West Ham are ready to offer Cheik Kouyate an improved deal but not until the season hits the midway point.

The former Anderlecht star has been in great form so far and is believed to want to negotiate around £40 to £45k a week.

The all action midfielder is believed to be on around £30k a week at the moment and with his contract not due to run out until 2018 is keen to receive an upgrade.

There were strong suggestions in the transfer window that Spurs were keen but ClaretandHugh was assured that the player would be going nowhere but that wage negotiations would be on the agenda later in the season.

And today we were told the club will be ready to talk to the player’s advisers one the Christmas programme has passed.

We were told: “It’s the club’s usual procedure to look at that time and if negotiations are to take place that’s when they would start.

“There was a lot of talk about Tottenham at the end of the transfer window but it didn’t happen than and it won’t – we are always ready to keep our players happy.”