Joe Cole having a medical at West Ham ahead of free transfer move from Liverpool The Merseyside club would also pay him a negotiated settlement in order to get his estimated £100,000-a-week salary off the wage bill. Harry Redknapp, who managed Cole at West Ham, was keen to bring the player to QPR, but the Londoner has instead opted to return to his boyhood club. I lost Joe who would have been my first signing. He probably looked here and thought 'Harry I love you but you're not going to stay up'," Redknapp said on Wednesday night following his team's shock 1-0 win at Chelsea. I like Joe and he would have been good for me. He's West Ham and they love him there. I thought he was coming for sure but West Ham came in today. Yossi Benayoun, meanwhile, has returned to his parent club Chelsea, the Hammers confirmed this morning. Benayoun joined West Ham on loan at the start of the season but his spell has been plagued by injuries and the midfielder has now gone back to Stamford Bridge. "West Ham United can confirm that the loan of @YossiBenayoun15 has ended and he has returned to @chelseafc," a statement on West Ham's Twitter feed read. The club would like to thank Yossi for his efforts during his second spell with the Hammers and wish him the best of luck for his future career. Benayoun made six appearances under Sam Allardyce during his second spell at Upton Park, having previously been with the club from 2005 to 2007.