West Ham New Arrival: Gokhan Tore
It seems that minutes after us posting our last article featuring him in the transfer rumour roundup Gokhan Tore was spotted outside the West Ham ground, and he has now been officially announced as a West Ham player.
More from Green Street Hammers - West Ham
- Brighton vs West Ham predictions: Can James Ward-Prowse help end the curse?
- West Ham and two Premier League rivals made huge transfer stand
- Lucas Paqueta bet allegations discussed in West Ham and Man City transfer talks
- Bournemouth vs West Ham predictions: Premier League opener amid transfer chaos
- West Ham near Denis Zakaria transfer after final James Ward-Prowse bid
The negotiations went through some tough patches if the twittersphere is to be believed, with Besiktas demanding £13m upfront in a transfer negotiation but West Ham asking for a £3m fee upfront with an option to pay the rest after the season if Tore meets West Ham’s expectations. The final deal sees him join on loan with a
. Besiktas released a statement early on Friday
“We have loaned Gokhan Tore to West Ham, they made an offer and it appealed to us. We have a lot of competition for a place on the right wing…”.
West Ham’s official website had this to say about the player:
"West Ham United are delighted to announce that Gokhan Tore has joined the Club on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move.Tore, 24, has been one of the star performers at Besiktas and played a big part in helping them finish above Fenerbahce to win the Super Lig title."
And Tore himself seemed very happy to finally be signing after some reasonably lengthy negotiations, appearing in a short video on the clubs social media account and stating”
"“I am very happy to be at West Ham. I watched many games that they played last season and saw how passionate the fans are. That made me want to come here and I am looking forward to playing in front of them.“Slaven was also a big factor in me coming here and he is a great manager. He is the main man and knows me very well. I could not have said no to him.“He is the best manager I have worked under and he is like a father to the players. You feel like you are family.”"
Gokhan Tore’s profile:
| Senior career | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2011–2012 | Hamburger SV | 22 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Rubin Kazan | 5 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Beşiktaş (loan) | 30 | (4) |
| 2014–2016 | Beşiktaş | 52 | (8) |
| National team | |||
| 2007 | Turkey U15 | 3 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Turkey U16 | 14 | (1) |
| 2008 | Turkey U17 | 18 | (3) |
| 2009–2010 | Turkey U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2011 | Turkey A2 | 1 | (0) |
| 2011– | Turkey | 26 | (0) |
Having spent some years at the Chelsea academy Gokhan Tore began his professional career in Germany before ending up working with current Hammers boss Slaven Bilic in Turkey. Despite some interest from the Irons last season he stayed with Besiktas last season, helping them to the championship by 5 points.
He has forsaken Champions League football to play in East London and for a player as ambitious as Tore that is a big step to take, even if it is to play under a manager you respect and admire.
Live Feed
The Top Flight
Tore will be a boost our attacking options, and three from him, Payet, Lanzini and Feghouli will form our 3 attacking midfielders behind whichever striker we end up buying (or Andy Carroll).
All in all I think this a great signing and one that shows how far we’ve come in just a few years. 3 years ago Tore would have been our No.1 midfielder (and probably player) by far, and now he is a great rotation option and the squad strengthening under Slaven is going well. Tore will be vital if we are to compete on multiple fronts this year.
A big Green St. Hammers Welcome to Gokhan Tore!
Don’t forget to check our Facebook and Twitter pages for regular updates!