Donadoni's West Ham favourite as Mancini pulls out

West Ham's technical director Gianluca Nani is thought to favour an Italian coach as Curbishley's successor and the shortlist reportedly includes Donadoni and ex-Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola.

Meanwhile, West Ham have become embroiled in an ugly row with former left-back George McCartney over his return to Sunderland and the part the transfer played in Curbishley's resignation.

Curbishley quit because he felt he had been undermined by McCartney's deadline-day switch back to the North East after, the the former manager claimed, he had been told no more players would be sold.

The club then issued a statement saying the defender had been allowed to leave because he put in a transfer request which said his wife was homesick and wanted to go back to Sunderland.

But McCartney has now insisted he did no such thing and blasted the Hammers board for making him the "scapegoat" for Curbishley's resignation.

Speaking from Bratislava, where he is preparing for Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, he said: "I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request. I never did anything of the sort. Probably the board at West Ham are trying to cover their tracks."

Chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and the board hit back today, claiming they have evidence that proves McCartney wanted to leave once he became aware of Sunderland's interest.