Report: West Ham nearing £13M steal of Chicharito

West Ham United could be finally landing a striker of some notoriety.

The Irons are expected to sign Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez in the coming days, according to Sky sources, with the Mexican understood to have a £13-million release clause at Bayer Leverkusen.

Chicharito, 29, is said to be keen on a return to the Premier League after being on the books of Manchester United between 2010 and 2015.

West Ham had protracted and ultimately failed pursuits for the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Carlos Bacca last summer. In the end, the Irons ended up with Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri battling for first-team inclusion, and their sorry spells in London have already seen them move on.

In Chicharito, West Ham could be unveiling a player of undoubted pedigree. He's represented hometown club Chivas in Liga MX, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Bayer Leverkusen, notably collecting two Premier League titles and a Club World Cup on his travels. He's also a hero in his homeland, currently topping his country's all-time scoring charts with 48 tallies in 96 outings.

Despite often assuming the role of super sub at Old Trafford, he boasts 0.36 goals per match in the Premier League and can be a devastating poacher. He suffered a slight downturn in form for Bayer Leverkusen in 2016-17, though, scoring 11 goals and curating three assists.