Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa is to tell Flamengo that he would like to leave the club amid interest from West Ham, reports claim.
Sky Sports say the Brazilian is keen on a move to east London, with the Hammers having made an offer to take Barbosa on loan for 18 months with the option of making the move permanent for €30m (£25m) earlier this month – a proposal which remains on the table.
Barbosa will meet with club officials and his own representatives on Thursday to push for a move, Sky Sports claim, despite Flamengo being keen to keep hold of the 25-year-old, who has scored 104 goals in 147 games for the club.
Cementing his role as Brazil’s first choice striker is understood to be a key motivation behind moving to the Premier League.
Barbosa started his career at Santos before moving to Inter Milan, where he struggled for game time and later returned to Brazil by joining Flamengo.
The Hammers are lacking depth at the striker position, with Michail Antonio the only real option for David Moyes up top.
And Barbosa is understood to be one of a number of forwards that West Ham are interested in signing, with the club having also been heavily linked with Lille’s Jonathan David.