Ivorian strike star snubs West Ham as he hopes for Russian switch

West Ham's hopes of landing Ivory Coast hitman Wilfried Bony are fading after he signalled his desire to join a Russian club this month.

The 24-year-old, who netted twice in Vitesse Arnhem's recent 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven, is the Eredivisie's top scorer with 18 goals in 19 league outings.

His goalscoring exploits have alerted several English clubs, with Newcastle, Chelsea and Liverpool all linked with him in the past year.

He is keen to leave Holland and hopes he will be on his way out before the Russian transfer window closes in less than a fortnight.

He told Voetbal International: "I hope to leave this winter. My wishes have not changed. Yes, the market is not in open in Russia for much longer.

"But what can I do? I can only work and wait. I hope that one chance emerges."