Source: PA
Remy still on West Ham radar
West Ham may have missed out on Graham Dorrans and Joe Cole but they remain in the hunt for Nice striker Loic Remy.
The east London club are also close to finalising a deal with Israeli defender Tal Ben-Haim.
Boss Avram Grant has been quick to strengthen a group which only narrowly escaped relegation last season, bringing in Frederic Piquionne, who he had worked with at former club Portsmouth, and Mexico winger Pablo Barrera as well as ex-Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger.
However, long-term target Dorrans will remain at West Brom after the Scotland midfielder agreed a new four-year deal while Cole, who came through the youth ranks at Upton Park, has moved on a Bosman free transfer to Liverpool despite the Hammers having offered lucrative terms to their former trainee.
A deal for Remy, however, may also prove testing to conclude. Liverpool remain very much in contention as Nice hold out for a substantial cash offer with the Hammers looking to pay off the £12million transfer fee in instalments.
"For the moment it's the same status quo but if Liverpool make an offer things will be done swiftly," Nice president Gilbert Stellardo told L'Equipe. "The amount (offered by West Ham) suits me but not the payment method. West Ham want to buy Loic because they think he could rapidly be worth 10million euros more if he plays in England. They don't want us to pay the full sum all at once."
