Amoruso gives hope to West Ham

Amoruso updates reporters on his current situation

West Ham United have not yet admitted defeat in their attempt to sign Lorenzo Amoruso but are now relying on the Rangers defender to reduce significantly his wage demands.

The Premiership club had agreed a fee of £3m-plus for the 29-year-old and announced on Monday that the deal was all but dead after failing to agree personal terms with the Italian.

Amoruso himself appears resigned to remaining at Ibrox until at least the summer but insists he will continue talking to the Hammers.

But West Ham managing director Paul Aldridge believes that the move could still go ahead.

Stumbling block

He told the club's official website: "We would still hope a sensible solution could be arrived at, but we will have to wait and see."

Aldridge added that the current stumbling block is the player's wage demands, believed to be £20,000 per week.

He claimed that West Ham and Amoruso are currently "too far away" on the matter but stressed that: "It is up to the player whether a deal can be reached."

West Ham manager Harry Redknapp had said earlier: "I really believed we could do business, but our chairman doesn't want to spend that sort of money on wages and a fee until the transfer system is resolved.

Final hope

"I'm disappointed because we were keen to sign Lorenzo.

There are others interested, but most of them want to do something in June

  Lorenzo Amoruso

"I even went to Florence last week to see him, but at this moment we can't come up with the money."

The London club say that they have no plans to increase their offer.

West Ham's final hope now is that the player, who is flying out to Florida for a mid-season break with the Scottish champions, will take stock of his demands and offer a compromise.

Couple of offers

But Amoruso said no move was imminent, despite reported interest from Lazio and Fiorentina.

As he left Glasgow for Florida with the rest of the Rangers squad, Amoruso added that he expected to remain at Ibrox at least until the summer.

"My future is at Rangers and my intention is to stay here," said the Italian.

"I have a couple of offers from other clubs and of course I will consider them.

"I will go to Florida and when I come back we will see if we can sort something out. "If things change when I get back in terms of contractual negotiations then it is still possible that I will leave Ibrox.

Write lies

"There are others interested, but most of them want to do something in June."

Redknapp: seeking a defender

Amoruso was furious at weekend reports that he had declared himself too good for the SPL.

"Everybody knows the Premiership is a better league, with more big clubs," he added.

"I said I would like to test myself in a different league, but some reporters have to write lies."

The collapse of Amoruso's move to West Ham echoes his abortive switch to Sunderland in the summer, when the Italian also failed to agree personal terms after the two clubs had agreed a deal.

Redknapp, who has been looking for defensive cover since the sale of Rio Ferdinand, believed he had seen off the challenge of Lazio for Amoruso's signature.