Source: Telegraph
Tottenham bid for Scott Parker rejected by West Ham
In a terse statement posted on the West Ham website, Sullivan warned potential suitors that the club would take a dim view of anyone attempting to unsettle Parker, and promised supporters that the days of selling their most prized assets were over. [LNB]Sullivan and co-chairman David Gold shared a tense relationship with Birmingham fans while owners of the Midlands club. They are keen to prove themselves to West Ham supporters, and it is clear that they intend to do so by making a stand over Parker. [LNB] Related ArticlesAvram Grant names Zeljko Petrovic his new assistantWest Ham confident over stadium dealDorrans signs new West Brom dealTyson watches West Ham friendlyMan City to bid £25m for James MilnerWest Ham sign Barrera and PiquionneThey are trying to tie the 29 year-old to a new five-year contract — he has three years remaining on his current deal — and having opened the lines of negotiation with his agent over a new package worth £75,000 a week, they are loath to see another club dangle an even shinier hook in front of the player. [LNB]Martin O'Neill was the first to receive a bloody nose when Sullivan responded to a recent Aston Villa bid with a dig about the meagre finances the manager has at his disposal. Sullivan was even more frustrated when Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy tried his luck with a bid despite being privately told where to go. [LNB]Sullivan has felt it necessary to reiterate his position, stressing that he will not let down the fans no matter how tempting the financial gain. [LNB]'I made a promise that I would not sell Scott and I will not, for any amount of money, break that promise to the West Ham supporters,' he said. [LNB]'Scott is not for sale at any price, to anyone. West Ham supporters, for far too long, have had owners that sell their best players and promise one thing and do another. This is a new era. We are building a bigger, better West Ham and when we make a promise, we honour it.' [LNB]Sullivan and Gold are downy operators who know how to make a decent buck from transfers, so such a unequivocal statement which leaves no room to strike a deal (if an offer is made that is too good to refuse) would probably be best interpreted as a sign of just how concerned Sullivan is at Spurs' emergence as one of the Premier League's power players. [LNB]After all, the promise of Champions League football under Harry Redknapp might prove rather alluring if Parker allowed himself to consider it, while O'Neill could tell Sullivan a thing or two about how hard it is to hang on to a player who has his heart set on a move to a club with financial resource to make it happen. [LNB]West Ham manager Avram Grant continued his preparations for his first season as manager by appointing former Yugoslavia international Zeljko Petrovic as his assistant on Wednesday. [LNB]'Zeljko Petrovic has a lot of experience and knowledge as a player and a coach,' said Grant, who replaced Gianfranco Zola after the Italian was fired following a dismal season spent hovering above the relegation zone. [LNB]Grant's coaching team also includes Paul Groves, Kevin Keen, goalkeeping coach David Coles and fitness coach Eamon Swift. [LNB]
