Sussex have emerged as favourites to sign Ed Joyce.

The 30-year-old is leaving Middlesex after the Twenty20 winners take part in the Champions Trophy in December.

Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, Surrey and Hampshire are also keen on Dublin-born Joyce, who has played 17 one-day internationals for England.

Joyce is believed to favour Sussex because he has been impressed with the coaching set-up and work ethic at Hove. No announcement will be made until the new year, when Joyce’s contract expires.

Joyce has a first-class average of 44.87 and has scored nearly 9,000 runs including 19 hundreds since making his Middlesex debut in 1997. He would probably bat at No. 3, which has been a troublesome position for Sussex in the recent past. Last season six players batted there – new captain Mike Yardy, his predecessor Chris Adams, Luke Wright, Michael Thornely, Andrew Hodd and Carl Hopkinson.

Joyce has a good one-day record, averaging 33.87. The highlight of his career so far was his hundred against Australia in Sydney in 2007 when England won the triangular series.

Sussex coach Mark Robinson refused to confirm that the club had approached Joyce, who is out of contract at the end of the year.

He said: “We don’t comment about individuals but we are always interested in bringing quality players to Sussex.”

Would Ed Joyce be a good signing?