ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:WEST HAM have turned down an offer of €18.8 million from Tottenham for striker Dean Ashton. The east London club have insisted Ashton is not for sale, yet Tottenham, who are preparing for life without Dimitar Berbatov, believe a bid closer to €25 million might force their hand. They are considering whether to make an improved offer or move on to other targets.
Tottenham have sold Robbie Keane to Liverpool for €25 million, and, with Berbatov itching to complete a transfer to Manchester United, the club need reinforcements. Having moved Jermain Defoe to Portsmouth in January for €11.3 million, their only other striker is Darren Bent.
Tottenham's fantasy signing is David Villa, the Valencia and Spain striker, who was the Golden Boot winner at the European Championship in June. Valencia are in a parlous financial situation and need to sell players to balance their books. They value Villa at €35 million.
He would prefer to remain in Spain and switch to Real Madrid or Barcelona, but neither club is expected to move for him. The Premier League, however, holds appeal for him, where Tottenham are his principal suitor. Juande Ramos, Tottenham's Spanish manager, is considered a trump card for them.
It would be unthinkable for West Ham supporters to see Ashton, the England international, depart for Tottenham, not only because of his talent but because it would sorely stretch Alan Curbishley. He is looking forward to pairing Ashton with Craig Bellamy, although the latter is struggling with a hamstring injury which he picked up at Ipswich Town on Monday night.
His other options extend little further than Carlton Cole and the 18-year-old Freddie Sears. West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury caught the mood when he claimed: "Hell would have to freeze over for us to sell Dean to a major rival."
It has been a difficult summer, though, for West Ham and they have been forced into denials they are seeking to cut costs by offloading players. Although they would like to get their highest earners, Lucas Neill and Freddie Ljungberg, off the wage bill, the Hammers have insisted that they have not invited offers for Anton Ferdinand.
Curbishley has so far been quiet in the transfer market. He has signed the right-sided Swiss player Valon Behrami from Lazio for €6 million - "he can play at full-back or further forward on the flank" - while he has taken goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk. Yet he has overseen the departures of striker Bobby Zamora and defender John Pantsil to Fulham for a combined €7.9 million, and that of the goalkeeper Richard Wright to Ipswich.
Zamora's comments upon his sale were damaging. He said that he had a written assurance from the West Ham board that they would offer him a new contract, only for them to accept Fulham's €6 million offer. He also reinforced the feeling that the club's owners were short of money by saying he expected further departures from the playing staff.
The club are owned by the Icelandic bank Landsbanki who have posted losses during the credit crunch.
Luiz Felipe Scolari has distanced himself from the brash arrogance which was a feature of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea and insisted he could make the club "loved" the world over as they attempt to establish themselves on a par with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid in world football's hierarchy.
The Brazilian admitted he was taken aback by his club's popularity on their pre-season tour of Asia and Russia, frenzied support which is not seen in Britain where Roman Abramovich's millions have bred resentment. But Scolari intends to change the club's philosophy by moving away from spending lavishly and will not emulate the hyperbole so often used by Mourinho during his three-year reign at Stamford Bridge.
"I am not Jose Mourinho so why should people compare me with him?" said Scolari. "Mourinho says: 'I will win 10 championships'. I don't say I will win 10 - I say I will try. I am from the south of Brazil and we are different there. We say we will try to win all the competitions we play in, but I'll never say I will definitely win this, this or that. Never. I will try. I'm more modest."
Meanwhile, Mourinho was up to his old tricks yesterday, criticising his Chelsea predecessor Claudio Ranieri after the Juventus coach said he did not need to win to feel secure, unlike the Portuguese.
"I've won a lot in my career," Mourinho sniped. "He has won a Super Cup and another little cup. Probably he needs to change mentality, but maybe he is too old to do it."
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