Post by Liam O'Reilly on Aug 25, 2006 11:29:04 GMT
West Ham manager Alan Pardew has confirmed an interest in bringing Fulham's Steed Malbranque to the club.
The 26-year-old has just a year remaining on his current contract but is refusing to sign a new deal at Craven Cottage.
Those actions have seen him kept away from the first-team and made available for transfer at Fulham.
Pardew is keen to take the Frenchman off Chris Coleman's hands and has confirmed talks with The Cottagers have taken place.
The West Ham boss is hoping to add Malbranque and one other unnamed player to his squad before the transfer window closes as The Hammers look to build on their impressive start to the new season.
"Well on our part we are after one or two players, I think it's been well reported that we've had some interest in Steed but he's a Fulham player and remains so," Pardew told Sky Sports News.
"We are looking for a couple of flair players that I think the squad needs at the moment.
"We are in good shape with four points and we go to Anfield on Saturday looking forward to it but if we could get a boost of maybe a signing or two as the window shuts that would bode well for the rest of the campaign.
"We're not alone in looking at Steed I'm sure and the other player I'm interested in we're not alone either, so it makes it difficult, you just hope that what we have here and the environment we have is enough.
"Steed is not even a player of ours and I think it's unfair on Chris Coleman and Fulham to continue to talk about that."
Meanwhile, Coleman is hoping to offload Malbranque before the end of the month.
The former Lyon midfielder is currently struggling with a groin injury but the Fulham boss does not expect that to hinder any transfer.
"I hope something happens with Steed, for his sake as well as ours. There are one or two sniffs but nothing concrete," Coleman added.
"We're discussing with the surgeon about his next move. Hopefully Steed will see sense and have the surgery our medical team are advising him to have.
"We can't force him to do anything but if he does have that surgery it will keep him out for two to three weeks. That won't put a club off buying him."
The 26-year-old has just a year remaining on his current contract but is refusing to sign a new deal at Craven Cottage.
Those actions have seen him kept away from the first-team and made available for transfer at Fulham.
Pardew is keen to take the Frenchman off Chris Coleman's hands and has confirmed talks with The Cottagers have taken place.
The West Ham boss is hoping to add Malbranque and one other unnamed player to his squad before the transfer window closes as The Hammers look to build on their impressive start to the new season.
"Well on our part we are after one or two players, I think it's been well reported that we've had some interest in Steed but he's a Fulham player and remains so," Pardew told Sky Sports News.
"We are looking for a couple of flair players that I think the squad needs at the moment.
"We are in good shape with four points and we go to Anfield on Saturday looking forward to it but if we could get a boost of maybe a signing or two as the window shuts that would bode well for the rest of the campaign.
"We're not alone in looking at Steed I'm sure and the other player I'm interested in we're not alone either, so it makes it difficult, you just hope that what we have here and the environment we have is enough.
"Steed is not even a player of ours and I think it's unfair on Chris Coleman and Fulham to continue to talk about that."
Meanwhile, Coleman is hoping to offload Malbranque before the end of the month.
The former Lyon midfielder is currently struggling with a groin injury but the Fulham boss does not expect that to hinder any transfer.
"I hope something happens with Steed, for his sake as well as ours. There are one or two sniffs but nothing concrete," Coleman added.
"We're discussing with the surgeon about his next move. Hopefully Steed will see sense and have the surgery our medical team are advising him to have.
"We can't force him to do anything but if he does have that surgery it will keep him out for two to three weeks. That won't put a club off buying him."