West Ham United Football Club News

• Nickname:Hammers
• Founded:1895
• Manager:Sam Allardyce

• Ground:Upton Park
• Capacity:35,595

Ilunga set for Hammers deal

05 Feb 2009 - 09:12:50

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West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola is confident of keeping on-loan defender Herita Ilunga at Upton Park.

Ilunga, 26, joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from Toulouse at the beginning of the campaign and has impressed Zola in his 23 appearances to date.

The DR Congo international has been linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester City, but the Hammers are set to reward him with a four-year contract.

"We really wanted to keep Ilunga," Zola told The Sun.

"I must say he has done fantastically well."

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Robert Green has warned against expecting too much from new signing Savio Nsereko.

The teenage German forward joined the Hammers last week in a club record £9million deal from Italian side Bescia.

"I'm sure it's a bit different from Brescia," said Green.

"I'm sure he knows he's got a lot to learn, but he's very young and I think he knows he's not the finished product just yet."