Luís Boa Morte is close to moving from Fulham to West Ham United after they agreed a fee of £5 million and the winger had a medical last night. West Ham, the struggling Barclays Premiership club, were also in talks to buy Matthew Upson and to sell Bobby Zamora.

Boa Morte, the Fulham captain, has agreed a three-year contract at Upton Park despite signing a five-year deal at Craven Cottage in September 2005. Fulham wanted to sign Matthew Etherington as part of the deal but West Ham want to keep the winger.

Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, has more than £20 million to spend. Many of his targets are thought to be asking for escape clauses in case the team are relegated.

Curbishley has opened talks with Upson, the Birmingham City defender. West Ham hope to pay £3.5 million, but the Coca-Cola Championship club value him closer to £5 million. Upson has 1½ years left on his contract and has refused to sign a longer deal. Curbishley has also been offered a deal to sign Fabrice Pancrate, the Paris Saint-Germain winger, should he be unable to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips from Chelsea.

Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, is willing to pay between £2 million and £3 million for Zamora. The West Ham forward, who played under Coppell at Brighton & Hove Albion five years ago, has scored five goals this season and signed a new contract until 2011 in October.

Fulham have agreed to sell Collins John to Watford for about £2.75 million, but the forward must decide if he wants to move. Fulham will learn on Wednesday whether Clint Dempsey has been awarded a work permit. They have agreed to pay £1.5 million for the New England Revolution midfield player.

Watford are set to sign Will Hoskins, the 20-year-old forward, and Lee Williamson, 24, the midfield player, from Rotherham United for a combined £1.2 million fee. Hoskins has scored 16 goals this season.

Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager, has made another move to sign Simon Davies, the Everton midfield player. Fulham offered a swap deal with Steed Malbranque in the summer, but the midfield player moved to Tottenham Hotspur.

Charlton Athletic are to re-sign Alexei Smertin, the Dynamo Moscow midfield player who was previously with them on loan from Chelsea. The deal was negotiated by Les Reed, the former head coach. Portsmouth and Chelsea are looking at Younes Kaboul, the Auxerre defender.

Benfica have threatened to make a complaint to Fifa if Portsmouth are unwilling to reach agreement on Manuel Fernandes. Benfica claim that Portsmouth agreed to pay £12 million for the midfield player, who was on loan this season, when he was fit.

Franck Ribéry will not commit his long-term future to Marseilles — opening the door to a potential move to Arsenal or Real Madrid next season. The Premiership club agreed to buy the winger for about £10 million last summer but he decided to stay in France.

Wes Brown, a defensive target for Newcastle United, has committed his immediate future to Manchester United. Newcastle are also interested in Peter Crouch, but they have received no encouragement from Liverpool or the forward.

Gareth Bale has withdrawn from Southampton’s FA Cup third-round match against Torquay United tomorrow. The left back, 17, is wanted by Tottenham. Birmingham have bid £75,000 for Stern John, the Coventry City forward.

Norwich City have made an approach for Kemal Izzet, the Colchester United midfield player. West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City are interested in Jamie Guy, the Colchester forward. West Bromwich will let Nigel Quashie, the midfield player, and Nathan Ellington, the forward, leave. Derby County have signed David Jones, the midfield player, from Manchester United for £1 million.

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