Internazionale’s Brazilian striker Adriano has turned down a loan move to West Ham.
The Premiership club confirmed on Tuesday that they were in talks with last season’s Italian champions over a possible loan deal for the out-of-favour forward.
Despite Adriano’s initial rejection West Ham are expected to make a fresh bid to take the player to Upton Park before the closure of the transfer window on Friday.
Adriano’s future at Inter looks uncertain with the club prepared to loan him out for a season so that he can regain his form and fitness.
The Brazilian international is well down the pecking order at Inter with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cruz, David Suazo and Hernan Crespo all ahead of him in coach Roberto Mancini’s plans.
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley admitted he knew nothing of the proposed bid for the Brazilian.
“I don’t know too much about it to be fair,” said Curbishley. “I don’t know if it is talk to stir things up, if you like, we will have to see.
“I just think it is something that has cropped up. Is it speculation or is there something in it? I don’t know.”
Although the club would prefer a loan deal for Adriano, the player would favour a permanent move as he looks to revive his flagging career.
“I don’t want to go on loan again. I already went once to Parma when it was right for my career. Now if I must really leave, I’ll go and that’s it,” Adriano told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“What I and my agent don’t understand is why they did not tell me immediately at the start of the summer that I had not re-entered their plans.”
