West Ham sold Hayden Mullins to Portsmouth for £3million today but completed the club record signing of Savio Nsereko.

Mullins joined the Hammers for £800,000 in 2003 and his departur e means Gianfranco Zola will need to reinforce his midfield with Lee Bowyer on loan at Birmingham and both Nigel Quashie and Julien Faubert expected to leave.

However, the manager understands why the 29-year-old has left and said: “I did not want to lose him, but at this point in his career he wanted to play regularly.”

Mullins, who came on as substitute in a 2-0 FA Cup victory over Hartlepool that set up a fifth-round tie at home to Middlesbrough, said: “I enjoyed my time at West Ham but I thought maybe it was time for a change.”

Zola has sealed a deal for Brescia striker Nsereko and he could make his debut against Hull on Wednesday.

The German Under 19 international replaces Craig Bellamy, who is now at Manchester City but had been West Ham's most expensive signing when he joined from Liverpool for £7.5m in 2007.

Juventus have denied they are interested in signing Carlton Cole. Juve boss Claudio Ranieri coached the striker when both were at Chelsea but the Italian club's sporting director Alessio Secco said: “We are not interested in Carlton.”