Bournemouth are close to securing the Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray in a deal that could be worth £5m, with the player expected to discuss terms and undergo a medical on the final day of the transfer window.
Murray, who had joined under freedom of contract four years ago after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion, played an integral part in Palace’s elevation to the Premier League. He scored 31 goals in 2012-13, the most productive spell of his nomadic career, before rupturing his cruciate knee ligaments in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals against his former club Brighton.
The forward endured a lengthy rehabilitation and had to wait for his chance to impress in the top flight but, after a spell on loan at Reading at the start of last season, returned to Selhurst Park and scored seven times in 15 league appearances over the run-in last term. Murray, who turns 32 in September, has found himself usurped in the pecking order since by the £9m signing Connor Wickham, when fit, and, with Marouane Chamakh, Dwight Gayle and Patrick Bamford also at the club, has now been permitted to depart. Bournemouth are expected to pay an initial £3m for the player and another £2m linked to their retention of Premier League status.
Palace have spent heavily this summer and had been looking to trim their squad ahead of the deadline, with Bournemouth’s offer considered too good to turn down. Barry Bannan has departed for Sheffield Wednesday on what is, in effect, a permanent deal with Jonathan Williams also likely to leave on loan on Tuesday with a number of Championship clubs having declared an interest . Fraizer Campbell, another of Palace’s strikers, could also be on his way to Wednesday. If Palace succeed in trimming their squad, they could yet formalise their interest in the Leicester forward, Leonardo Ulloa, who would cost up to £7m.
