Reports from Italy claim that Maxi Lopez is close to agreeing a loan move to Fulham.

Martin Jol had previously played down reports that Fulham had made a £10m offer for the Catania striker, insisting that the Premier League club were only interested in a loan deal for the former Barcelona forward. La Gazetta Dello Sport has gone as far as to suggest that Lopez will be a Fulham player by the weekend after agreeing a move to England.

The report suggests that Lopez will join Fulham on a six-month loan deal, with a fee of around £7.5m payable should Jol wish to sign him on a permanent basis.