Allardyce eyes ´top quality´ signing

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has targeted one more big signing as he attempts to take his team to the ‘next level’.

Allardyce has already secured Andy Carroll on a permanent deal from Liverpool, Razvan Rat from Shakhtar Donetsk, ex-Real Betis goalkeeper Adrian and teenage midfielder Danny Whitehead from Stockport County.

But Allardyce believes another ‘top quality’ player could help West Ham improve on their 10th-placed finish in the English Premier League last season.

“What I want in that one player is top quality, I want that player coming in to challenge the players already here for their place immediately,” Allardyce told the club’s website.

“I want somebody to come in and make a real difference, as we did last year when the players we brought in made a massive difference.

“That took us to the next level and led to us having a fantastic season and finishing 10th.”

Allardyce conceded his overhaul of West Ham’s squad in their one-off campaign in the Championship in the 2011/12 season was a big burden for the London club but he is thrilled to now have some stability in his playing group.

Only six players have left West Ham since last season with Carlton Cole the only regular performer in the senior team to depart and Allardyce is convinced that will help his team in his third campaign at Upton Park.

“For me, it’s two years in and fewer players will have to leave or come into the club, which is great for me,” Allardyce said.

“The last two seasons have been traumatic in change-around terms, particularly the first one when I look back on it.

“It was horrendous, with something like 28 players going out and 20 coming in during one season.

“We had to cope with that and rebuild the football team.

“At this moment in time, I’m a lot more comfortable because the players and staff know what I am looking for and how I work.

“They know what I want and it is their responsibility to drive the players forward in every department to extract even more out of them this year than they did last season.”