Big Sam in for Le Sulk?

West Ham are being linked with a move for former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka.

According to the Abu Dhabi-based Sports 360 website, Sam Allardyce is weighing up a move for the player he took to Bolton back in 2006.

Now 33, Anelka - once dubbed 'Le Sulk' - has been playing for Shanghai Shenhua in China but is understood to be keen on a return to Europe just five months after moving to the Chinese Super League club, despite having recently joined the coaching staff.

And Allardyce - who has been linked with a string of 30-plus veterans since restoring West Ham to the Premier League last month - is said to be keen to bring the former French international to England for a second time.

In other transfer news (or more accurately, speculative paper talk) West Ham were rumoured to have had a second bid for Norwich striker Grant Holt rejected.

Having seen a £3million offer apparently snubbed last week United are said to have returned with a second offer of around £4million this weekend.

However that too was reported to have been knocked back by the Canaries, who are resigned to losing the 31-year-old forward after he declared his intention to leave the club last week.

But putting an even larger spanner in the works of any potential deal was a Tweet from Norwich chief executive David McNally who said: "for the record, we have not received a £4m bid for Grant from West Ham as apparently is being suggested".