Prospective West Ham United owners Intermarket want to boost manager Gianfranco Zola's squad this month.

The American-led Intermarket group yesterday lodged their official bid with Rothschild - the bankers instructed by the Premier League club's owners CB Holding to find buyers, says The Sun.

If Intermarket win the bidding war, they have promised boss Gianfranco Zola cash to spend in the transfer window this month - and have pledged that NONE of the current squad will leave.

Intermarket's bid is understood to be the highest and there is no doubt West Ham's owners would like to get a Dutch auction going to push the price as high as possible.