Source: Team_Talk
Parker poised to pen Hammers deal
West Ham manager Avram Grant has revealed that midfielder Scott Parker is close to signing a new five-year contract.[LNB] Grant has already brought in five new recruits - Thomas Hitzlsperger, Pablo Barrera, Winston Reid, Tal Ben-Haim and Frederic Piquionne - and is close to landing Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo.[LNB]But the news Parker is poised to put pen to paper on a bumper five-year deal to ward off interest from Tottenham and Liverpool has given Grant a major boost on the eve of the Premier League season.[LNB]The 29-year-old midfielder was named the Hammers' player of the year last term and was the only squad member co-chairman David Sullivan claimed he would not listen to offers for.[LNB]Parker's performances helped West Ham avoid relegation under Gianfranco Zola and earned him a call-up to Fabio Capello's provisional World Cup squad - although he failed to make the cut to South Africa.[LNB]Grant said: "As I understand it the club wants Scott to stay and have given him a long contract.[LNB]"It's good for the club and good for Scott. He's very important to this club and I hope it will be done."[LNB]The Hammers have left an open invitation for David Beckham to join them, but whether the apparent 'former' England star will be lining up in the same midfield as Parker in the future remains to be seen.[LNB]"I met David Beckham last year at the NBA finals," added Grant.[LNB]"He's a lovely guy and a very good player - one of the best characters I have seen in football.[LNB]"But now he is injured. I wish him all the best and then we will see what happens."[LNB]Grant kicks off his West Ham reign tomorrow with a trip to an Aston Villa side reeling from the departure of manager Martin O'Neill and the proposed sale of James Milner to Manchester City.[LNB]But the former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss refuted suggestions it is a good time to be playing the midlanders.[LNB]"It's the first game of the season," he said. "If it was the middle of the season, maybe, but in the first game when there's a change of coach players are always trying to impress so I think they will do their best.[LNB]"They have very good players so I expect a very difficult game for us."[LNB]One player with little chance - or should that be fat chance - of facing Villa is striker Benni McCarthy.[LNB]The South African was left out his nation's World Cup squad due to his lack of fitness and has been put on a strict weight-loss regime in a bid to shed some extra pounds.[LNB]"Benni has a problem. He needs to lose some weight to be fit - he's a very good player when fit so we are trying our best," said Grant.[LNB]"I've only been here one month. He's a nice guy, he's doing everything we tell him to do but I cannot follow the players around 24 hours a day - maybe I will in the future.[LNB]"But I don't know what any player is doing in their private life and I can't put my finger on it. I know it started a year ago, and it's a pity because he's very skilful and a very good player.[LNB]"Any player that belongs to the squad we always try to get the best out of but it is not all one way, the player also needs to do his job."[LNB]Hitzlsperger is likely to miss out on the trip to his former club after suffering a thigh injury playing for Germany in midweek.[LNB]
