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Updated - Norwich City chief Alex Neil set to win the race for Fulham striker Ross McCormack

Wes Hoolahan scored twice in Norwich City's 3-2 friendly defeat to Hannover 96 at Carrow Road on Saturday. Picture by Richard Blaxall/Focus Images Ltd ©Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +447814 482222

Alex Neil is confident Norwich City can land top target Ross McCormack, amid reports on Sunday the Canaries have finally won the race for the £12m-rated hitman.

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The Scot, speaking after his side’s 3-2 friendly defeat against Hannover 96 on Saturday, admitted they were in advanced discussions with the Cottagers for the prolific frontman.

Now the Mail on Sunday expects the deal to go through later this coming week after the two clubs finally thrashed out the finer details of a move that would smash City’s transfer record.

Neil remained optimistic the Canaries could win the race for the striker but reiterated after a 3-2 defeat to the Germans Norwich had other targets they also want to land before the Championship kick-off at Blackburn on August 6.

“There has been on-going negotiations as I am sure everyone is aware. We’ll see what happens with that,” he said. “I am very hopeful we will get not only that one but one or two in, hopefully before the Blackburn game but if not we are still doing our very best to get people in as quickly as possible.

“We have got others we are looking at. We have not put all our eggs in one basket, just this one seems to be a publicised a lot more than others and that is not from us I can assure you.”

Robbie Brady, who was linked again with West Brom in Sunday’s gossip columns, was a notable absentee against the Germans after prolonged speculation over his club future following an impressive Euro 2016 but Neil revealed the Dubliner has picked up a calf injury.

“He has got an issue with his calf. It happened at the end of last season,” he said. “We were hoping it had resolved itself but unfortunately in training it tightened up again.”

Neil was less than impressed with his side’s start against the Bundesliga Two outfit after falling 2-0 behind inside the opening 10 minutes.

“The first 30 seconds we looked as if we had scored with Cameron (Jerome) but for the next 20 minutes we totally switched off,” he said. “We thought it was going to be an easy game. It was anything but. They are a good side who attacked it and approached it in the manner we would have liked to in the manner they pressed high. I think we didn’t come to terms with it. After 15 minutes I had to change it (bring Jacob Murphy off) and we got better.

“You don’t make a substitute after 15 minutes generally unless something desperately needs to be fixed. I thought it got better but as players, and I am pretty confident the lads will agree, they have to start better and that is not like us. I spoke to Jacob and said it was nothing to do with him. I needed a more narrow midfield because we were getting dominated in those middle areas and we had to seal that off. I brought more solid players into that middle zone to pick up the second balls and we did that a lot better.”