West Ham chairman David Gold says the club have agreed a deal to sign Tottenham's Irish striker Robbie Keane on loan until the end of the season.
The Hammers have brought in the Ireland record goalscoring international with a view to making the deal permanent at the end of the campaign.
"We're delighted to sign a world class striker," Gold said after their FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest.
"Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy drives a hard bargain but we've got our man."
They are expected on Monday to officially unveil Keane, who attended the Hammers' 3-2 win over Forest and will earn in the region of £70,000-a-week.
Keane joins Ba and earlier arrivals Wayne Bridge, on loan from Manchester City, and Gary O'Neil, from Middlesbrough, at West Ham during what has been a busy transfer window.
Birmingham have had a £6million bid accepted by Tottenham for Ireland striker Robbie Keane, according to reports this evening.
City have reached agreement with Spurs to pay an initial £4 million for the Dublin born Ireland international.
But this could rise by additional £2million via various add-ons and clauses in the deal.
Sources close to Birmingham insist any potential deal for Keane is still in its infancy.
Birmingham have been given permission to hold talks with Keane. But the former Liverpool player has yet to discuss personal terms with the midlands club.
City manager Alex McLeish is a known admirer of Keane, who has been told he can leave White Hart Lane after slipping down the pecking order.
McLeish has continually stressed the need for Birmingham to sign a quality striker.
He is aware a lack of goals has seen them become embroiled in a Barclays Premier League relegation battle this season. Midfielder Craig Gardner is their leading marksman with just five goals.
If Keane does move to St Andrew's he will join up with winger David Bentley, who has moved from Spurs on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Keane spent the second half of last season on loan at Celtic and has had only a bit part role at Spurs this season.
Robbie Keane has become a doubt for next week’s friendly game against Norway after Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp revealed that the Irish captain is struggling with an ankle injury.
Spurs are waiting on the results of a recent scan which will reveal the seriousness of the damage and It’s another set back for the Irish record goal scorer , given that he was guaranteed some much needed game time in the Dublin friendly clash.
Giovanni Trapattoni said that he was keen to use the Norway friendly to give Keane and goalkeeper Shay Given a good run out, especially considering they are currently out of their club first teams.
“I know he’s not fresh like two or three years ago, but for us now he’s still very important,” said the Irish boss. “It’s important that he plays against Norway. I think now he is not fit because he can only play 10 minutes here and there for Tottenham. But he’s 30, not 34 or 35.”
Keane has only started a couple of games with Spurs this season, and has been hotly tipped for a move away from White Heart Lane in the transfer window in January. Redknapp has acknowledged that the 30-year-old has been very frustrated since the arrival of Rafael van der Vaart pushed him further down the striker pecking order.
His lack of sharpness was evident in last month's Euro qualifiers with Russia and Slovakia, especially in the Slovakia game where he missed a penalty and missed two other decent opportunities in a 1-1 away draw.
Keane is clearly in need of a move away from Spurs and irrespective of his inclusion in the Norway friendly game next week, his priority has to be getting back playing club football on a weekly basis.
The injury which ruled Robbie Keane out of Tottenham's pre-season trip to Portugal is not thought to be serious.
Keane reportedly sustained a knee problem, which meant he did not travel to Lisbon for Tuesday night's friendly against Benfica.
Ireland striker Keane has been repeatedly linked with a move away from White Hart Lane since spending the second half of last season on loan at Celtic.
Keane is due to celebrate his 100th international appearance for Ireland at the opening of The new Lansdowne Road stadium in Dublin on the 11th of August in a friendly international against Argentina.
Ireland record goalscorer Robbie Keane has been told that he has every chance of playing a major role at Tottenham this season.
Keane was loaned out to Celtic during the Christmas transfer window after Harry Redknapp decided that he could get through the second half of the season without the Irish striker.
Redknapp has stated this summer that he would only consider letting Keane go out on loan again if the player was unhappy with his level of involvement at White Hart Lane.
Keane faces stiff competition for a place up front but it appears he has played his way back to the top of the pecking order after some impressive performances in pre-season.
The 30-year-old followed up his goal against New York Red Bulls by finding the target again in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Sporting Lisbon, and could now start Tottenham's Premier League opener at home to Manchester City on 14th August.
"His situation is that he is still a very, very good player," said Redknapp.
"He looked sharp and bright and he is still very much in the plans.
"He wants to start every game and if he keeps playing as he did today, he can do.
"It was a fantastic finish and he is a quality player, one of our better players.
"There is every chance he could start."
Celtic are on the brink of signing Spurs and Ireland striker Robbie Keane on loan until the end of the season.
The Glasgow club are in talks with the Ireland international and hope to conclude the deal before Monday's midnight transfer deadline.
The 29-year-old has been consistently linked with a move to the club he is known to have supported as a boy.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said: "He needs to be playing and to go to Celtic is a dream come true for him."
Keane, a lifelong Celtic fan, has made 25 appearances for Spurs this season but has recently been confined to the substitutes' bench.
"He is a Celtic man and it looks like it probably will happen," Redknapp said of Celtic's move for the Ireland international team's captain and all-time top scorer with 41 goals in almost 100 games.
"It's a good move. Robbie needs to play.
"He's too good a player not to be starting here regularly. He wants to play all the time.
"It's been difficult to guarantee Robbie a starting place at the moment.
"He's not a happy man when he's not playing regularly, but he loves his football; he's a great trainer, a great man about the place."
Keane signed for Spurs in 2002, making almost 200 appearances and scoring 80 goals, before joining Liverpool for around £20m in July 2008.
However, he went on to make only 15 appearances for the Anfield side and rejoined Spurs in February 2009 for £12m, taking his cumulative transfer fees to more than £70m.
Ireland striker Robbie Keane has vowed to win over the Tottenham Hotspur fans he upset by joining Liverpool in July after completing a swift return journey to North London yesterday.
After six frustrating months at Anfield, Keane became the third former player to be brought back to White Hart Lane by Harry Redknapp in the past month, with Tottenham paying £12 million to secure the striker’s return.
The deal for Keane, which had been a subject of speculation for weeks, always seemed likely to go through in regulation time. “It was a difficult decision to leave Tottenham in the summer,” Keane said. “It proved not to be the right move for me. I know some Spurs fans will feel I let them down by leaving, but I can assure them I shall be giving my all for this club.”
Keane — who has now commanded transfer fees in the region of £75 million — is ineligible for the Carling Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley on March 1, having played in the competition for Liverpool this season.
“Keane will have a massive impact,” Redknapp, who had already secured the return of Jermain Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda, said. “He is a good player with great enthusiasm and wants to win. It rubs off on people and we need people like that. He is full of energy and has fantastic ability. We will need him.” The desire to sign Keane became more pressing because Defoe injured a foot on Friday and is to have an operation today that will keep him out for ten weeks.
Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, expressed his delight that Keane had chosen to return: "We never wanted Robbie to leave in the summer, we acknowledged the six years dedicated service he gave this club and reluctantly let him go," said Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
"I am delighted that he has chosen to return to us."
"We can all recall the passion and fight he displayed during his previous seasons with us. I know he is determined to give us his full commitment."
