Zola Given £8 Million Transfer Kitty

The Evening Standard report that David Sullivan is prepared to spend up to £8million this month and has told boss Gianfranco Zola to sign two strikers and a defender before the deadline.

"I was hugely impressed with Gianfranco and Steve," Sullivan said today. "It's so great to meet a man who wants to work with us and make the team better. He has a 'can-do' attitude but with a pragmatic approach.

"We agreed we need at least one striker by the Portsmouth match and the second by the end of the window."

The Standard say that Stoke City's James Beattie is not on Zola's list of potential signings. One striker that West Ham might sign is Blackburn's Benni McCarthy. David Gold told Sky Sports today,

"I think he would be a good acquisition if that could be achieved. It's possible.

"But all strikers that are available as we speak are possible. It's a question of 'can we do business?'"