Transfer Centre

Slaven Bilic rules out January move for Patrice Evra

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 29 December 2016

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic rubbishes suggestions that his side are interested in bringing Patrice Evra back to the Premier League in January.

Slaven Bilic has insisted that West Ham United have no interest in signing Patrice Evra from Juventus when the transfer window opens for business next week.

The Hammers boss is in the market for new recruits in January following a largely disappointing first half to the 2016-17 campaign.

Juventus full-back Evra is one of a number of players to have been linked with a switch to the London Stadium, having entered the final six months of his current contract, and reportedly told close friends that he is interested in a return to English football.

Bilic has distanced himself from making an approach for the Frenchman, however, claiming that the vast majority of transfer rumours so far have been well wide of the mark.

"We are the club that is linked with the most players in Europe!" he told reporters. "Every player that is available, it is always West Ham.

"Ninety-five per cent of that is not true, definitely not true with Evra. OK, he is a great player, but at that position we are well covered."

West Ham have also been strongly linked with former player Jermain Defoe in recent weeks, but Bilic was unwilling to comment on the speculation.