West Ham United have reportedly all but won the race to sign Burnley winger Maxwel Cornet.
With the Clarets being relegated from the Premier League in 2021-22, a release clause was activated in the contract of last summer's high-profile arrival at Turf Moor.
The 25-year-old became available for £17.5m, a fee which inevitably led to widespread interest in his signature.
Everton were linked at one stage without meeting the desired figure, while Nottingham Forest have also been credited as admirers in recent days.
However, according to The Athletic, West Ham are now closing in on the signing of the Ivory Coast international.
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The report claims that Cornet is due to undergo a medical on Thursday evening ahead of potentially penning a contract until 2027.
Should West Ham get a deal over the line, they would effectively be replacing left-sided player Arthur Masuaku, who has been allowed to move to Besiktas.
While Cornet is primarily a winger, he can also feature further back in left midfield and at left wing-back, where he would rival Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson.
The signing of Cornet would also likely end West Ham's interest in Filip Kostic, who had been tipped to leave Eintracht Frankfurt for East London at one stage.
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From Burnley's perspective, they are set to lose a player who contributed nine goals and one assist from 26 Premier League appearances last season.
Despite his status at the club, newly-appointed boss Vincent Kompany left Cornet out of his plans for their opening Championship fixture against Huddersfield Town last Friday.
Although Kompany has already made as many as nine first-team additions this summer, some of the money generated from Cornet's sale will now cover the signing of Manuel Benson.
Burnley announced on Thursday evening that they had brought in the playmaker from Royal Antwerp for an undisclosed fee.
Darren Plant
