West Ham fans can rest easy after Gianfranco Zola insisted that Julien Faubert will be the last important player to be sold.

With the club facing an uncertain financial future there had been fears of a firesale at Upton Park, with Zola being forced to sell key players.

But it seems that Matthew Upson, Rob Green, Lucas Neill and Scott Parker remain safe. At least for now; with Craig Bellamy's £14m fee having swelled the Hammers’ coffers the pressure is off.

In The Guardian Zola said the only way further players will leave is if they want to be sold. So if any of the aforementioned do leave it will be because they have jumped ship.

Having offloaded Matthew Etherington and Lee Bowyer, and the departure of other non-vital players such as Luis Boa Morte set follow, Zola is keeping his part of the bargain by trimming his squad, whether he’ll get chance to restock with his own choices remains uncertain.

Faubert fancies a move to Lyon because he believes it would enhance his prospects of a return to the France squad.

Elsewhere Marlon King has completed a loan move from Wigan to Boro, a transaction thought to be the first part of a deal which will see Mido move in the other direction. Though Gareth Southgate has insisted the two deals are not connected. Yeah, right.

The Telegraph report that Aston Villa and Liverpool are sniffing around Wigan’s Emile Heskey, but that both could be forced to wait until the summer to land the striker.

With Heskey out of contract at the end of the season he’ll be able to leave for nothing and thereby saving his next club the expense of a transfer fee, a situation that would guarantee a lot more cash in his own pocket.

That situation now seems to suit Wigan as much as Heskey. The club are resigned to losing the player and would prefer to keep him as they try to consolidate their position inside the Premier League’s top 10.

Only a ridiculous bid will change Wigan’s position. And there’s no suggestion that Man City are keen, so that’s that.

Is Portsmouth a retirement home for former Arsenal players? It started with Paul Merson, continued with Sol Campbell,Lauren, Kanuand was capped by Tony Adams.

Now The Sun report that ex-Gunner Patrick Viera is a target for Pompey as they look to replace Lassana Diarra who joined Real Madrid at start of the month.

With Everton distinctly lacking in the striking department The Mirror claim David Moyes has called Werder Bremen to ask if the could borrow their Portuguese marksman Hugo Almeida on loan until the end of the season.

Also in The Mirror reports that Luiz Felipe Scolari is looking to buy an understudy to centre-backs John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho and is targeting Fiorentina’s Manuel da Costa.