Premiership: Hammers Hutch hunt on hold

West Ham's £10m double swoop for their former star Don Hutchison and Czech Republic international defender Thomas Repka has been delayed by World Cup demands.

Sunderland are believed to have accepted West Ham manager Glenn Roeder's improved £5.1m bid for Hutchison, who left Upton Park five years ago.

Rangers chairman David Murray has admitted the Scottish giants had been priced out by the London club.

But Scotland manager Craig Brown has banned any transfer activity inside his camp until after the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Croatia on Saturday and Belgium next Wednesday.

Despite reports that Brown was allowing a West Ham doctor to oversee a medical on 30-year-old Hutchison, who is understood to have agreed terms with the club, a West Ham spokesman said: "There is no comment from us. He has certainly not signed."

Brown has banned all managers, agents and scouts from Scotland's team hotel to ensure 100 per cent concentration on the vital issue of the World Cup.

The West Ham spokesman added: "I certainly don't blame him for that."

But it looks as though the Hammers have finally got their man with Murray saying: "I believe West Ham have made an offer which is in excess of our own. Much as we admire him, and much as we would have liked him to come here perhaps West Ham believe they need him more than we do."

With Hutchison's wife and family having continued to live in London a return to the Hammers was always favourite.

West Ham were also expected to announce the signing of Repka from Fiorentina within the next 48 hours but that deal also appears to have been put on hold.

Roeder has been involved in negotiations with the Italian club for several weeks but, with the Czech Republic playing World Cup Group Three matches in Iceland on Saturday and at home to Malta next Wednesday, the West Ham spokesman added: "The position is the same here."

West Ham have lost possible signings in the past through information leaks and he added: "We are intending to play these things very close to our chests until anything definite happens."