West Ham manager Avram Grant has admitted that he is interested in Tottenham striker Robbie Keane.
The Hammers have sputtered out of the gate, losing to Aston Villa, Bolton, and Manchester United. While giving up three goals in each defeat is a major cause for concern in itself, but so is the fact that West Ham have scored only once thus far and also managed only one goal in their Carling Cup win over League Two side Oxford United last week.
With that slow start in mind, Grant is looking for an injection of firepower, and the Irish icon is on his list. The former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss said, “The club has big, big debts but he’s a player I would like to get.”
There have also been reports that Liverpool have made contact over Hammers hitman Carlton Cole, and if that interest turns into a concrete move, that could see West Ham step up their interest in Keane before the deadline.
Keane has played a total of just over 40 minutes this season, none being in Tottenham’s last three matches. However, manager Harry Redknapp seems to be keen on keeping Keane, as he hasn’t been able to find a new striker thus far this summer. Redknapp recently said, “I wouldn’t accept an offer for Robbie Keane before the window shuts, not at the moment.”
“We haven’t got anybody else. I couldn’t afford to let him go.”
Even if Redknapp zeroed in on a new striker, West Ham’s reluctance to sell to Tottenham recently could pose a stumbling block on Spurs’ end, and for West Ham’s part, they could balk if Tottenham try to use Keane as a bargaining tool for a move for midfielder Scott Parker.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
