JONATHAN REDHEAD Norwich City have again been linked with prolific AFC Bournemouth striker James Hayter in the wake of the injury blow to top scorer Robert Earnshaw. Sources close to the South coast club claim that although no bid has yet been received by the Cherries, Canaries boss Peter Grant will make one “imminently”.

JONATHAN REDHEAD

Norwich City have again been linked with prolific AFC Bournemouth striker James Hayter in the wake of the injury blow to top scorer Robert Earnshaw.

Sources close to the South coast club claim that although no bid has yet been received by the Cherries, Canaries boss Peter Grant will make one “imminently”.

Grant knows Hayter well from his time as a coach at the Dean Court club and has been linked with the 26-year-old throughout the January transfer window.

Bournemouth boss Kevin Bond has always insisted there has been no bid for Hayter, who has bagged seven goals this season despite playing in a variety of positions for the struggling side.

Hayter has always maintained he is happy with the Cherries, but with the club in a poor financial position, a bid of around £500,000 is believed to be enough to bring him to Norfolk, although Southend and Premiership strugglers Wigan are reported to be interested too.

There had been talk that Hayter, who has played nearly 400 times for the Cherries, bagging 102 goals, would move to Carrow Road with veteran defender Craig Fleming moving the other way.

Yesterday Fleming signed a one month loan deal with City's Championship rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, but City are still believed to be interested in securing the services of Hayter, who joined Bournemouth as a 17-year-old old trainee more than a decade ago.

“There's not been any bid, but Grant is expected to make one imminently,” the source claimed.

Although not his most prolific season, Hayter still holds the record for the fastest ever league hat-trick. Coming on as a sub against Wrexham in February 2004, the striker bagged three goals in two minutes 20 seconds in a 6-0 win against the 10-men Welshmen.

Grant may well be in the hunt for a new front man given Earnshaw's untimely injury and the fact he has scored almost half of City's league goals this season.