Report: West Ham close to clinching fifth signing of summer, four-year deal settled

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

Published on:

03 Jul 2016, 2:08 pm

By Alex Stevens

Ashley Fletcher is set to join West Ham on a free transfer after agreeing a four-year contract, according to a report.

It emerged on Thursday night that the Hammers were the favourites to sign the striker from Manchester United but there has been no confirmation of a deal.

The Sun claim Fletcher, 20, will now undergo a United medical ahead of penning a four-year deal.

He is set to leave Old Trafford after rejecting a contract offer from the Premier League giants and without making a senior appearance for the club.

But Fletcher spent the second half of the 2015-16 season on loan with Barnsley and scored nine goals in 27 appearances, including the first one as the Tykes secured promotion to the Championship with a 3-1 win against Millwall in the play-off final at Wembley.

United have offered the youngster a new deal but he has rejected it in favour of regular first-team football.

Fletcher will become Slaven Bilic’s fifth signing of the summer following the arrivals of Sofiane Feghouli, Toni Martinez, Havard Nordtveit and Domingos Quina.

Meanwhile, West Ham have publicly made it clear they are ready to smash their club record transfer fee this summer of £15.5million, which was spent to entice Andy Carroll from Liverpool in the summer of 2013.

Carroll is comfortably the Hammers' record signing, although the club have also spent £10million-plus fees on the likes of Payet, Enner Valencia and Angel Ogbonna.

In other West Ham transfer news, teen sensation Reece Oxford is increasingly likely to leave the club this summer.

Manchester United

West Ham United

Leeds United

Ashley Fletcher