West Ham Struck Major Blow In Pursuit of Two Summer Targets

West Ham United's hopes of bringing Inter Milan midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic to East London have been all but ended after his agent confirmed his client will remain at the Nerazzurri for the 2013/14 campaign.

The Hammers have shown their ambition after their comfortable mid table finish last season by concluding deals for former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll and Romanian national team captain Razvan Rat.

Sam Allardyce had been hoping to add Serbian midfielder Kuzmanovic to his ranks, expressing his admiration for the former Fiorentina midfielder last week. After a successful four year spell in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart, the Serb returned to Serie A during the January transfer window but had reportedly failed to impress the Inter hierarchy, completing a full 90 minutes in just four of ten starting appearances for the club.

Despite suggestions that West Ham are ready with an offer of £5m, Kuzmanovic will remain at the San Siro, his agent Marko Naletilic has confirmed.

"The future of Kuzmanovic is simple," Naletilic told FC Inter News. "He will be staying with Inter and that is for certain."

The Hammers will not dwell on this setback however, with reports suggesting the club are already pursuing another target, albeit one in a different position. The Mail report that Allardyce is hoping to pull off a deal for Sporting Gijon attacking midfielder Oscar Trejo, if he can fend off interest from clubs across the continent.

The 25-year-old has also garnered the interest of Toulouse and Olympiakos, but West Ham are hopeful their bid of £1.8m will be enough to convince Sporting, who finished 10<sup>th in Spain's Segunda division last season, to part with the Argentine.

The reported move for Trejo may be a result of the club's failed efforts to bring Estudiantes forward Duvan Zapata to the east end. Allardyce had been hoping to wrap up a £8m deal for the 22-year-old to partner Andy Carroll up front, but the forward's failure to secure a work permit has given West Ham no choice but to pull out of the deal.