West Ham target M'Baye Niang has held talks with his parent club AC Milan over a prospective departure in January, coach Vincenzo Montella has revealed.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Everton and Crystal Palace also believed to be interested, along with the Hammers.
Reports in Italy also claim that the player concerned is in favour of staying put in Italy, with an offer from Torino being considered,
However, AC Milan are currently believed to be in discussions with Genoa for a possible swap, a deal that would involve Marseille loanee Lucas Ocampos going in the other direction.
Speaking to his club's official website, the coach confirmed that the youngster might eventually leave this January.
relatedNewsStory
"Niang might leave the club", Montella said.
"He's discussing it with the management. He won't be called up for the game against Juve as I thought he would definitely have been distracted.
"He's always been involved in normal situations.
"Sometimes he's been on the fringes but he's never been out. As long as he's a Milan player he'll get the consideration he deserves.
"He has made himself available right from the start and he's trying to grow so he can manage his talent better."
The former French Under-21 international joined AC Milan back in 2012 from SM Caen and has since managed an overall 77 appearances scoring 12 goals.
Premier League giants West Ham are keen on his signature as they look to add depth to their striking line-up for the second half of the season.
