Edin Dzeko could be set for a reunion with former boss Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham United according to reports in Italy.
Dzeko has carved out a reputation as one of the deadliest strikers on the planet during his time with Manchester City and Roma but could West Ham be his next stop?
The Bosnian striker is still doing it for his country too and was a success during his last spell in England, winning the title twice with City under new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini.
West Ham are short of options up front with injury-prone Andy Carroll spending more time on the treatment table than the pitch and Javier Hernandez proving something of a flop since a £16 million move to East London last summer, unable to force his way into the side under three different managers.
That has left a lot of pressure on winger turned striker Marko Arnautovic to produce the goals but beyond him West Ham do not have much back-up.
Help could be on the way from Roma in the form of Dzeko, though, if reports from Italy are to be believed.
According to calciomercato.com Dzeko – who has scored a phenomenal 319 goals in 685 career games for club and country – West Ham want the striker and are willing to meet his £3.5million annual salary.
Dzeko’s contract at Roma, where he has broken club and Serie A scoring records, expires in 2020 and the Italian side wanted to offer him an extension with a lower salary.
Calciomercato says that does not meet Dzeko’s demands, though, and credits West Ham with interest in a £22 million bid, some £8 million more than Roma paid for the striker in his pomp.
Dzeko turns 33 soon and Calciomercato claims West Ham could beat other interested parties by offering the player a rather unusual incentive of becoming a sporting director role after retirement as he has just completed a degree in sports management.
The player too seems keen to return to the Premier League and during the international break told Sky Sports he is open to a move back to England.
“Regarding the Premier League, maybe it’s too late,” he told Sky Sports News.
“You never know.
“I had four-and-a-half great years there, and had fun every minute of every game.
“I love the Premier League and England, so we’ll see. At the moment I’m happy in Rome.”
Who better to play under if he does return than his old City boss Pellegrini, under whom he scored lots of goals to help the Manchester club win the title twice.
Dzeko would be a great signing for West Ham even if he is approaching his swansong in football.
He continues to prove at the highest level that he still has supreme class and he could prove a valuable asset for a couple of seasons as West Ham continue to rebuild under Pellegrini.
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