West Ham poised to complete signing of Guillermo Franco

10 September 2009 14:34
An agreement has been reached with the 32 year-old who left Villarreal at the end of last season. Franco is out of contract and therefore can be signed for free even though the transfer window has closed. Franco was one of several strikers being tracked by West Ham as they attempted to provide more attacking firepower for manager Gianfranco Zola. A bid was accepted by Manchester City for Benjani Mwaruwari, but that deal could not be concluded in time with the Zimbabwean stalling, while talks took place with Mark Viduka, also out-of-contract after leaving Newcastle United in the summer. It had appeared that Franco, born in Argentina but a naturalised Mexican, would return to the Argentinean club Estudiantes – the current Copa Libertadores champions – but now West Ham have persuaded him to join them instead. Franco had made it clear that he would prefer to remain in Europe after his contract with the Spanish club Villarreal – for whom he made 84 appearances, scoring 14 goals – ended, but he was due to join Estudiantes after Wednesday’s international against Honduras. However West Ham have now intervened. Franco won his 18th international cap for Mexico and scored his sixth goal for his country against Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier – their first victory in four ties - earlier this week. He moved to Europe in 2006, after playing for Mexico in the World Cup, having spent seven seasons with Monterrey, scoring 63 goals. He won the league with the club in 2003 and ended the following season as the leading scorer in Mexico. A talented striker, Franco will provide support for Carlton Cole with West Ham already having signed Chilean international Luiz Jimenez and Alessandro Diamanti to play in a 4-3-3 formation either side of a main target man. Zola has high hopes for Jimenez – who has made an impressive start to his West Ham career – and Diamanti, who signed for £6 million from the Serie A side Livorno. The 26 year-old scored with two free-kicks in the 6-0 reserve team rout of Birmingham City earlier this week and is contention to make his debut away to Wigan Athletic this Saturday. However it is unlikely that Franco will be signed in time for that match. West Ham remain interested in signing Marouane Chamakh and have held talks with the Moroccan international after being given permission to speak to him by his club, Bordeaux. A £7 million transfer was in place but this could not be finalised before the close of the transfer window. The likelihood is that Chamakh will either see out the final year of his contract and leave at the end of the season or move in January. Alternatively he could sign a pre-contract agreement with a club at the turn of the year and is likely to want to see how Bordeaux fare in the Champions League this season.

Source: Telegraph