AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca. (Photo : Getty Images)
English Premier League side West Ham United had reportedly started its £25.4 million pursuit of AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca as the Italian Serie A squad is rumored to be ready to sell the Colombia international this summer.
Daily Mail Online confirmed on Wednesday that the Hammers "have launched a move" for the 29-year-old goalscorer, who scored 18 goals in 38 appearances in the Italian top flight during his single season stint with the club last term, as head coach Slaven Bilic "has made the signing of a new center forward a top summer priority" this summer.
Milan acquired Bacca from La Liga club Sevilla last summer for a reported transfer fee of €30 million and had been one of the most reliable goalscorers in Italy, appearing in a total of 40 games and scored 20 goals in all competitions for I Rossoneri so far.
The 5-foot-11 Puerto Colombia native has a buyout clause of £25.4 million but Milan is said to be comfortable at selling him for a lower price as the San Siro residents are in the middle of a huge Chinese ownership takeover that would also affect their roster going into the new season.
Milan also introduced a new head coach, 42-year-old former Roma striker Vincenzo Montella, late last month, signaling the new era for the said club.
Meanwhile, ESPN indicated that West Ham and Milan are actually already in "advanced talks" over Bacca's potential transfer, but that La Liga's Atletico Madrid and Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain would also like to submit their bids for the Colombian striker.
The Hammers remain confident, though, that they will eventually be able to lure Bacca to their side as he is said to be keen on playing in the Premier League for the first time in his career.
Bacca's agent, Sergio Barila, also said that his client had offers coming from China last January, but that the Colombian is not yet ready to take that option at this point in his career.
"All I can say is that these clubs are not the only ones who have made a move for him," said Barila. "Other big clubs have enquired about him."
"There was firm interest from China in January with substantial offers, but Carlos wants to be a protagonist at the highest levels in Europe still and he has no intention taking (China) into consideration. There will be time for this kind of choice later, certainly not now," he added.
