West Ham and Liverpool are in talks about the availability of winger Stewart Downing, according to the Daily Star.
The 28-year-old England international has two years remaining on his Anfield contract, but was told by manager Brendan Rodgers that he was free to leave the club back in November.
With the Hammers having already paid club-record fees for striker Andy Carroll and winger Matt Jarvis in the last two summers, it is thought Sam Allardyce sees Downing as the final piece in his attacking puzzle.
However, Liverpool will no doubt want to recoup as much as the £20million fee they paid for the winger as possible, meaning West Ham may be looking at another hefty transfer fee to get their man.
Despite struggling to hold down a regular spot in Rodger’s side last season, Downing still managed 45 first-team appearances for Liverpool, scoring five goals.
