the fact he's conceded so many goals in his career, yes? How do you judge a midfield player? Did you rate Wayne Rooney before he moved to the Mancs for an astronomical fee (check his career record at that point)?
- Stu, Beckton, 16/11/2009 16:40
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Stu,
Damn lies and statistics! And you was the who accused me of being selective! I have already stated (unprompted) that Cole is having purple patch in an underperforming team but I cannot see him maintaining this form over any great length of time?
Cole was abysmal against Millwall, but that's not the only time I've seen him this year or in previous years. He's stands out in a poorly performing WHU side (as I've said befores) but is an international because England currently has a shortfall of quality strikers, not because he's an international class striker.
Perhaps I don't know how stats work or what you can use them to prove but when Cole's career has finished the only thing they'll look at is the goals to apps. record. Remember Macolm MacDonald? He done nothing for his team other than bang in goals. That's what strikers are judged on and I suspect Cole's return will be on par with Heskey's.
I personally think he's just an average striker who looks better than he is because of the dearth of English striking talent at the moment.
- Mark, South-East London, 16/11/2009 16:03
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Good grief.
Mark do you seriously expect to resolve this issue using statistics?? The figures I got WERE from “all over the net” as you say.
You are valuing a player based on one single statistic. You are ignoring the form, improvement, the player’s ability off and on the ball, the fact he’s an international, the value to the team...basically every single facet of the player’s ability, in favour of a couple of numbers.
My club allegiance is well known on this site, as is my bias against other teams. I do not, however, wear the old claret-and-blue tinted specs. No Hammer can ever afford to, such is our club and it’s calamitous ways. Cole has improved from a pretty poor striker not all that liked by the fans to an England international in four years. I have watched every home game and many away over that period, and have witnessed first hand the improvement.
You have watched one game, from the point of view of a rival club who play two divisions below us.
Cole has scored 6 in 11 (league) this season. He is not, therefore “still” a 1 in 4 striker, is he? To improve that one career long ratio which you deem so important he will have to be phenomenally good for a few seasons yet. I can of course calculate the exact ratio required over any number of seasons if that makes you happy.
You don’t seem to know how stats work, Mark. Why you insist on using them (well, one) to justify your "argument" is utterly beyond me.
- Stu, Beckton, 16/11/2009 13:27
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Stu,
I have looked at your figures and cannot actually work out where they come from, nor know what you mean by "ten team changes". Cole's goal to game figures are all over the net and therefore find it a tad bizarre that you seem to be suggesting that Col#e strikerate at WHU is 1.8, whereas he's scored 22 in 85 games.
Funny enough I'm not having a dig at WHU but I suspect that your defence of Cole has more to do with club alligence than rational thought.
When Cole first played for Chelsea he looked a good prospect but he's now 26 and about 1 or 2 years away from his prime and he's still basically a 1 in 4 striker with average ability, and as such shouldn't be getting anywhere near the England squad.
- Mark, South-East, London, 16/11/2009 12:30
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Not me, Evs. And personal insults are rather pathetic, along with your English I'm afraid.
Now go away. I get more sense out of Big Club tm fans.
- Stu, Beckton, 13/11/2009 15:48
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you are hardly in a postion to not let him go lightly,,you are skint club...you dont like people having a pop at you do you stu or your little feeder club...why would tottenham be interested in him,you seem to be very keen on having a pop at hr,you are an insecure guy,like your club..who said anything bout being a Chelsea fan??
- Evs, berks, 13/11/2009 15:08
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Mark, happy to go back to stats seeing as you think it's the most important thing about a football player (do you gauge players via computer games I wonder).
Cole's goals to games over the last ten club changes of his career read thus : 3.0, 2.7, 7.0, 4.4, 10.0, 13.0, 7.0, 6.2, 2.7, 1.8.
In all but three of those changes there is an improvement on the last one, and obviously we're including loan periods here.
I think (well, I know) you are entirely missing the point to take a dig at West Ham and trying to back it up with silly numbers. We all know he's not a £20mill player (unless Big Club tm fancy him), he is however our most saleable asset right now, a current England player, and so the exhorbitant fee is simply a warning we won't be letting him go lightly, if indeed we even do.
It's how things operate at the top level.
- Stu, Beckton, 13/11/2009 13:52
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I'm not sure what his scoring record six years ago has to do with anything. He has improved immesurably in the last two years - his time with Zola has particularly changed him as a player. He always had it in flashes, but they were so few and far between in the past. He has now improved - or can we only rate a player on how good he was half a decade ago?
Besides, you can prove anything with statistics.
- Graeme, Hornchurch, 13/11/2009 13:48
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I am facing facts.
You said he wasn't worth 20p.
You said he doesn't look like a decent striker.
You think the England squad has "been devoid of quality strikers".
You also say he "ain't going to get much better".
Who's "facing facts", and who's typing nonsense?
Evs - to say Chelsea would have kept him "if he was any good" or "had any class" is childish. He's currently doing a much better, and dare I say classier, job than that £30mill Ukranian you shipped in a few years back.
- Stu, Beckton, 13/11/2009 13:37
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Stu what are you on about "carefully-chosen time period" those stats are for his senior professional career, i.e games played against goals scored; they can't lie!!!
What are valuations based on in football? What they've done in the past and what you are likely to get out of him in the future. Stu, just face facts CC is scoring forward who is almost in his prime and the chances of him jumping from a 1:4 to a 1:3 scoring ratio is slim, let alone getting anywhere near 1:2.
- Mark, South-East London, 13/11/2009 13:21
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a very average striker in a less than average side,hardly prolific is he,if he was any good or had any class do you not think Chelsea would have kept him regardless of who they had up front??
he is in the England squad as they dont have any one else do they,oh yeah forgot about Heskey too..
20 mill,if west ham get half that they have done hell of a deal
- Evs, berks, 13/11/2009 13:03
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Yes Joe, because as everyone knows, GOALS are the only thing a striker should contribute.
Everyone except Fabio Capello, who seems to think there's more to it than that. Weird.
- Graeme, Hornchurch, 13/11/2009 13:01
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Well Graham then I would be worried. Which of the 22 goals since he signed for WHU in July 2006 has he scored in the last two years?
His record at WHU is slightly less than 1:4 against a career average of 1 in 4.66; That's some purple patch!!!
- Mark, South-East London, 13/11/2009 12:37
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Mark, I work in statistics so please don't come on here and "lol" with your carefully-chosen time periods, your inept valuations, and your prophetic ability to see the future.
Have an opinion on the (ridiculous) valuation by all means, but know when to stop with the trying-to-be-clever or you just look daft.
- Stu, Beckton, 13/11/2009 12:36
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Twenty million for a low score striker ?
West Ham FC as we all know, are in deep serious debt !
Let's wait and see what other Premiership club would be happy to pay this fee ?
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 13/11/2009 12:17
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A two year purple patch.
- Graeme, Hornchurch, 13/11/2009 12:07
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LOL at you boys. The old claret tinted specs are out today.
Cole scoring record in the is around one goal in every 4.66 game, which is only slightly better than someone like Salomon Kalou (1 in 4.99)who is few years younger.
Carlton Cole has a worse scoring record than Emile Heskey, who averages a goal in every 4.3 games.
Cole is having a purple patch at the mo. and stands out in a poorly performing side; he ain't going to get much better and 20p looks good value if you can get it, particularly as his contract appears to be up next year just before the WC starts!!!
- Mark, South-East London, 13/11/2009 11:17
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Thanks for the excellent insight, Mark, you know how the footballing world hangs on the word of fans of clubs such as yours.
And you keep that 20p yeah? You need it more than we do.
- Stu, Beckton, 13/11/2009 08:50
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Mark, you need to go to SpecSavers
- None Of The Above, Colchester, England, 13/11/2009 07:58
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Ha, ha!
What I saw of him against Millwall recently I wouldn't give you 20p for him.
He's 26, is near reaching his peak but doesn't look like a decent striker let alone a top class one. He's only got in the England set-up as we have been devoid of quality strikers as evidenced by the continued inclusion of Heskey and Crouch.
- Mark, South-East London, 12/11/2009 11:45
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