Exclusive - Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole set for West Ham return

West Ham are set make their first move in the transfer window with Joe Cole returning to the club on a free from Liverpool.

The former England midfielder, 31, has endured a terrible time on Merseyside since his move from Chelsea in 2010 but wants to get his career back on track by re-signing for the team he started his career at.

Cole is set to put pen-to-paper on a two-and-a-half year deal at Upton Park worth a reported £30,000 per week.

And, as talkSPORT revealed last month, the Reds are set to pay him 50% of his wages for the 18 months left on his deal at Anfield.

He is expected to complete a medical in east London imminently with Queens Park Rangers and Cole's former boss Harry Redknapp missing out on his signature.