WANDERERS' are confident they will complete the loan signing of El-Hadji Diouf from Liverpool despite reports from Italy linking him with a Serie A club on Tuesday lunchtime.

www.skysports.co.uk say Fiorentina, who returned to Serie A this summer following a stunning demise, have joined in the hunt.

They are keen to bolster their squad and have been busy in the transfer marker.

The Florence side have brought in Real Madrid marksman Javier Portillo on a season-long loan, while Ancona's Milan Rapaic has been linked with a move.

But Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce said: "Diouf is still in the frame. We would want to try to complete that deal if at all possible."

Diouf had been expected to join Wanderers by Wednesday after Liverpool cleared the way for the Senegal striker to move to the Reebok on loan for the rest of the season.

Allardyce left negotiations in the hands of chairman, Phil Gartside and Diouf was completing a medical on Tuesday and is likely to complete the formalities of his move soon.

Allardyce is also believed to have set up two more deals -- one for a midfield player, another for a defender -- that he is hoping to complete before the August 31 transfer deadline.

All parties agreed to the Diouf deal at the weekend. The Wanderers's boss is delighted to have finally got his hands on a man he believes has the potential to be a top class Premiership striker, Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is pleased to get a player off his hands who does not figure in his plans and Diouf -- a £10million signing from French club Lens two years ago -- gets to stay in the Premiership to answer the critics who labelled him an expensive Anfield flop.

Wanderers have also believed to have agreed a price with the Israeli club, Ashdod, for the Nigerian midfielder Blessing Kaku, but that deal appeared to have stalled over the weekend.

El Diouf, however, is impressed with attitudes at the Reebok.

The striker said he could have played in Spain with Malaga. "But they could not promise me everything I had hoped for after speaking to them.

"Bolton, however, have been more ambitous," he said.

Meanwhile, reports that Allardyce is considering bringing the Spanish striker, Salva Ballesta, back to the Reebok have been dismissed out of hand by a club spokesman.

Ballesta, who had an unsuccessful five-month loan spell with Wanderers last year, is out of the picture at Valencia after scoring freely while on loan at Malaga and has been touted for a Premiership return.

Speculation that Allardyce has approached former Arsenal striker, Sylvain Wiltord, also appears to be wide of the mark.

Allardyce sounded optimistic, however, that he will make the necessary additions to his squad before the transfer window closes, when he said: "Diouf is still in the frame. We would want to try to complete that deal if at all possible. It lies in the chairman's hands at the moment.

"Then I think maybe one more in midfield and defence would give us a good-sized squad to overcome obstacles such as injuries, a loss of form, or a loss of confidence. We have to guard against that and have some players who can come in and do a job for us, and try to claim a place for themselves on a permanent basis, giving us good competition."