West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has hinted rival British football clubs might have broken transfer rules by "tapping" Winston Reid.



The future of the 26-year-old All White skipper continues to grab major headlines in Britain with his West Ham contract expiring at the end of the season.

With less than six months on his contract to run, transfer rules allow Reid's handlers to speak only with "foreign clubs".

Yet Reid, one of the best performed defenders in the English Premier League this season, continues to be linked to English giants Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham.

"Tapping" is a practice of trying to persuade a player contracted to one team to transfer to another team, without the knowledge or permission of the player's current club.

"He's only allowed to speak to foreign clubs. But can we prove it?" the BBC reported Allardyce saying when the topic was raised at a media conference before West Ham's FA Cup clash with Everton.



"We have had them [regulations] for a long, long time. If you can prove that they [clubs] have broken the rules, then they are in serious trouble aren't they? But you can't prove it these days. You hear rumours, this, that and the other.

"It might have nothing to do with the two clubs directly, it could be between two agents, so how can you relate that [back] to the football clubs? You can't, so it can all get done that way."

Allardyce added: "If he is not going to sign a contract [here], I [would] find it highly unlikely if it is not already verbally done."

"Are other managers getting calls from his agent? You said that, not me," the BBC reported Allardyce saying.

"You have to accept the way it is and contrary to whether it breaks the rules or it doesn't, it happens.

"You are not going to prove it anyway. It is just one of the ways the football world works."

Allardyce appears resigned to losing Reid after the club made him "a million offers" over the last year to extend his contract.

"I just feel it's gone on so long and with what other managers are telling me it doesn't bode well," Allardyce said.

"I think he thinks he can do better. He thinks he can find a bigger club than we are. He thinks he can financially benefit more than what we've offered. That's what's in his mind whether that's the opportunity or not."

But the manager had no complaints about Reid's attitude and would continue to pick him. He also saw little point in trying to make some money on Reid in the January transfer window. Logic suggested he was worth more to the club over the back of the season as they try to push for a place in the top four and a position in Europe's major competitions next season.

"Why cut your nose off to spite your face? It doesn't look like he is playing with his mind somewhere else to me.

"You have to balance it out - what is it £1.8 million [NZ$3.5m] a place this year? And whatever money we get won't be enough to replace him in January."