NOTTINGHAM Forest have accepted a ?2.5 million bid from West Ham for Colin Cooper, a 30-year-old defender who has yet to start a league game this season due to injury.
Cooper, twice capped for England, said that he was 'shell-shocked' at the prospect of a move and return to the Premier League after relegation with Forest last season and then failing to regain his place in the first team line-up.' But Cooper is believed to prefer a move to Everton who have also expressed an interest in the player. West Ham did not confirm a bid had been made but they need a replacement for Denmark's Marc Rieper, sold to Celtic for ?1.4 million last week.
Rieper's contract with West Ham would have expired at the end of the season, making him then available on a free transfer, which is why the five-week negotiation with Celtic took place.
