West Ham target Toni

West Ham are reportedly closing in on signing Luca Toni, who has fallen out of favour with his coach at Bayern Munich, Louis van Gaal.

A report in Friday’s Guardian newspaper suggests Toni, despite preferring a move back to Italy, could be on his way to Upton Park where he has a good relationship with Hammers’ boss Gianfranco Zola.

A further tie linking the 32-year-old with West Ham is the English Premier League side’s technical director, Gianluca Nani, who ‘discovered’ him in his days playing for Brescia.

Toni moved to Bayern in 2007 and was top scorer in both his seasons for the club but the veteran Italy international is now looking for a move with van Gaal saying he is free to go in the January transfer window.

Toni earned himself a 25,000 euros fine last month for telling the Italian media his relationship with van Gaal “is as good as over” following just four league appearances since the Dutchman took over on July 1.