Ricardo Vaz Te set to join West Ham

Barnsley forward Ricardo Vaz Te is poised for a move to npower Championship rivals West Ham.

Vaz Te, who was signed on a free transfer from Hibernian in the summer, has been a revelation at Oakwell this season, scoring 12 goals in 24 appearances from a wide position.

The Lisbon-born forward penned a one-year deal with the Tykes and was reported to have rejected a new deal earlier this month.

His form and contractual situation has attracted the attention of Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, who brought the 25-year-old to England in 2003 while at Bolton, and Barnsley confirmed this morning that they have given the two parties permission to discuss a deal after an undisclosed fee was agreed.

Allardyce hinted at a deal for a forward yesterday, saying: "Hopefully we'll secure one player to add to the squad. If I can bring someone in on the front line then great."

PA