West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini reportedly wants a new centre-back in January.
Last week a report from Claret and Hugh – which claims to have a top level source inside West Ham – said Pellegrini is looking to sign another central defender in January.
The Hammers site reported: “We understand too that the manager is continuing to look for players in that area of the squad along with central defenders in the January window.”
Pellegrini on the hunt for new defender – report
It comes after West Ham’s promising start to the season fizzled out to nothing more than mediocre at the quarter-way stage.
If Pellegrini is looking for a new central defender in a couple of months then Olympiakos star Pape Abou Cisse has certainly let it be known he would be interested.
According to Claret and Hugh, West Ham delegates travelled to Greece to watch the £15million rated star in action against AEK Athens at the weekend.
Hammers back in for Cisse?
But C&H claims the Hammers were left disappointed when Cisse was not involved.
The player has since revealed to lequotidien that West Ham were one of several clubs interested in him over the summer.
And it remains his dream to move to the Premier League.
“There were other English clubs (than Arsenal interested in me): West Ham, Wolverhampton,” Cisse told lequotidien.
“In France, there was Rennes, Monaco. But hey, I’m still in contract with Olympiakos.
‘Dream move’
“I dream of playing in the Premier League.”
The 6ft 2in 24-year-old is a Senegal international. And he boasts the kind of athleticism, pace and power that has made Issa Diop such a hit.
Whether penny-pinching owners David Sullivan and David Gold sanction a move remains to be seen.
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