West Ham are delaying talks with Winston Reid’s agents on a new deal after discovering the defender is looking for a “top six” wage deal.

With a year to go on his current contract,

the board have learned that the player will want around £75,000 a week to stay at the club beyond next summer.

And with other options available to them, the club is in no rush to pursue such a deal.

Were they to agree to the terms being sought it would represent a near 100 per cent pay increase.

And this morning ClaretandHugh was told: “Talks will be held in due course but they want £75k which is crazy money.”

The club are ready to play a waiting game knowing that for the Kiwi to get what he wants it would need a top six club to come in.

That hasn’t happened for a player who found it tougher to hold his place in the team after injury last term yet has been regularly linked with Arsenal and Liverpool.

Reid has a year left on his deal and may choose, anyway, to let the deal run down and leave on a Bosman next summer.