Chamakh happy to stay put

The Moroccan international, who has netted 15 times for his country, has been linked with a move to the Premier League throughout the close-season.

His 13 goals last term helped secure a first league title in 10 years for the club, but Chamakh initially made no secret of his desire to leave the Stade Chaban Delmas.

He previously claimed to have agreed terms with Sunderland, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur, while Arsenal withdrew their interest in the striker after refusing to up their first offer of £5 million.

West Ham were the latest English club being linked with Chamakh's services, with the Hammers' boss Gianfranco Zola also linked with several high-profile forwards, including Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen, Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli and Bayern Munich talisman Luca Toni, as he bids to bolster his front-line.

However, one of the longest running transfer sagas of the summer now seems set to end with the player going nowhere, after Chamakh - who has already netted three times this season - revealed that he rejected the chance to move to Upton Park and is now fully motivated to help Bordeaux seal back-to-back league crowns.

"It was magnificent, truly enormous," he told L'Equipe after Bordeaux's 4-0 battering of Nice at the weekend.

“When I play a game, I do my maximum. I have good feelings. I am happy and I hope it will last.

“I stick to what I said in that the balance is that I will stay with Bordeaux. I rejected West Ham. Frankly, there’s no comparison.

“With games like that, victories and a solid group there is everything to make me happy. The support of the other players has given me great pleasure. Everyone insists I stay. For now, I tell you, it’s gone.”

NEWS: Blanc - Chamakh staying put

Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.