Cole 'set to leave West Ham for Reds after Grant rant'

Carlton Cole could be on his way to Liverpool in January after publicly criticising the tactics of West Ham manager Avram Grant.

The 27-year-old described the Hammers' performance against Liverpool earlier in the month as 'diabolical' and questioned the formation used by Grant in the 3-0 defeat at Anfield.

Liverpool now seen set to benefit from the rift, with manager Roy Hodgson confirming he had watched the England forward during the summer and could be set to make a move for Cole in the January transfer window.

Cole issued a brutally honest assessment of West Ham's performance against the Reds on November 20, admitting his team-mates were all 'deflated' at being rooted to the foot of the Premier League.

'I'm deflated. I'm not happy and I hope something can happen as soon as possible because we need to change this asap. Everyone is deflated and we feel we let ourselves down,' he declared.

Liverpool have been linked with a number of high-profile strikers in recent weeks as Hodgson prepares to bolster his squad in the new year.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.