Gianfranco Zola wants to make West Ham so attractive that a billionaire will dig deep into his pockets and put the club on a firm financial footing.

He wants to start the process of luring a big-money benefactor by beating Arsenal in the London derby at Upton Park on Sunday afternoon to spark a climb up the Premier League table.

He said: "I would love to see more tranquility around this club. We dealt very well with the problems last year because we focused on the pitch and made things much easier for everybody.

"If you make things happen on the football pitch then everything becomes easier. If we play like we can maybe a billionaire can come and buy us, anything can happen. It is all about playing football well and getting points."

Zola makes it sound simple but it has been anything but for his West Ham team, who have not won a league match since beating Wolves on the opening day of the season.

To make matters worse the Hammers are in financial meltdown. Their future remains uncertain as Straumur, the stricken Icelandic bank which owns them, strives desperately to find new investment.

The asking price is £100million. Debts are reported at anywhere between £40-50million. If a new owner is not found soon almost certainly Zola will have to raise cash by selling more top stars to go along with the 10 senior professionals who have been sold since June 2008.

The little Italian, however, is not fazed by his first traumatic time in management.

True, he admits to a few sleepless nights and he insists he will not be changing his philosophy of attacking, fluent football at all cost. But if he is frantically paddling beneath the water line then it does not show as he wears an almost permanent grin.

He says: "There are clubs in the league which have much bigger debts than us. As far as I know the owners of the club believe in what we are doing.

"We want to keep the best players and I know exactly what I have to do and I'm doing my best."

There will have to be a vast improvement if Zola's fortunes are going to change against an Arsenal side who are unbeaten in eight matches and who play football in the attacking fashion to which Zola aspires.

Scott Parker is likely to return for the Hammers after serving a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards and defender Danny Gabbidon is pushing to start after recovering from a calf problem.

Zola, meanwhile, is quick to admit his admiration for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. He confesses to studying the Arsenal way and attempting to educate his West Ham youngsters in the same fluid passing style.

The former Chelsea midfielder is sure the current crisis can only make him a more rounded football manager.

He said: "I don't give up. As a manager I know I will get better if I work on this situation and I am determined to change it. I can deal with the frustration.

"There's no doubt it has been a challenge for me. I am in situations I have never faced in my life and that I don't like very much. But it is a test and, trust me, the determination is there to succeed.

"I wouldn't change anything for myself. I just need to be stronger in certain situations and I will be."