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Sullivan on new Slav deal

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WATFORD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31:  Manuel Lanzini, Dimitri Payet, Cheikhou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United look dejected after conceding during the Barclays Premier League match between Watford and West Ham United at Vicarage Road on October 31, 2015 in Watford, England.  (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

WATFORD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Manuel Lanzini, Dimitri Payet, Cheikhou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United look dejected after conceding during the Barclays Premier League match between Watford and West Ham United at Vicarage Road on October 31, 2015 in Watford, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Cautious David Sullivan won’t rush into offering manager Slaven Bilic a new deal butt when he does it will be for four years.

ClaretandHugh revealed in a recent story that the club could offer the manager a new deal and whilst confirming that to be the case, the chairman added: “Yes, it’s possible but it’s more likely that we would do it next January. You do get one-season wonders, after all.

‘Judge every manager over three years but I think we have got a very good one,’ Sullivan told Sportsmail. ‘He played for the club, knows what the supporters want, knows that the FA Cup is important to us. He tries to play good football.”

And he has also spoken of the club’s signing policy adding: “If Payet was 21 he would have been £30m but he is 28. Some clubs won’t sign 28-year-olds. They look for investments.

‘We are the opposite. We just want him to deliver for our club. We aren’t looking to sell him at a profit.

‘Lanzini was a gamble but the total cost of the loan deal was £4m for the season and also allows us to buy him for £10m. I love a deal when you can look at someone before you buy. That gamble has paid off. He is outstanding and he could improve.

‘Every signing is a risk. Some players, when they get to a certain level of income and life becomes comfortable, are not the player they were. Foreign players in particular.

‘So we try to put them on huge appearance money so that they are driven to play and want to play. But it depends on the individual.

‘Payet, for example, is a supreme professional and doesn’t need that. When he and Lanzini are both in the team we are very special indeed.’

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon