BRENTFORD are on the verge of signing Neal Maupay on loan from Everton, according to reports.
The Bees have been on the hunt for attacking reinforcements since May, with star man Ivan Toney suspended until January.
They considered a swoop for both Viktor Gyokeres and Habib Diallo earlier this summer, but neither player completed a switch to the Gtech Community Stadium.
And with the transfer deadline fast approaching, Thomas Frank and his team are now closing in on a new target.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Brentford have reached a verbal agreement to sign Everton striker Maupay on loan.
The proposed deal also includes an option to buy.
Read More on Football
Maupay is set to complete a medical in London before the transfer window slams shut tonight.
The striker spent two years with Brentford before joining Brighton in 2019.
He scored 41 goals and provided 14 assists in 95 appearances during his first spell in West London.
Maupay is expected to be the club’s short-term replacement for Toney, who is currently serving an eight-month ban for betting offences.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
Although he could eventually become Frank’s first choice striker, with Toney currently being linked with a move away.
Chelsea are understood to be considering the possibility of a move for the striker.
Brentford reportedly want £80million for the 27-year-old.
However, he recently revealed that he would be open to joining three other Premier League clubs.
Speaking to Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast, he said: “My time at Brentford has been probably the best of my career.
“The next club I go to will be the right club. I am a Liverpool fan my whole life.
“I have liked Arsenal from young, how they play and how passionate their fans are.
“But I’m a Liverpool boy, Liverpool fan at heart.
“I liked [Dimitar] Berbatov. I liked watching United a lot when Berbatov was there, too.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk