West Ham United look to have lost out to a Russian club in their bid to bring striker Wilfried Bony to the club.
The Hammers had been linked with a £12 million effort to buy the 24-year-old Ivorian from Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem in the summer.
With the Russian transfer window ending on February 27 Bony expects to move to Eastern Europe having pleaded to leave Holland this winter having scored 18 times in the Eredivisie already.
The Dutch top flight’s leading goalscorer told Voetbal International: “I hope to leave this winter. My wishes have not changed. Yes, the market in Russia is not open for very much longer but what can I do? I can only work and wait. Work and wait and hope I get my chance.”
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is said to admire the marksman and had been considering Bony as an alternative to loan striker Andy Carroll should he not sign a permanent deal.
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