New deal in Allardyce´s sights

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says talks over an extension to his contract will begin when they are safe from relegation.

The London side are currently 12th in the Premier League table, nine points clear of the drop zone.

Co-chairman David Gold stated that negotiations would begin at the end of the season over a new deal for the manager, but Allardyce says they will happen sooner.

“That’s not true,” Allardyce said to reporters on Gold’s comments. “We’ll sit down when we’re safe. Not the end of the season, we’ll sit down when we’re safe.”

Allardyce also suggested that Financial Fair Play rules are concerning for him, and that if he is unable to bring in the type of players he wants it will be a problem for the club.

He added: “The difficulty is financial fair play, which becomes unfair in my opinion to restrict football clubs in terms of their growth.

“And if financial fair play restricts the growth of West Ham then that’s a concern for me, because you can’t then bring in the players you want to bring in.

“I don’t know, because I haven’t read the document, but if those restrictions are bearing on the quality of player that I can bring in to West Ham – and I’m looking to build a team for the Olympic Stadium, if it comes off – if those restrictions are stopping that progress then that’s a difficult thing for me as a manager, because I carry the can.

“That’s nothing to do between me and David Sullivan and David Gold, apart from what restrictions it holds for me and West Ham in terms of progress.”