West Ham face work permit battle for £3.5m Mexico World Cup star - Exclusive

West Ham boss Avram Grant faces an anxious wait to sign Mexico World Cup wing king Pablo Barrera - with a battle to land a work permit for him.

Barrera has agreed to join Hammers from Pumas in a £3.5 million deal and will pick up a £50,000-a-week contract, the best package on offer to him despite interest from Celtic, Espanyol and Everton.

However the Hammers now face a worrying delay as Barrera applies for a permit.

He will not gain one automatically as his appearance record over the past two years is below the necessary level.

Barrera missed months with a major cruciate ligament injury, a problem which he proved is behind him with his dazzling displays in South Africa where he was often used as a sub.

The flying winger will argue that he missed many internationals because of his injury trouble but that will still leave him on the borderline.

Hammers also hope that the size of the contract they have offered him shows that he meets some of the other criteria before he is allowed into the country.

Meanwhile West Ham's bid for French striker Frederic Piquionne is on the rocks - after Lyon hiked up the price at the last minute.

Hammers chief Grant hoped to land his former Portsmouth attacker in a deal worth around £1.2 million, with the hit man due to fly in for talks but unable to come.

Lyon have now decided they want more cash, pushing his value up to over £2million, and have delayed the move to the anger of the player and West Ham.

Piquionne had been cleared to speak to West Brom after a low fee was agreed, but failed to sort out personal terms. However a change of direction at Lyon stunned the Upton Park outfit's plans.