Brentford boss Dean Smith expects new bid for West Ham target Scott Hogan after phone call 'turned his head'

Brentford manager Dean Smith has confirmed that the Championship club are expecting an "imminent" bid for West Ham target Scott Hogan after the striker sat out the Bees' 2-1 defeat at Wigan.

Smith was expected to name the 24-year-old striker in his starting line up, but Hogan played no part at the DW Stadium as the Bees fell to a narrow loss.

West Ham have had offers of £10m, £11.5m and £12.5m for Hogan knocked back, the latest of which was lodged over a week ago, and Smith suggested after Saturday's game that the forward's future seems to lie away from Brentford.

"Scott Hogan has trained all week with us but had a tight hamstring yesterday," Smith told the club's official website. "He had a phone call last night that has turned his head as there is a bid coming imminently.

"I have spoken to him and it is not the kid’s fault: he wants to play football but he doesn’t want to risk getting injured. I fully understand that but I think if he has a tight hamstring in February he plays.

"He is being starved of playing football at the moment when he wants to play. For me the transfer window has to be looked at as you can’t have speculation preventing you picking your best team.

"All across the leagues that has been happening. I don’t know if it is player power or agent power but it is very frustrating when you want to pick your best team but can’t because of outside influences.

"Scott is a genuine lad and really wants to play. He had a whack in the back on Tuesday but came back and trained on Thursday. I understand him not wanting to risk it but getting phone calls the night before the game is not the best way to go about it."