• Premier League

Allardyce: No Arsenal bid for Diame

ESPN staff
January 24, 2013
Mo Diame was at Wigan for three years before moving to West Ham © Getty Images
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Sam Allardyce has reiterated his belief that Mohamed Diame will still be a West Ham player come February because suitors Arsenal and Newcastle have not made offers for the 25-year-old.

Diame has been linked with a move away from Upton Park in January, despite only arriving in the summer, because of a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for £3.5 million.

Arsene Wenger is reportedly interested in securing the defensive midfielder's services as he looks to bring more dynamism to the Gunners' midfield.

But the Hammers boss has already said he does not see where Diame would fit in at Emirates Stadium and added that transfer speculation surrounding his players was trying his patience.

"It's the worst month of the year for every manager," Allardyce said. "Not only is there speculation about what players are coming in but speculation about your players going out, and the disruption that causes.

"At the moment we have had no bids from the type of clubs that have been speculated in the papers bidding for Mo Diame.

"Not an Arsenal, not whoever else, not Newcastle, not none of them. So he's our player at the minute and hopefully [after] Thursday he will still be our player."

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