Source: Daily_Mail
Zola pinpoints three major signings as West Ham deny exodus at Upton Park
West Ham have denied they will be forced to sell their star players - and insisted boss Gianfranco Zola is closing in on three big signings.
The Hammers were taken over by asset management company CB Holding on Monday and fears are mounting that the likes of Matthew Upson and Robert Green would be sold this summer.
But West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury is adamant the club are in a healthy position in the transfer market.
'We are a self-sufficient well-run football club and clubs or companies that are close to administration can't purchase multi-million pound players,' he told the Daily Telegraph.
'We purchased Savio, we have just exercised the option to buy Herita Ilunga, we have just extended the contracts of Gianfranco and Steve Clarke, so it's absolute nonsense.
'We have never been close to administration and as long as I am here we never will be. Gianfranco has identified three positions where he wants to bring players in who he believes will improve the squad and the first-team.
'We are close to securing those three players so the team will just improve. Ideally, hopefully one of the players we can conclude in the next couple of weeks.
'But then the manager has gone on record as saying he wants pre-season to start so he can assess his squad and then further decisions will be made.
'The three players in question - hopefully in the next few weeks we will be able to announce something - but there is still a little way to go, but talks and discussions have gone well and are ongoing.'
Duxbury also confirmed that the club will continue to bring young players through from their acclaimed academy.
'The short-term and the long-term goals are the same. We want to achieve success and it's through progression and progression of the young players,' he added.
'We have a clear vision of how we are going to achieve success. I work very closely with (director of football) Gianluca Nani and Gianfranco, and Gianfranco's ideology is to bring the young players through.
'You have seen the development on the pitch this season and Gianfranco hasn't even had a pre-season with the team yet. You will see the team improve. So the short and long-term are the same goal, achieve success.'
