West Ham are said to be on the verge of signing Newcastle veteran Rob Lee for a fee believed to be in the region of £500,000.

Lee has been made available by Bobby Robson after the club refused to offer him a new contract beyond next season. Lee would be available on a free transfer then, so the Magpies are looking to cash in.

West Ham boss Glenn Roeder is a keen admirer of Lee, and believes he could do a very good job for the Hammers in the middle of the park.

One other option is that Newcastle could use Lee in a player + cash deal to sign Trevor Sinclair. Newcastle are among several clubs who are targeting Sinclair after the England man was granted a transfer.