Aston Villa and Middlesborough are the frontrunners of a host of Championship clubs who hope to secure the signature of former Crystal Palace winger Bakary Sako, as both clubs look to strengthen their depth in wide areas.
The 30-year-old winger left Crystal Palace in the summer to secure a deal elsewhere, after scoring six goals in 19 appearances, but nothing came to fruition, and after a return to Palace reportedly fell through at the end of last month, his future now looks as if it lies with one of a number of Championship suitors.
According to Teamtalk, both sides are very keen to get the deal done, but with Middlesborough missing out on the signings of Albert Adomah from Villa, and Yannick Bolasie - who ended up signing on loan with Aston Villa instead - they will perhaps be the more keen of the two sides to get the deal over the line.