Hammers central defender Winston Reid desperate for an Emirates Stadium switch.
West Ham United central defender Winston Reid has informed his club that he wants a move to Premier League and London rivals Arsenal to be pushed through during January, report the Mirror, with the New Zealand international having no intention of extending his current Upton Park deal beyond its current expiry date in the summer.
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Former FC Midtjylland star Reid’s contractual situation in East London has led to him becoming one of the most sought after buys this January, with the Gunners having emerged as the club most likely to land the signing of a player who has blossomed into one of the league’s most dependable defenders under Sam Allardyce.
Despite the fact that Reid could walk away on a free transfer in the summer, the Hammers are holding out for a fee of around £8 million for any club hoping to land him this month, a fact that the report suggests has led Reid to fear that bigger clubs will be priced out of a winter move for him.
Arsenal are hoping that they can land him for a fee of £4.5m and, if the source here is accurate, informing Hammers chiefs that his intention is to leave appears to be a pressurising tactic from the centre back.
That would likely be in response to Allardyce’s increased bullishness, with the Upton Park manager resigned to losing his star defender as recently as a fortnight ago.
“There is no future for Winston Reid at West Ham United at the moment because his contract finishes,” said Allardyce to ESPN on January 5th.
“The only is that his contract finishes June 30. He hasn’t said he is going to sign and he hasn’t said he is isn’t.
“But you would you err on the side that he isn’t by the feel and the look of it at this moment in time, by the know-how in the football world I have been talking to — other managers and so forth about the situation so I would say it is highly unlikely that Winston is going to sign for us based on what people are saying to me.”
However, Allardyce’s tune changed significantly in the last 24 hours, explaining to talkSPORT that West Ham’s improved league position could convince the Kiwi stopper to stay.
“We’ve done as much as we possibly can [to keep Reid],” Allardyce told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.
“It was probably the longest [set of] negotiations I’ve ever seen with a player. Whether we can get there in the end, I’m not sure. That’s in the chairman’s hands, not mine.
“I just hope, with us doing so well this year, and us moving into the new stadium, is there a bigger or better club around than West Ham for Winston Reid? I’m not so sure there is, you know.”
Reid’s future remains shrouded in mystery.