West Ham have given up on a move for Fulham’s Tom Cairney who has been strongly fancied by both former boss David Moyes and new manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The club has made solid inquiries about the 27 year old midfielder who has been outstanding in the newly promoted Premier League side.

But the Cottagers are unmoved and refuse to sell their highest paid player who is on just £40k a week but on a contract until 2021.

Manuel Pellegrini is understood to have immediately approved a bid for the player on his arrival but despite making inquiries when signing Ryan Fredericks, the club were met with a flat ‘no’ from the south west London outfit.

A Hammers source revealed: “We tried but there was absolutely no movement on the issue at all – they refuse to sell the player.”

As explained via previous posts the Irons are having to hold a rapid rethink over targets as the Lanzini injury threatens to derail their summer transfer market dplans.

Out of contract Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is not an option at 35 and with Manuel Pellegrini in Chile, and assistant Rubén Cousillas in Spain global communications are currently very much the order of the day.