West Ham are eyeing a summer move for Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote, reports the Sunday People.
The £7.5m-rated defensive-minded midfielder will be subject to a bid from the Hammers under one condition – the fail to sign Alex Song on a permanent basis.
The on-loan Barcelona midfielder has expressed his interest to leave Spain at the end of the season to return to the Premier League, and the Hammers are heavily interested in extending his stay in East London.
However, Song’s wages, reported to be around £136,000-a-week, would be too hefty for West Ham to cover, and it’s unsure whether Song would be willing to take a pay cut of nearly 50%.
Song has also been linked with a move to some of England’s bigger clubs at the end of the season, including Liverpool and Manchester City, but he has always maintained his desire to live in London.
As for Tiote, Southampton are also interested in signing him, as they prepare themselves for possibly another summer of max-exodus, including Morgan Schneiderlin, who is heavily tipped to join Arsenal.
