Scoring on Monday night for Vélez but could be back to Europe this week

Mauro Zárate looks set for a return to England, as his brother, Rolando suggested in an interview last night on radio show Velez y su Mundo. “We have almost everything sorted out with West Ham” explained Zárate although with a deal not yet completed and reported competition from elsewhere in the Premier League and Europe, there could still be a twist.

Since returning to boyhood club, Vélez Sarsfield, Zárate has once again proved that he is capable of playing at a much higher level than the Argentine Primera. Finishing the season as top goal scorer in the Torneo Final and 19 goals from his 29 appearances since returning last July suggest it is time for Zárate to give European football another go.

Of course, Zárate did have a brief spell in England with Birmingham City at the tail-end of the 2007/08 season which ended in their relegation but he enjoyed much better fortune in Italy with Lazio.

His relationship with Lazio eventually broke down, something which appears quite common in the career of Mauro Zárate and so he decided to return last summer to where it all started, his original team, Vélez Sarsfield.

Tremendously talented and a good finisher, Zárate has all the ability to be a top player in Europe and now at 27 years of age, it is time for him to prove that. A move back to Europe at this stage in his career was perhaps inevitable and West Ham might just be getting themselves a fantastic deal.

No fee at this stage has been mentioned but his brother did say, “Mauro and his family’s love for Velez is huge, but the club will receive a good financial compensation.”

Naturally a “good financial compensation” in Argentine football could still be a relatively small amount in European terms, particularly for a player as good as Zárate.

It is understood that the player will travel to England this week but Rolando making the deal such common knowledge, West Ham might just have to fend off a few other interested parties to complete this one.

Argentine sports newspaper, Olé is already reporting interest from a host of other clubs. Valencia, Villarreal and Atlético Madrid in Spain, Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham and Aston Villa all muscling in.