Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham close in on Chamakh as Bordeaux line up cut-price deal
West Ham United and Bordeaux are close to agreeing a deal that would take Marouane Chamakh to Upton Park.
Deadline: Marouane Chamakh wants his future decided by Monday
The Morocco striker increased the pressure on his employers yesterday by insisting he would leave the club on a free next summer unless a transfer was agreed by Monday.
And the tactic appears to have paid off with the clubs now understood to be less than a million apart in their valuations.
The Hammers are said to be ready to pay Bordeaux £6million up front, plus £1m for each year that he stays, and 20 per cent of any future profit on a future sale.
The French champions have proved hard to do business with, as Arsenal, Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and Tottenham have found this summer.
And while they have dramatically dropped their initial £15m asking price, they are still holding out for about £900,000 more up front, plus a 25 per cent cut of future fees.
West Ham's bid may be dependent on selling players first to fund the transfer, but boss Gianfranco Zola hopes to welcome Chamakh to Upton Park before the weekend.
It looks increasingly likely that Chamakh will get his dream move to the Barclays Premier League, even if chances of moving to his favoured destination of Arsenal look remote.
The 25-year-old could yet opt to stay at Bordeaux for the final year of his contract and gamble on Arsene Wenger still being interested in him next summer.
The Arsenal boss was not prepared to bid much more than £5m for him now.
Bordeaux are keen on Fulham's Diomansy Kamara as a replacement for Chamakh but Valencia's Nikola Zigic has emerged as their first choice.
The 6ft 8in Serbia striker has previously interested Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Everton, Fulham.
