HULL City are closing in on a club record deal for Uruguay international striker Abel Hernandez.
The Tigers have switched their attention to the Palermo front man after admitting defeat in their pursuit of Blackburn's Jordan Rhodes.
Hernandez is eager for a move to the Premier League, with City believed to be close to securing the 24-year-old's services.
The signing would be a huge coup for City and follows in the wake of yesterday's capture of defender Michael Dawson from Tottenham Hotspur.
City manager Steve Bruce declined to give any names at his press conference for the Lokeren game when asked about his striking options, insisting he would keep his own council after seeing the Rhodes deal fall through after Blackburn Rovers appeared to U-turn when City thought a deal was in place.
Bruce said: "Jordan Rhodes is not going to happen. It is disappointing for everyone concerned, but even more disappointing for someone like Jordan.
"We are close to one or two things and are very close to one in particular, which would be a fantastic addition for us if we can pull it off.
Until it is rubber stamped I don't want to say any more. The deal for Jordan is dead and buried, though.
"We got an indication from Blackburn they were willing to do a deal. That obviously changed within 24 hours and that is their prerogative.
"If they had said at the start that is what they wanted to do we would have walked away, but it got protracted. We thought we were close, then it changed and he wasn't for sale."
Hernandez is understood to be the player Bruce is "very close" to securing in what would be a major capture for the Tigers.
With seven goals for Uruguay, he's featured in the London 2012 Olympics, this summer's World Cup and scored four goals in one game in the 2013 Confederations Cup.
Hernandez is believed to have agreed with Palermo they would allow him a move after he helped the club win promotion back to Serie A last season, scoring 14 goals in the process. Having turned down a switch to Benfica this week, Hernandez is holding out for a move to England.
Speaking this week he said: "My future? Maurizio Zamparini told me that after the promotion to Serie A, he would let me leave.
"Do I want to quit Palermo? It can happen, but there's nothing to say I don't want to stay. We'll see what happens."
