Norwich have agreed a fee with West Ham to pave the way for Dean Ashton's £7.25million transfer to Upton Park.

The England Under-21 striker is expected to agree terms with the Hammers and complete the switch in the next 24 hours after the Canaries revealed a fee had been agreed.

West Ham will pay £7million plus a conditional £250,000 while a 15 per cent sell-on clause has also been negotiated. Ashton will meet the Hammers to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical today.

Norwich chief executive Neil Doncaster revealed a bid was received on Saturday and accepted following a meeting between the board and manager Nigel Worthington following the defeat by Watford.

Ashton's former club Crewe will receive £1.5million up front due to a sell-on clause included when they sold him to Norwich for £3million a year ago.

Ashton revealed the chance to return to the Premiership was "too good to turn down".

He told the club's website, canaries.co.uk: "I have had a great year at Norwich and would like to sincerely thank the fans and everyone I have worked with at Carrow Road. West Ham are a big club, I am ambitious and at the end of the day the chance of a swift step up to the Premiership is too good to turn down.

"I spoke to Nigel and the board and told them I wanted to pursue this opportunity. I'd like to thank Norwich for understanding that and allowing myself and my representative to talk to West Ham."

Worthington also believes the deal is in the best interests of all parties.

"We're always committed to trying to keep our best players at the club, but the size of today's bid coupled with Dean's desire to make the move happen meant that after talking it through with the board and the lad himself, we've decided to accept this offer.

"If the move goes through, I'd like to place on record my thanks to Dean for his contribution and his professionalism during his time at Norwich and wish him all the very best in his future career."

Doncaster, who along with Worthington has been forced to fend off constant speculation about Ashton's future, said: "On Saturday we received a bid worth a total of £7.25million from West Ham, plus a sell-on.

"That's by far the largest bid we have received and a club record by some distance, and after full consultation with the manager, the board and the player himself, it was decided it was in the best long-term interests of the club to accept this offer."