Gokhan Tore cites Slaven Bilic factor after West Ham sign Turkey winger on loan
West Ham’s newest signing Gokhan Tore has revealed that the chance to work again under Hammers coach Slaven Bilic convinced him to join the ambitious east London outfit.
Winger Tore, 24, has joined on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move from Besiktas, where he played under Bilic for two seasons before the Croatian moved to Upton Park.
“I am very happy to be at West Ham,” said Tore, who is thought to have cost the club a £2.5m loan fee.
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“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.”
Germany-born Tore spent two years at Chelsea’s academy and is the second of West Ham’s summer signings to have been in the youth ranks of a London rival, after former Arsenal trainee Havard Nordtveit, who joined on a free transfer from Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The Hammers have also signed Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli on a free transfer from Valencia.
Tore, who has won 26 international caps, was included in Turkey’s initial squad for Euro 2016 but failed to make the final 23-man party.
Pelle out, Hojbjerg in at Saints
Southampton, meanwhile, have signed 20-year-old Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Bayern Munich for a fee believed to be £12.8m.
The arrival of the highly-rated Hojbjerg, who spent last season on loan at Schalke, follows the sale of striker Graziano Pelle for a similar fee to Chinese side Shandong Luneng.