West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is maintaining hope that Lucas Neill may remain at the club this season. The Australian international has been linked with a move to Turkish club Galatasaray for much of the off-season after his contract with the Hammers expired at the end of last season.

Zola revealed that there are ongoing negotiations between the club and Neill and that a deal is still a possibility.

"Lucas Neill is talking with the club," Zola confirmed to Sky Sports News.

"We need obviously to have some negotiations, but I am hoping that he is going to join us as soon as possible.

"I know his name has been linked to other clubs. Last time I spoke to the player, he told me that if anything could happen he would call me first. So far, he has not called me, so I assume he is not yet going anywhere.

"He was an important player last year, and our aim this year is to work to improve how we did last season and we hope that he will make his decision."