Lucas Neill to Galatsaray?

Lucas Neill may follow Harry Kewell to Turkish giants Galatasaray, with reports the club is set to launch a massive bid for the West Ham defender.

Neill, who has taken the captain’s armband since joining West Ham from Blackburn, is on a bumper contract at the club worth around $170,000 a week.

But England’s Daily Mail newspaper reports the Hammers need to cut their wage bill, and could sell Neill after recruiting 17-year-old Icelandic defender Homar Orn Eyjolfsson.

The Mail suggests Galatasaray will launch a bid for Neill, but the player’s Australian agent Paddy Dominguez says Neill is unlikely to leave West Ham.

“It doesn’t make sense that a manager who brought Lucas to the club and has installed him as captain would look to sell him,” Dominguez told The Australian.

“It would be very strange. Lucas’ relationship with Alan Curbishley is good and he is relishing the role of captain.”

Meanwhile, more light has been shed on the reasons behind Kewell’s move to Galatasaray, which raised eyebrows after the attacking midfielder rejected offers from English Premier League club Portsmouth and Italian club Roma.

Kewell’s manager Bernie Mandic indicated the other clubs – also reported to include Scotland’s Celtic and Spain’s Valencia – had only offered contracts with specific injury clauses.

Kewell’s career has been dogged by injury since his switch from Leeds United to Liverpool in 2003.

“Galatasaray is the best club for him,” Mandic told News Limited. “Other clubs who were chasing him put up ridiculous health conditions.”