WANDERERS may have to wait another month before signing Reece Burke or Josh Cullen on loan.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has told Phil Parkinson he wants to take the highly-rated youngsters on the Hammers’ tour of Austria and Germany as cover.

Burke and Cullen both flew out to Vienna at the start of the week for an 11-day training camp in Bad Waltersdorf, which will be followed by another camp in Germany at the end of the month.

It is understood Bilic wants the pair to stay with the first team group for at least the first leg of the European tour.

Parkinson had wanted Burke and Cullen – who both worked with him at Bradford City – to go on tour to Scotland to help gel with their prospective new team-mates.

Wanderers are still first in line to take them on loan despite reports Championship rivals QPR had entered the race for midfielder Cullen this week.

Centre-back Burke told West Ham’s website he was keen to show Bilic what he could do after spending last season on loan at Wigan Athletic.

“I’m buzzing to be here, I was going to go on loan, but that has been put on hold as the manager has told me he wants me to do pre-season here with the first team, so it’s a good opportunity for me to get back in with the lads, as I’ve been away for a while now,” he said.

“I spoke with the gaffer and he wants me to stay here, so it’s a good opportunity for me to work hard and show him what I’ve got, because obviously I haven’t seen him for a while.

“I need to stay fit and have a good pre-season here, that’s my target.

“My ambition is to play in the Premier League and to do that you have to go on loan and get experience and, if I have to do that to develop, that’s what I’ll do.”

n Arbroath v Wanderers match report: Pages 38/39