Slav shows striker issues are water under bridge

Slaven Bilic has finally revealed he hopes Diafra Sakho’s future will be at West Ham.

The rumour factory has been buzzing for months that the pair had a breakdown in their relationship last season but that is now water under the bridge.

A training ground bust-up folowed by a failure to pass a medical when a £15 million move was on to West Brom appeared to sour the striker big time and he went missing in pre-season.

Now however, all is forgiven and the manager is looking to the future and the possibility of signing the Senegal hitman to a new deal.

He said: “”All I can say is that I have spoken with him. He is our player, he is under contract, he knows I rate him highly and we both know that things change very quickly in football.

“Okay, he wanted to leave then and there could have been money for us but we are not thinking now to put him in the shop window.

“No matter what he wanted to do then, we expect him to play well — to help us and to help him be in a better position next season, to perhaps stay here and sign another contract.”

That confrms the stuation as described to ClaretandHugh by David Gold yesterday (Thurs) who said: “He is 100 per cent ready to do the business for the club and hopefully will earn hmself a new deal.”