Rio Ferdinand could be offered a dramatic return to West Ham this summer – according to boss Sam Allardyce.
The defender, who has yet to sign a new contract at Old Trafford, could be available on a free transfer at the end of the season with the Hammers keen to lure the player back to east London.
Ferdinand, who turns 34 next month, began his career at Upton Park before making an £18million move to Leeds back in 2000 before switching to Manchester United two years later.
The Peckham-born star, whose brother Anton also played for West Ham, is already reportedly being tracked by Major League Soccer clubs Chicago Fire and Thierry Henry’s New York Red Bulls.
But a return to London for the exiled England star could hold appeal with West Ham still close to Ferdinand’s heart.
The Hammers are no strangers to launching extravagant bids having tried to sign Carlos Tevez on loan from Manchester City while in the Championship last season.
Allardyce also managed to convince Liverpool to give up their £35million signing by sending him down to London on a season-long loan after lengthy negotiations.
And while the Allardyce has ruled out an immediate move for Ferdinand, he insists a summer swoop for the defender remains a real possibility.
He said: “I think it’s highly unlikely that we would consider Rio Ferdinand at the moment.
“But if it’s at the end of the season and he hasn’t got a new contract and he is going to leave Manchester United then we would be interested if we can sustain our Premier League status. It depends entirely on Rio.
“The chairman likes to think big and it’s nice to have a chairman who thinks big.
“Everything has to be in place. If Rio wants to come back, the financial package and so on and so forth and whether they want to release him or not.
“If he wants to live back in London eventually, which is were he comes from, which is what quite a few players like to do before the end of their careers then that might be an advantage for us.”
Source: By Mirror Football
