Mohamed Diame is set to undergo a medical with Newcastle United having rejected Hull City's offer of a three-year contract extension.
According toSky Sports,Diame is nowpoised to drop down a division to the Championship after Newcastle agreed to meet the £4.5m release clause in the Senegalese midfielder's currentcontract.
BREAKING: Sky Sources: @HullCity offer Mohamed Diame new three-year contract. #SSNHQ
Hull were hoping to keep old of Diame, who formed a key figure within the newly promoted side and scoredthe winning goal in last season's Championship play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday that saw them gain promotion to the Premier League.
It has proved to be a difficult summer for the Yorkshire club since that promotion and theyare still managerless after Steve Bruce resigned last month over concerns around investment in the squad.
Diame, who is now set to follow the manager out of the exit door, expressed his disappointment at the time of Bruce's departure, "To be honest I'm very sad," admitted the midfielder.
"I spent the last two years with him and he was an important manager for me here.I'm sad to see him go but this is football - we're all going to leave but the club stays here. We started pre-season in a difficult situation - we have a lot of injuries too. I think we need some players."
Hull will now face a race to replace both Bruce and Diame before the season kicks-off in two weeks time, and rarely before have a promoted team headed into the Premier League's opening weekend with such negativity surrounding the club.
For Newcastle, Diame joins the likes of Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle in dropping down from the Premier League to link up with Rafael Benitez's side. The Spanish manager will seeDiame,who scored 10 goals in 41Championshipgames last season, asan apt replacement for the£25m departure ofGeorginio Wijnaldum to Liverpool last month.
With a host of new signings and a manager with aChampions League medal to his name, Newcastle are firmfavoritesto bounce straight back to England's top league as they prepare fortheirChampionshipopeneragainstFulham on Friday.