SAM Allardyce is hoping to confirm the signing of Denmark's tough-tackling German-based midfielder Stig Tofting.

Allardyce was hoping to tie up the loose ends after agreeing a fee of around £250,000 for the burly Dane currently based in the Bundelsiga with SV Hamburg.

The Bolton manager said: "We are in the process of finalising the smaller financial details and the medical.

"With what he's done in Germany and at international level, it will be an extremely good signing from our point of view.

"Stig is an experienced Danish international and a tough tackling, aggressive player - a bit of a pocket battleship.

"He is the type who can win the ball back for us and he can also retain possession.

"The way he goes about his job has an effect on players around him. I am just hoping everything goes okay in the next few hours."

Speculation over recent days had suggested the Wanderers' boss was lining up a move to take the French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff on loan and, when he flew to Germany yesterday, the rumour mill went into top gear.

But, after watching Djorkaeff's club Kaiserslautern held to a 2-2 by SV Hamburg in the Bundesliga, it emerged that his target was the terrier in the visitors' midfield - the 32-year-old Tofting, who has been an influential figure in Denmark's successful campaign to qualify for the World Cup Finals in Japan and Korea.

It had been expected the Dane would be unveiled at a Press Conference at mid-day, but it emerged that a lot of tough talking still had to be done before Wanderers could complete the deal to sign Tofting on a three year contract.

Tofting, who boasts 34 international caps and more than 100 appearances in the Bundesliga, joined SV Hamburg from the Danish club AGF Arhus two summers ago, having had previous experience in Germany with Hamburg and MSV Duisburg.

He has been a regular over the past two seasons but his contract was due to expire at the end of the current campaign and he was being trailed by a number of clubs in his native Denmark and elsewhere in Europe.

If he moves to the Reebok he will join a happy community of Danes alongside fellow countrymen Per Frandsen, Bo Hansen and Henrik Pedersen, who have all settled quickly into the England ways - a significant advantage with Wanderers needing a quick fix in the Premiership survival fight.

Nicknamed "Lawn Mower" by a previous manager, Tofting has a reputation as a fierce competitor, fashioning an effective and combative partnership with Everton's Thomas Gravesen in Denmark's midfield, and is due to earn his 35th cap in next Wednesday's friendly in Saudi Arabia.

Despite not being the tallest of players at 1 metre 76 cms (5ft 9in), Tofting is famed for having a long throw which his clubs and his country have used to great effect down the years.