Newly promoted English Premiership club, Crystal Palace, are bent on securing the services of West Brom Nigerian striker Osaze Odemwingie.
Osaze is no longer a favourite at West Brom and the club is willing to sell the former Bendel Insurance of Benin striker to any interested club.
The 31-year-old has found himself down the pecking order after failing to force through a move to Queens Park Rangers on transfer deadline day in January.
Palace boss Ian Holloway is now ready to offer Odwemwingie an escape route out of West Brom as he looks to bolster his attacking options.
Holloway has already brought in Dwight Gayle from Peterborough this summer and he sees Odemwingie as an ideal foil for the young forward in a new strike partnership.
Talks are thought to be at an advanced stage between both clubs as Palace look to add to their ranks as they prepare for life back in the Premier League.
He was subsequently targeted by a large section of the club’s supporters who consistently booed him whenever he got the look in for Steve Clarke’s side.
Palace are now expected to table a bid in the region of £1.5 million (about N366 million) for Odemwingie on Thursday as West Bromwich Albion are keen to offload the Nigeria forward.
It was reported that West Brom are hoping for a fee closer to £2.5 million (about N608 million) and would prefer to sell him to a club outside England.
However, Odemwingie is believed to prefer to remain in the Premier League, with Palace representing the best chance of that happening.
Another Premier League club, Fulham is also reported to be interested in signing the player with manager, Martin Jol severally expressing his admiration for the attacker.
The London club have however not made a formal offer to West Brom.
Palace will almost certainly have to raise their bid for Odemwingie for Albion to do business, although with the transfer in everyone’s best interests, it is likely a compromise will be reached.
The 31-year-old, who has 12 months remaining on his contract at The Hawthorns, has no future with Albion.
He has been made to change in a separate dressing room to the rest of Albion’s first-team squad while his training is restricted to individual workout, away from the rest of the players.
