Zaza deal is little comfort

WEST HAM are close to signing Juventus forward Simone Zaza but it did little to calm an angry Slaven Bilic last night after the club’s surprise Europa League exit. Italy striker Zaza, 25, will arrive in London today to finalise a season’s loan move with a view to what will be a club record £24million permanent deal. He has been offered wages of around £60,000 per week after tax. Despite confirming the move, Bilic was furious at losing the club’s ‘most important match of this year’ to be dumped out of Europe by Astra Giurgiu — 11th in the Romanian league — for a second season running. ‘I didn’t hide it, I said before the game this is one of the most important games for us in this year,’ said Bilic. ‘In the Premier League you can make it up. This was like a final we have to win to go through. I’m angry and frustrated, we really wanted to go through. That’s why we tried so hard last season, to get this opportunity.’ Giurgiu coach Marius Sumudica has been unable to prepare his team for two months due to a betting ban while owner Ioan Niculae is in prison for illegally financing a presidential campaign. But Giurgiu shocked West Ham at this stage last season, drawing at Upton Park and beating them in Romania, and Bilic was unable to avenge that and deliver group stage European football at the Hammers’ new London Stadium. Filipe Teixeira scored just before half-time and West Ham were booed off. Sumudica then stuck the knife in after the victory, saying: ‘I have 25 players in my squad, the total they earn combined is 130,000 euros per month. ‘For the last two months I’ve not been able to prepare this team at all. I’m not allowed anywhere near the training ground.’ He also joked: ‘I think this is one of the best days of my life, pretty much on the same level as when my children were born, because I knew they were mine.’