Hammers - Hands off Cole

West Ham insist coveted striker Carlton Cole is going nowhere in January despite renewed speculation.

West Ham insist Cole is not for sale as Man United become latest club linked with striker

West Ham insist coveted striker Carlton Cole is going nowhere in January, despite Manchester United being the latest club to be linked with the England star. Speculation on Saturday claimed that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson plans to make a £20million bid for Cole when the transfer window reopens. Misfiring Liverpool have also been linked with the striker but a spokesman for the Hammers insisted on Saturday that Cole is "not for sale". The spokesman added: "We want to keep all our best players and the suggestion that we need to sell because of a financial crisis is not true." West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola will be comforted by this assurance as he seeks to guide the Hammers away from the Premier League drop zone after a faltering start to the campaign.