Striker set for Albion switch

Former West Ham transfer target Craig Mickail-Smith is set to join Championship new-boys Brighton & Hove Albion.

Mackail-Smith - whose position West Ham had been tracking for several weeks - is said to have turned down an offer from Leicester in order to sign for the Seagulls, who were promoted from League One last season.

Although a number of sources claimed that West Ham had made a concrete bid for the 27-year-old - including Posh chairman Barry Fry, a close friend of West Ham chairman David Sullivan - KUMB understands that United's interest was never more than tentative with Sam Allardyce though to be looking at other, more fitting targets.

We revealed on Saturday that in addition to West Ham and Leicester a third, un-named club had entered the race to sign Mickail-Smith.

Brighton, who are currently managed by Gus Poyet, are thought to have paid around £3.5million for the striker, who has spent all of his career bar one season in the third tier of Enlish football or lower.