ALBION were last night closing in on bringing Leo Ulloa back to the Amex from Premier League rivals Leicester City.

Terms were agreed between the clubs yesterday for Ulloa's loan return to the Seagulls for the rest of the season after The Argus website revealed on Saturday a deal was near.

Leicester gave Ulloa permission to travel south for a medical.

Progress was continuing on completing the deal as The Argus went to press last night.

Ulloa's return, three-and-a-half years after he left for the East Midlands, will further increase the firepower at manager Chris Hughton's disposal following the recent club record £14 million capture of Dutch striker Jurgen Locadia from PSV Eindhoven.

Club officials were not confident about landing Ulloa again earlier in the January transfer window, as both Leicester and the 31-year-old's preference was for a permanent move.

With time running out before Wednesday's 11pm deadline, Ulloa was eager for game time and Leicester sanctioned the switch as he does not figure in manager Claude Puel's plans at the King Power Stadium.

Ulloa has played only 19 minutes in the Premier League in four substitute appearances for the Foxes in the current campaign, the last of them on Boxing Day. He has not started a game in the top flight since April.

He scored 26 goals in 58 outings over one-and-a-half seasons for the Seagulls, firing them to the Championship play-off twice in succession, before joining Leicester in July 2014 for an initial fee of £8 million.

Ulloa contributed six goals in 29 appearances in Leicester's shock Premier League title triumph under Claudio Ranieri in 2015-16 but has gradually slipped further down the pecking order under a succession of managers.