Roma sporting director Monchi is working overtime to find an agreement to beat West Ham to the signature of Javier Pastore.
West Ham have been closing in on the Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder, who is wanted at the London Stadium by new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini.
But Pastore has been holding out for an offer from Serie A as he is keen to return to Italy, where he played for Palermo before joining PSG.
The offer could soon arrive as, according to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato, Roma deal-maker Monchi is in talks to sign Pastore.
Monchi is trying to work out the finances of a deal and find an agreement on the basis of a fee of around €20m to €25m and a yearly salary of between €4m and €5m.
No agreement has been reached yet, but the contact between the parties is intense as Monchi tries to work his transfer magic.
Losing out on Pastore would be a blow to West Ham, who have put in significant work to take the Argentine to London.
The midfielder is due to turn 29 later this month and is ready to move on from PSG, where he has been on the books since 2011.
