West Ham United are close to finalising a €40m deal for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Sebastien Haller, after the club managed to convince Haller to make the move to the Premier League.
The Hammers have been linked with a number of strikers this summer, with Manuel Pellegrini eager to replace Lucas Perez, Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic - all of whom have left the club this summer.
Their search has led them to Haller, and L'Equipe state that their €40m move for the Frenchman has taken a step closer after they finally managed to convince him that joining the Hammers would be a good career move for him.
While the club do retain concerns of his ability to lead a front line on his own - he was part of a prolific front pairing with new Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic last season - the interest from West Ham is genuine. A number of Premier League clubs have looked at the player over the last few months and share similar concerns.
Nevertheless, he did manage to rack up 20 goals and 12 assists last season, and it appears as though the Hammers have been convinced.
They turned to Haller after deals for Bournemouth's Callum Wilson and Celta Vigo's Maxi Gomez both became incredibly unlikely, so Pellegrini was forced to look for alternatives.
West Ham would face competition from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton, however, and Newcastle United are also keen - although their chances of landing the player are slim.
Atletico would also be open to parting ways with the 30-year-old permanently, but they fear that no European side will be able to meet their demands. As such, they are waiting to see if Costa generates any interest from Chinese Super League sides, given he came close to joining
During his four years with Chelsea, Costa managed to rack up 52 goals in 89 Premier League appearances, and he boasts the kind of proven track record which Pellegrini is keen on.
Source : 90min