West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has placed a ridiculous £20 million price-tag on Winston Reid, whose current contract at Upton Park is set to expire at the end of the season.
The New Zealand, 26, has been in stellar form for the top-four contenders this season. As a result, the 26-year-old Reid is attracting interest from a several big English Premier League clubs, including both Arsenal and Liverpool.
However, Allardyce has insisted the club will not sell Reid for the sake of recovering a minimal fee.
“He isn’t going anywhere,” Allardyce said. “He is not going anywhere unless someone bids £20 million or something like that. There is obviously not a lot I can do about that.
“If somebody flirts around with a measly offer because he is in the last year of his contract, we would make more money by keeping him and finishing where we are in the league than selling him and putting our good season in jeopardy. Because replacing him in January – replacing anybody in January – is a very difficult job indeed.”
Regarding the ongoing speculation linking Reid with Arsenal and Liverpool, Allardyce added: “I just don’t pay too much attention to it now it has gone on so long. I just hope that the phone call is a yes when the chairman rings me up at some stage. At the moment it is neither a positive nor a negative. It is neither a yes or a no from Reidy at the moment.
“In the end, I just hope he decides what is happening this season here and what is happening with us now has a telling factor on the decision that he makes in the end and it is not just money.
“After a difficult start after an injury and a difficult back end to last season, has started to show some reasonably good form – and that is why I say reasonably good – we have only got three clean sheets, so they do get a bit of stick from me.”
Pellegrini hopes Lampard extends loan
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is hopeful the club will extend Frank Lampard’s current loan deal at the Etihad Stadium.
Lampard, who joined New York City FC in the summer, is on loan at City until the New Year, when he is expected to join the MLS newcomers.
That said, Lampard’s purple patch of sorts has raised the possibility of the 36-year-old extending his loan stay in Manchester, and understandably so.
Regarding such reports, Pellegrini said: “Before December finishes we will have a decision but, as I repeat, I think Frank is a very important player for us and I hope we will not have any problems for him to stay here.
“But I cannot say just from one side what will happen with him. “He has a loan just until the end of December and there is another club involved.
“The MLS is involved also. There are a lot of parties with an arrangement. It’s not just depending on one opinion.
“But I hope we can have a decision as soon as possible because it’s important for us and the players.
“He couldn’t start in the US until January or February, so prefers to stay here until December. If he can finish the year here, better – but I think that the MLS is a very important league also and I think that Frank Lampard will be very happy in the United States.”
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
