West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan is inviting offers for Matthew Upson.

In May, defender Upson, 30, will have a year left on his contract, and new owners Sullivan and David Gold would rather sell him then than risk losing him for nothing 12 months down the line.

Sullivan said: "If we can get a substantial sum for him then we've got to take it. It's business sense.

"He wants to have one last crack at the big time - Champions League football - and you can't begrudge him that.

"He's in his prime as a centre half, but he is probably in his last four or five years and it's not awful that he has to be sold.

"You have to bring in younger guys on lower wages, who you hope will be as good or better.

"What we have to do is hang on to the young players, hang on and wait for them to come through, and we'll have a fantastic team in five years.''