West Ham United close to Islam Slimani deal?

West Ham United are reportedly closing in on a £16m deal for Leicester City striker Islam Slimani.

The 29-year-old moved to the King Power for a club-record £28m in the summer of 2016 following the Foxes' historic Premier League title triumph but has failed to nail down a regular starting spot and this season has made just two starts in the Premier League.

Leicester manager Claude Puel has sanctioned the player's exit this month, with the club conceding that they will have to take a substantial loss in order to get the Algeria international off the payroll.

According to The Sun, the Hammers are in pole position to get the deal done as the hours tick down on the January transfer window and have agreed a fee of around £16m - the same amount they paid to bring in Javier Hernandez last summer.

Newcastle United have also been heavily linked with a move for Slimani in recent weeks.