The twelfth man

Sam Allardyce is still mulling over offering a contract to former Lyon defender John Mensah, according to reports.

As previously reported here on KUMB.com, Mensah - who is a free agent having been released by the French club this summer - recently spent time on trial with the Hammers at Chadwell Heath.

And although West Ham are yet to make the Ghanaian a concrete offer fresh reports suggest that the 29-year-old could yet become the manager's 12th signing of a busy summer.

Allardyce's summer spending spree began back in May when he signed goalkeeper Stephen Henderson from Portsmouth. That was followed by the arrival of Jussi Jaaskelainen and Momo Diame in June.

July saw three more players added to the roster with George McCartney, Modibo Maiga and Raphael Spiegler arriving in London. And last month James Collins, Alou Diarra, record signing Matt Jarvis and Andy Carroll took Allardyce's quota of new faces to 11.

Meanwhile is it also reported that free agents Mikael Silvestre and Anthony Vanden Borre, who have also spent time with West Ham recently, will not be offered contracts.