Soccer

Asking price of €25 million for West Ham defender Winston Reid

‘He isn’t going anywhere’ Sam Allardyce insists

Winston Reid of West Ham could benefit a number of top teams this January. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Winston Reid of West Ham could benefit a number of top teams this January. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Fri Dec 12 2014 - 09:52

Sam Allardyce will not be letting Winston Reid leave on the cheap in January and would rather see the defender leave West Ham on a free next summer.

The 26-year-old New Zealand international's contract at Upton Park expires at the end of the season and he has reportedly attracted the attention of Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.

With Reid able to leave the club for nothing, the Hammers could have looked to cash in on the former FC Midtjylland defender and look to sign a replacement during the January transfer window.

But, as Reid continues to develop into a vital part of Allardyce’s squad which has impressed this season, Allardyce intends on holding out for a big payday as he looks to keep his best players together in the hunt for European football.

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“He isn’t going anywhere,” Allardyce insisted.

“He is not going anywhere unless someone bids €25 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.”

Eight wins in their opening 15 games has left West Ham in fourth place heading into their clash with Sunderland and Allardyce hopes that a continuation of that form could tempt Reid to stay — even if the negotiations are out of his hands.

“I just don’t pay too much attention to it now it has gone on so long,” he said of the contract talks.

“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 decison 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.”