West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes defender Winston Reid has probably already agreed to play somewhere else next season.
The 26-year-old New Zealand international is out of contract with the Irons in the summer, and has so far failed to agree new terms at Upton Park.
Allardyce, who takes his side to Everton in the third round of the FA Cup tonight, now feels the player has decided to further his career elsewhere, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United having been touted as possible destinations.
“(With) what other managers are telling me it doesn’t bode well. Who knows? Only Winston and his agent can decide at the end,” said Allardyce.
“But from what other people are telling me, what is going on in the world of football makes it difficult to think he is going to stay here.”
Allardyce claims West Ham have put “a million offers” to Reid over the past year, but there has been no progress.
As a free agent in the summer, the defender can, under FIFA transfer regulations, now talk to other sides – but as Allardyce was quick to stress “only foreign clubs”.
Meanwhile, Everton manager Roberto Martinez admits his side need to put in a performance tonight to silence the doubters.
His team have lost their last four matches and have just one win and a draw in nine games, a run which has seen some fans begin to question the Spaniard’s suitability.
Martinez said: “As a club we have all been disappointed by the results.
“We need to get that positiveresult which would trigger our season and a bit of momentum, which I don’t think we have had so far.”
