Football gossip (Sunday): Ashley Fletcher the bait for Hull City | Jordan Rhodes a wanted man | Leeds eye Chelsea striker

Ashley Fletcher is said to be the bait which West Ham United hope will enable them to land the Tigers’ Scotland international Robert Snodgrass.

The Hammers have already had a £3m bid rejected but they are said to be planning a £2m plus Fletcher offer to land the Hull talisman.

Another Hull player attracting interest is Egyptian wing-back Ahmed Elmohamady with Everton planning a £4m bid for a player who has one year left on his contract.

Hull are one of several clubs interested in Middlesbrough’s out-of-favour striker Jordan Rhodes.

Boro are said to want £12m for the Scotland striker, 26, but that price tag and the player’s wages may deter serious bids from such as the Tigers, Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday.

It could be that Rhodes moves out on loan, with Villa favourites if Boro can not find a buyer for the former Huddersfield and Blackburn striker.

Bristol City chief and former Barnsley manager Lee Johnson wants to take 26-year-old attacking midfield man Marley Watkins from Oakwell.

But he will face competition from Ipswich for the former Bath City and Cheltenham Town player, who is out of contract this summer and who would command a fee of around £1.5m.

Having signed Izzy Brown on loan from Chelsea for the rest of the season after the striker was recalled from Rotherham, Huddersfield Town are now unlikely to make a move for Barnsley striker Sam Winnall.

Leeds United are being linked with a move for Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford, who was a big hit on loan with Boro last season.

The striker has made just six appearances for Burnley since joining them on loan in the summer.

Everton midfield player Darren Gibson, Romanian international Alexandru Maxim, from German Bundesliga side Stuttgart, and Cagliari forward Marco Borriello are also being linked with a move to Leeds along with Swansea winger Jefferson Montero.