Crystal Palace are confident of completing a deal to sign the Bolton winger Lee Chung-yong, with the clubs close to agreeing a fee for the South Korea international.
Lee, an attacking midfielder who joined Bolton in 2009 for around £2m, is out of contract in the summer having made nearly 200 appearances for the Championship side.
The 26-year-old is among the highest wage earners and the club are keen to offload him in this window and are likely to accept a fee of around £1.5m plus add-ons. Despite already having Yannick Bolasie, Jason Puncheon and on-loan Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha to call on, Palace have emerged as his likely destination.
Lee was carried off in the 78th minute of South Korea’s 1-0 win over Oman at the Asian Cup last week after fracturing his leg and it had been feared he could be absent for several months having suffered a similar injury in 2011.
Neil Lennon revealed on Thursday that Lee should be back within two weeks. “He’s out, but he’s only out for a week to 10 days,” the Bolton manager said. “There’s a minuscule hairline fracture which will heal very quickly so he’ll be fit in a week or two.”
Palace remain interested in signing Bafétimbi Gomis despite Swansea valuing the France striker at £9m. They have yet to follow up their interest in Rudy Gestede after having a £3.5m bid rejected by Blackburn.
Khouma Babacar also remains an option, although Fiorentina have insisted they will not consider selling the Senegal striker, who has five Serie A goals this season, until the summer.
Palace also retain an interest in the Southampton midfielder Jack Cork, who has been told by his manager, Ronald Koeman, to make a decision in the next week. The player has entered the final six months of his contract at St Mary’s and the club will seek to sell him before the deadline if he does not intend to sign a new deal.
