KIERON DYER is again on the brink of a move to West Ham United after Newcastle United brokered a £7m compromise agreement with their Premier League counterparts.

But the England international will not be followed to East London by Newcastle team-mate Nolberto Solano, who is thought to be now interesting Portsmouth.

It is almost two weeks ago that Dyer passed a medical at Upton Park after the two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £6m.

However, after a behind-the-scenes disagreement in which West Ham are understood to have been bragging about the figure they were paying, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley pulled the plug on the deal.

And, after upping the asking price to £8m in light of that, renewed talks were concluded yesterday and Newcastle stand to sell the player for £1m more than they were originally due to receive.

The move should be completed before the weekend and Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce hopes to spend some of the cash on Bolton midfielder Abdoulaye Faye.

An agreement is thought to have been reached with the Trotters for the £2m man, while Allardyce has also been linked with a move for Barcelona full-back Juliano Belletti.

Whoever arrives at St James' Park in the next couple of weeks will not be teaming up with Solano for any length of time.

The Peruvian had been considered by Hammers manager Alan Curbishley, although he has switched his targets and that has left Portsmouth free to move in.

Solano, like Dyer, has signalled his intention to move south, nearer to London, where his family now reside.

Meanwhile, striker Michael Owen took another step nearer a return to action for Newcastle yesterday when he emerged through an hour of a behind-closed-doors friendly with Gretna.

Owen, who made his return from a thigh injury on Monday night against Newcastle Blue Star, is expected to be named in the squad that will face Aston Villa on Saturday.

Allardyce's men overcome Gretna 3-1 but it was Owen's appearance, rather than the result, that has encouraged the manager the most.

Given the 27-year-old will almost certainly figure against Villa, England manager Steve McClaren is also destined to name him in his squad for next week's friendly with Germany.

* West Brom have completed the signing of Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Chris Brunt.

The Northern Ireland international has put pen to paper on a four-year deal after passing a medical at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies were given permission to speak to the 22-year-old former Middlesbrough trainee this week after matching the Owls' £3m valuation.

Brunt signed for Wednesday in April 2004.