West Ham United target Nikola Kalinic will not be moving to the Premier League and will instead be the latest player from Europe to move to the Far East, Calcio Mercato report.

What's the word?

One of many, many strikers linked to West Ham United this season, Nikola Kalinic is set to be another that slips through the hands of Slaven Bilic's side as the Fiorentina man is edging closer to moving to China.

The 28-year-old has been followed closely by the Hammers, who failed to bolster their selection of strikers last month, and any chance of West Ham reviving their interest this summer will be put to bed this month as Kalinic seals a transfer.

Set to earn a whopping €12m-a-season, Fiorentina have changed their stance of the player's future following the improvement of Kouma Babacar recently and are prepared to approve a sale for around €38m, with Kalinic joining Tianjin Quanjian.

Managed by World Cup winning defender Fabio Cannvaro, Kalinic will join Alexandre Pato and Axel Witsel at Tianjin Quanjian

Blow for West Ham?

Had this happened in January, the answer would have been yes. However, with the transfer window closing last week it probably would have brought an end to West Ham's interest anyway- as they will pursue alternatives in the summer.

There's plenty of strikers available in European football that could be the right fit for West Ham and Fiorentina's initial reluctance to sell, and the high price he will move to China for, would have priced the Hammers out of a deal anyway.

Still, it's another player that could have been side and a move that failed to materialise, which may have been crucial if the Hammers hadn't improved their form this calendar year and risen into the top-half of the Premier League.

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