West Ham have reportedly edged closer to the signing of Borussia Dortmund's Niclas Fullkrug.
The 31-year-old helped the German side reach the Champions League final last season at Wembley, where they eventually lost out to Real Madrid.
Nevertheless, Fullkrug enjoyed a productive term on the domestic scene, netting 12 goals and providing eight assists from 31 Bundesliga matches.
The striker has spent the majority of the summer away on international duty with Germany at Euro 2024, with Die Mannschaft unable to lift the European honour on home soil.
With Kai Havertz preferred at the top end of the pitch, Fullkrug had to settle for a place on the bench, although he did manage two goals in the tournament.
According to The Mirror, West Ham are moving towards the completion of a deal for Fullkrug ahead of the end of the summer transfer window at the end of August.
The report claims that following two rejected approaches from the Hammers, an agreement is close to being in place for the transfer of the striker.
It is understood that West Ham will pay an initial fee of £23m plus £3.5m in add-ons, meaning that Julen Lopetegui's side will secure a top-class forward for relatively cheap.
Fullkrug is set to put pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Hammers' London Stadium, with the agreement also having the option for a further 12 months.
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Liverpool to offload youngster?
Moving across Premier League battlelines, Liverpool are reportedly set to offload one of their academy graduates during the summer window.
Owen Beck is the man in question, with the 21-year-old only making three first-team appearances at Anfield since breaking into senior contention.
The left-back spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Scottish Premiership side Dundee, for whom he made a total of eight appearances.
According to TEAMtalk, Beck's performances in Scotland have not been good enough to earn him a spot in Arne Slot's first-team plans during 2024-25.
It is claimed that the Reds are actively looking to offload the Wales youth international this summer, amid interest from around the British Isles.
Scottish champions and Champions League-competing Celtic are said to hold an interest in Beck, who spent a temporary spell at Bolton Wanderers in the past.
There has also been reported interest from a host of Championship clubs and League One favourites Birmingham City earlier in the window.
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Oxford bolster survival ambitions
Focusing on the Championship, Oxford United have announced a signing which could be set to seriously boost their chances of avoiding an immediate return to League One.
The newly-promoted U's confirmed the arrival of Malcolm Ebiowei on Friday afternoon, with the winger ready for the next chapter of his blossoming career.
The 20-year-old spent the 2023-24 season at Belgian Pro League strugglers RWD Molenbeek, where he only managed five appearances in the Belgian top flight.
Representing England at Under-20 level in the past, Ebiowei possesses relative international pedigree and will be raring for the challenge at Oxford.
The Crystal Palace man arrives to the Kassam Stadium on a season-long loan and joins Des Buckingham's troops as they venture into the second tier for the first time in over a decade.
Carter White
