Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert is on the verge of joining West Bromwich Albion, according to The Guardian.
Lambert, 33, only resigned for his boyhood club for £4.5m last summer but struggled to make any significant contribution and looks set to leave the club for the second time.
The Baggies are looking to fend off reported competition from a host of Premier League rivals, including Spurs, but have yet to agree a fee with Liverpool, who are looking to recoup the full £4.5m they paid Southampton a year ago.
“Rickie is available,” West Brom’s Tony Pulis is quoted as saying in The Guardian. “Liverpool have made that known. We’d be interested. It’s very important that we get players who will score goals and Rickie’s got a great goalscoring record.
“From what I can gather from people at Liverpool his fitness levels are very, very good and he is desperate to play football. He didn’t play last year so it’s bringing a brand new car out of the garage if we did sign him. Just putting a bit of petrol in it and letting it run.”
The England international only made seven starts in the Premier League last season, scoring twice. Of Liverpool players to make at least 20 appearances, no one managed to achieve a lower WhoScored rating than Lambert (6.33).
For more stats on Rickie Lambert, click here to visit his WhoScored player page