West Ham United expect to complete the £400,000 signing of French striker Samassi Abou today after he flew back to London for a medical examination yesterday afternoon.

It will end a three-year trail for manager Harry Redknapp who first spotted Abou, now 24, playing for his country in the Toulon under-21 tournament.

But the front runner from Cannes is likely to have to wait for his first-team debut. Redknapp said: "Everybody knows we are short of strikers and I've been trying to bring somebody in to thicken up the squad.

"But he is coming in as a squad player first of all because even with Paul Kitson out injured, we've still got John Hartson and Iain Dowie up front."

Cannes originally put a £1 million-plus price-tag on Abou, but have finally accepted West Ham's offer.