Kalou Begins Talks With West Ham

Salomon Kalou has begun talks with West Ham United after Lille accepted a €3.5 million offer for him, L’Equipe reports. Kalou, 27, scored 14 goals in Ligue 1 last season - but Lille are willing to let him go because they are keen to reduce their wage bill.


L’Equipe reports that West Ham’s offer was €500,000 higher than Lille’s valuation and says Kalou’s agents are in London to discuss the move. Last week, Hammers boss Sam Allardyce said he was hoping to bring Kalou in - but the former Chelsea player has already turned down approaches from West Bromwich Albion and Turkish side Trabzonspor. The Ivory Coast international is under contract until 2016 and, after an impressive debut season, may not want to risk changing clubs given the proximity of the World Cup. After losing Marouane Chamakh, Wellington Paulista and Carlton Cole - who has held talks with Saint-Etienne - Hammers co-owner David Sullivan said the east Londoners were looking to bring in more firepower.

Allardyce spent a club record £15 million on Liverpool striker Andy Carroll last month, but Mali international Modibo Maiga is currently the only other senior forward at the club. Lille boss Rene Girard could use funds raised from the sale to bring in an attacker and a defender before the close of the transfer window. This summer, the 2011 Ligue 1 champions have already sold striker Dimitri Payet to Marseille and defenders Lucas Digne and Aurelien Chedjou to Paris Saint-Germain and Galatasaray.

Source: Leadership