West Ham co-owner David Sullivan insists the newly-promoted Premier League club were prepared to blow their budget "for several years" in order to snare Andy Carroll from Liverpool.
Carroll was the subject of a successful £19 million bid from the London-based club earlier this month, but the striker opted instead to stay at Anfield and fight his place in the first team.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce made public his desire to bring the striker to the club, and Sullivan says the club was willing to back his judgement, despite needing to spend "too much" for Carroll and Wolves' Matt Jarvis.