Former West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is allegedly attempting to lure Hammer Joey O’Brien (JOB) to Sunderland reports the Daily Mail on transfer deadline day. The 29 year old Irish man’s contract runs out in the summer with little prospect of being renewed.

Reports suggest West Ham have rebuffed Allardyce’s advances for JOB with Carl Jenkinson out for the rest of the season and James Tomkins injured after suffering a nasty head clash which required thirteen stitches.

Sam Byram is available to fill in the right back on Tuesday nigh against Villa but after O’Brien’s solid performance at Anfield over the weekend Bilic might favor experience over youth.

Whether this is all media talk on transfer deadline day to oil the wheels of the Sky News Sports machine remains to be seen.

Joey O’Brien said he was open to January exit before the weekend:

“I need to go and play games,” Joey O’Brien has told London24 Sport.“The Euros are in the summer. I need to be playing games to try and get into the next squad for the friendlies. Then we can see what happens from there but I need to be playing. Ireland hasn’t been to many major championships, so this is a big deal. I will have to see what the manager thinks. If he sits me down and says he wants me to go out on loan then I will look at that. It is down to the manager, if he wants me to hang around here then that’s what I will do. But if he wants me to go out on loan, then I will look at that.”