Irons welcome Sunderland interest in Downing

West Ham are resigned to losing Stewart Downing this summer and are happy that Sunderland may be ready to join the scrap to grab the midfielder.

Middlesbrough remain in pole position to sign to the 30-year-old, but Black Cats boss, Dick Advocaat, has indicated he is ready to join the chase – and that is great news for the Irons.

The Tynesiders were the first club to display an interest in Downing earlier this summer, and the 67-year-old Black Cats boss said this morning: “We still hope that we can get three extra players in the squad. That makes everything a little bit easier.”

Members of the Hammers board are close to Sunderland owner, Ellis Short. And they are acutely aware of the value a player like Downing will have to a club that only escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth.

It suits the Hammers cause to have a tug of war developing between Short and his Middlesbrough counterpart Steve Gibson.

A well-placed Hammers source said: “The figures being mentioned by the media in relation to a bid from Boro are wrong. We certainly haven’t been offered £6 million.

“It helps to have a second club involved because that pushes the price up. This one has a way to run but it looks more likely Stewart will leave than stay.”