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West Ham confirm Ruud offer

Ruud van Nistelrooy is a striker in demand © Getty Images

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Transfer blog

New West Ham owner David Sullivan told Soccernet on Friday morning the Hammers have offered "far more money" than Tottenham in their attempt to sign Ruud van Nistelrooy from Real Madrid, but feels they may lose out on his signature to a foreign club.

Sullivan revealed on Thursday he had offered £100,000 a week to a mystery striker but it can now be confirmed that the man in question is Van Nistelrooy, 33, who has played only two games for the Spanish giants this season.

Reports in Spain claim Van Nistelrooy, who scored 95 goals in 150 league games for Manchester United, has agreed to join German side Hamburg but Sullivan remains hopeful of luring him back to the Premier League, having already blown Spurs out of the water with a lucrative offer.

"We know Spurs wanted him but we have offered far more money," Sullivan told Soccernet. "You could say it doesn't make sense because I have been critical of others who have overspent at this club, but that is missing the point.

"There has to be different wages for different players, and if we have identified one special player, and strikers are special, we have to pay the going rate to get him.

"And even offering as much as we have done, we are still competing with one foreign club. It's now down to us and a foreign club, and I believe we shall know in the next 72 hours, but they have a big advantage.

"We are lumbered with a 50% tax rate, the pound is weak against the euro, so it doesn't make it particularly attractive for a foreign player. But Van Nistelrooy wants to come back to the Premier League so we do have a fighting chance, and we are waiting to hear. But we also have a fallback position or two, because we have identified the need for at least one striker."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.