<>West Ham are rumoured to be keeping tabs on Marseille keeper Fabien Barthez.
<>The former Manchester United man's contract at the Stade Velodrome is winding down and he is rumoured to be on his way out of the South Coast club.
<P>L'OM are unwilling to match Barthez's present wage and unless he lowers his demands, they are likely to hand Cedric Carrasso the number one jersey.
<P>Should Barthez's deal run down, he would be an attractive Bosman free transfer and is rumoured to be catching admiring glances.
<P>Monaco were linked with a move recently, while Italian side Fiorentina are thought to be interested, but rumours in France state West Ham are keeping tabs on the situation.
<P>Hammers chief Alan Pardew could well be on the lookout for a new keeper in the summer, as Shaka Hislop is very much in the twilight of his career and Roy Carroll has struggled with injuries this term.
<P>Pardew is keen to bolster other areas of his squad, making a free-transfer capture of a keeper very attractive, but Barthez would have to lower his demands in order to fit in with the pay scale at Upton Park.</P>