Hammers resume striker search

West Ham boss Alan Pardew has just nine days before his club’s first match back in the Premiership against Blackburn to sign a top striker after he was left frustrated by Monaco’s U-turn over their proposed sale of Emmanuel Adebayor to the Hammers.

The giant Togo forward’s move was halted after his French club made a last-minute decision not to sell the 21-year-old.

The Hammers had agreed a deal with Monaco and the player had expressed his desire to move to Upton Park.

But West Ham’s bemused managing director Paul Aldridge admitted: “We thought all parties were satisfied but we were completing the paperwork on Tuesday morning when Monaco phoned us to say they had changed their minds and that Emmanuel was no longer for sale.

“This is extremely disappointing – especially for the player who was very excited about the prospect of moving to England and playing for West Ham United.

“But unless Monaco change their decision again now, Alan will have to look elsewhere.”

Pardew has admitted that despite making eight summer signings he still needs a top striker to pair with Marlon Harewood in the Premiership following the Hammers’ promotion through the play-offs last season.

Bobby Zamora and new boys Petr Mikolanda and Yossi Benayoun are also in competition for places up front and veteran Teddy Sheringham is playing on at 39, but Pardew still feels he needs another leading goalscorer and seems to have missed out on Milan Baros at Liverpool and former Hammer Fredi Kanoute at Tottenham.

He went for 6ft 6ins Adebayor who played Champions League football for Monaco as well as the vast majority of their French league games and Aldridge revealed: “We had been watching him for a number of weeks and after seeing him play against Portsmouth, we approached Monaco regarding his availability.

“At first we were told the player was not for sale unless the fee paid was substantially over the market price.

“However, last weekend the club contacted us again saying they were now prepared to discuss the possibility of a price closer to our own valuation.

“Initial discussions went well. Alan Pardew and myself flew to Monaco on Monday and we reached an agreement on the valuation and payment structure for Emmanuel’s transfer.

“We were given permission to speak to the player and Alan had a long conversation with him which went extremely well.

“We agreed personal terms with the player and his agent, but on Tuesday when we were making arrangements for the player to travel back with us and undergo a medical we received a telephone call from Monaco saying that the club had changed their minds and that Emmanuel was no longer for sale.”

Pardew will now have to move quickly to bring in an alternative striker and clubs wanting to offload players will know he has a good deal of his summer budget still to spend.

Meanwhile, however, West Ham midfielder Luke Chadwick has joined Stoke on loan for the season. Earlier this week Hammers signed defender Clive Clarke from the Potteries club.