West Ham are ready to wrap up the permanent signing of Tomas Soucek once their survival is certain.
The Hammers play Manchester United at Old Trafford tonight knowing a draw will guarantee safety, although their superior goal difference means they are likely to stay up without collecting another point.
Staying up will trigger an obligation to buy Soucek for around £19million from Slavia Prague.
The 25-year-old Czech Republic international has impressed since joining West Ham on loan in January and has played a key role in helping the Hammers to the verge of safety.
West Ham manager David Moyes said: “Tomas was always sticking around. The only way he was not going to be sticking around is if we went down, but we always had it in our plans that he would stay here with us. He is a West Ham player, simple as that.
“The important thing for any manager is getting recruitment right. If you get your recruitment wrong, you tend to lose your job, so you need them to work for you.
“The two boys we brought into the club in January, Tomas and Jarrod Bowen [from Hull], have made a big difference to us and Tomas is beginning to blossom.
“To join a side in the Premier League and then make an impact so quickly is not easy. It takes time.
“Tomas has certainly helped us and without him, I am not sure that we’d definitely be a Premier League club, which of course we are still not guaranteed to be.”
