Southampton chairman Katharina Liebherr has just issued a statement through her local press that no players are for sale this month.
And if that’s to be taken seriously it seems to bring to an end any hopes the Hammers may have had of signing Rickie Lambert.
We had been speculated as having an interest in him given the situation which has developed at the club but it seems Ms Liebherr has moved quickly to squash that.
The departure of Nicola Cortese has raised alarms bells around St Mary’s that a mass exodus of players including the England striker is about to take place.
But the new chairman said: “The Club has no plans to sell any of the squad during the January transfer window.
“The manager and the team have my full support.”
Liebherr installed herself as non-executive chairman following Cortese’s resignation as executive chairman.