DIAMANTI GEEZER IN ZOLA RAID; Football Spy: THE ORIGINAL GOSSIP COLUMN.. LATEST NEWS... THE BIGGEST MOVES... EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Byline: DARREN LEWIS 

GIANFRANCO ZOLA has flown out to Italy to complete a deal for Livorno striker Alessandro Diamanti.

And the West Ham boss is confident Bordeaux forward Marouane Chamakh IS also moving to Upton Park.

An interview by Chamakh at the weekend suggested there was no chance of a transfer.

But last night the Hammers were adamant that not only was a deal in place - they have agreed a pounds 7million fee with Bordeaux - but also that Chamakh is still very keen to join them.

The only stumbling block is Zola's ability to offload defender James Collins to fund the deal with Stoke and Aston Villa still front runners.

Diamanti is so highly regarded at Upton Park that he is seen as a "cross between Paolo Di Canio and Zola himself" according to an insider.

Diamanti's 17 goals helped Livorno return to the top division of Italian football last season - and the 26-year-old even drew interest from Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

Hammers misfit Julien Faubert has been offered to AC Milan in a cut-price pounds 4m deal as he prepares for another unlikely move to a European superpower.

Faubert, who joined West Ham for pounds 6m two years ago, was loaned to Real Madrid in January and is being hawked around Europe again by the cash-strapped East Enders.

CAPTION(S):

THE NEXT DI CANIO? Alessandro Diamanti