Arsenal have struggled massively this season with injuries in defence, therefore it seems logical Arsene Wenger will look to strengthen in that area next month.

However, any hopes he had of getting West Ham ace Winston Reid on a cheap appear to have been squashed by the Hammers boss Sam Allardyce.

The New Zealand international has been a dependable league player since moving to Upton Park in 2010 from unknown Danish club Midtjylland.

Previous links with the club

The Gunners have been linked with the 26-year-old various times over the past few transfer windows, but Reid has always remained with the east London club.

And since he returned from injury he has been a first choice for the Hammers, who are enjoying their best start to a league campaign for a number of years.

It is West Ham’s success that makes Allardyce confident his star defender won’t leave the club and he has put a ridiculous price tag on his head.

Ridiculous price tag…

Daily Mirror quoted the Upton Park boss on Reid, whose contract expires this summer therefore could leave the club for nothing in six months time.

But Allardyce said:

“He ain’t going anywhere. He is not going anywhere unless someone bids £20m or something like that.

“There is obviously not a lot I can do about that [if someone does bid that money].

“If somebody flirts around with a measly offer because he is in the last year of his contract, we would make more money by keeping him and finishing where we are in the league than selling him and putting our good season in jeopardy.

“Because replacing him in January – replacing anybody in January – is a very difficult job indeed.”

Daily Mail believe Liverpool, in addition to Arsenal, are interested in the central defender.

West Ham boss wants to hear ‘yes’

They quoted Allardyce on the possibility of Reid signing a new contract as well, he added:

“I just don’t pay too much attention to it now it has gone on so long.

“I just hope that the phone call is a yes when the chairman rings me up at some stage.

“At the moment it is neither a positive nor a negative. It is neither a yes or a no from Reidy at the moment.”