Oliver Norwood has agreed to join Fulham from Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan subject to a successful medical, according to Sky Sports News.

The Northern Ireland midfielder has prioritised first-team football ahead of a long-awaited taste of the Premier League in order to sustain his international career. Norwood is expected to travel to London to undertake his medical within the next 48 hours, according to Sky Sports’ Northern Ireland reporter Paul Gilmour.

The 26 year-old central midfielder became an integral part of Brighton’s promotion-winning side last season, making 26 first-team appearances following a summer move from Reading. Norwood has been a long-term Fulham target with the Whites having been close to sealing a permanent deal to sign him last summer and Slavisa Jokanovic identified players with experience of earning promotion from the Championship after reflecting on his side’s play-off failure in the close season.

Jokanovic, who has been outspoken in the past 24 hours over the need to urgently strengthen Fulham’s squad ahead of the new season, stepped up his search for central midfielders after the departure of Lasse Vigen Christensen, who scored on his Brondby debut yesterday afternoon, last week. If Norwood passes his medical, he could well feature in the Whites’ final pre-season friendly against Wolfsburg at Craven Cottage – and he will provide competition for Kevin McDonald, Stefan Johansen and Tom Cairney, Fulham’s previously indispensable midfield trio.