Just days after paying nearly £2m for winger Peter Halmosi, Brown has been given the go-ahead by chairman Paul Duffen to move for the Jamaican international.

"We are interested in Marlon," Duffen told the Yorkshire Post. "We think he has an enormous amount of talent and deserves an opportunity to prove that in the Premier League."

King, 28, has spent only six months at Wigan after a £4m move from Watford in the last transfer window, but has failed to make an impact and is about to be replaced by new signing Amr Zaki.

Although Derby manager Paul Jewell is also keen to sign King on loan, the lure of another permanent deal with a Premier League club will be hard to resist.

It is understood King has flown back from a training camp in Austria to sort out his future this weekend.

Hull are still waiting to find out if Bolton Wanderers have accepted their bid for defender Abdoulaye Meite.

The Ivory Coast international has been frozen out at the Reebok Stadium since March following an alleged dressing room bust-up with manager Gary Megson during a defeat at Manchester United.

Brown has also expressed an interest in transfer-listed Wolves midfielder Seyi Olofinjana, but any move could depend on another midfielder leaving the KC Stadium.

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell is considering a move for Feyenoord striker Diego Biseswar after agreeing to sell Rob Hulse to Derby County.

Biseswar, 20, played on loan for De Graafschap last season and is available on a free transfer. He is due to train with the Blades next week.

Hulse flew back from the Blades' pre-season tour of Europe to have a medical and discuss personal terms yesterday at Pride Park.

Manager Kevin Blackwell admits that the £1.6m sale to a rival Championship club is a gamble, but says he is unable to offer the striker a guarantee of regular first-team football.

Former Blades defender Jon Harley, meanwhile, has joined Watford on a two-year deal after rejecting a new contract at Burnley.

Leeds United manager Gary McAllister is hoping to secure the services of former Coventry City striker Jay Bothroyd after agreeing a £300,000 transfer fee with Wolves.

Bothroyd, 26, was a regular in the Coventry side during McAllister's time as manager and is currently on the transfer list at Molineux.

Although omitted from Wolves' party for a pre-season trip to Scotland, he still has one year left on his contract and may prefer to stay in the Championship.

Leeds striker Anthony Elding is the subject of a bid from Carlisle United after rejecting a move to Crewe Alexandra.

Assistant-manager Steve Staunton, meanwhile, has admitted a charge of improper conduct relating to an incident after last season's League One play-off final defeat against Doncaster Rovers at Wembley.

Staunton, who is alleged to have used abusive language to doping officials, has not requested a personal hearing and the case is likely to be dealt with in his absence next week.

Tranmere Rovers have handed centre-back Luke Watferfall, 17, a one-year deal following his release this summer by Barnsley.