Grant gets Hammered

Avram Grant last night agreed to take over as West Ham boss.

The former Chelsea manager will be installed at Upton Park on a three-year deal.

Israeli Grant led Portsmouth to the FA Cup on a shoestring budget and that is the reason he has appealed to West Ham co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan as the Hammers are heavily in debt.

Grant will have to rebuild West Ham on a budget and two wide players are top of his hit-list.

Grant is also interested in raiding Portsmouth for David James and midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng while he also wants Jamie O’Hara from Tottenham.

Gold and Sullivan have already publicly said the entire West Ham squad is up for sale - apart from England midfielder Scott Parker.

That means Grant could lose players like Matt Upson who has one year left on his current deal and has been told if he does not sign a deal then he can go this summer.

England keeper Rob Green is likely to go with a foreign club his most likely destination as there has been little interest from the Premier League clubs. Carlton Cole is also a target for Liverpool and Birmingham.

It leaves Grant having to pick up the pieces after Gianfranco Zola’s unhappy reign at Upton Park.

But West Ham believe Grant is the right man for the job as he did a similar fire fighting job at Portsmouth while leading them to the FA Cup final.

And less than 48 hours after Wembley was given the green light by Portsmouth to take charge at West Ham.

Grant wants to use a 4-3-3 system with one main striker and two wide players in an attempt to be more attacking next season.