Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert may hijack Fulham’s bid for Derek Boateng.

The 29-year-old defensive midfielder, a Ghana international, is available to leave FC Dnipro in Ukraine this month.

Boateng has had talks and a medical over a switch to Fulham, pending a work permit, but Villa are considering a late move.

Lambert has admitted he wants a new holding midfielder to protect his leaky defence and has turned down a return to Villa for free-agent Nigel Reo-Coker.