Fulham will launch a £3million move to to sign Emile Heskey from Aston Villa in January, according to the Daily Express.
Roy Hodgson is ready to offer the England international a route out of Villa Park, where he has started only three games since his £3.5m January switch from Wigan. The Whites are ready to make room for Heskey by sacrificing Bobby Zamora, who has followed up his two league goals last season with just one this term. Zamora, who was close to joining Hull in the summer, is interesting West Brom and the Championship promotion contenders are willing to stump up £2m for his services in the new year.
Heskey, who won his 57th international cap in the defeat by Ukraine on Saturday, is set to play again in England’s final World Cup qualifier against Belarus at Wembley tomorrow. He insisted at the weekend he would have showdown talks with Villa boss Martin O’Neill over his situation, because he knows if he is not getting regular games at club level his place in Fabio Capello’s World Cup plans could be in jeopardy.
Heskey hinted that he may have to look for a move away from Villa in January if things do not improve – and it is Fulham who will be first in the queue. Hodgson has backed Zamora for more than a year even though he has struggled to find the net. With Andy Johnson sidelined by a shoulder injury, Fulham’s profitable partnership is no more. Heskey is seen as a significant upgrade and could be tempted to Craven Cottage by the prospect of European football.
