West Ham target Carlos Bacca 'wants to play in a Champions League side'

AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca has suggested that he would be ready to snub a move to West Ham to play in a Champions League club instead. The Colombian international has been heavily linked with a move to the Hammers in recent weeks but it has been reported in recent days that Atletico Madrid are ready to join the race – a move that would offer him the chance he wants to play in the European elite competition.

The 29-year-old moved to Milan only last summer after the Serie A giants paid around €30m (£25.2m, $33.3m) to secure his services from Sevilla. He scored 21 goals in his debut campaign at San Siro but his future came under huge scrutiny when the Italians failed to qualify for Europe with a disappointing seventh-placed finish in Serie A.

His agent last month told The Guardian that his client was ready to move somewhere else during the current transfer window and that Milan would be willing to let him go for the right price.

Yet several reports last week, including at La Gazzetta Dello Sport, revealed that Milan had accepted a club record offer from West Ham, worth around €30m, to lure him to the Premier League.

However, the Italian publication claimed that the Hammers have failed to convince Bacca to make the move due to the personal terms, with the striker demanding a €5m-a-year salary and the Premier League side only willing to offer him €4m.

Bacca has now claimed that having received a number of offers his future still remains uncertain, but he has suggested that should he leave Milan, it would be to play in the Champions League. Crucially West Ham only offer him the chance to play in a Europe League competition that he already won at Sevilla.

Asked about a potential return to La Liga to play for Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid, he said as quoted by AS: "(Playing the Champions League) is my dream and I work every day for that."

"I want to play (in the Champions League) with Milan because I came here to do that but unfortunately we did not get that step. It is one of the issues that we are talking about with Milan... we're not in Europe and I want to play the Champions League. We will make the decision depending on the Milan project for the new season.

"My future is in God's hands. We all know that I have a contract with Milan for four years. There are offers and there is interest from clubs from England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany. It is not easy making a decision. We have time, we are calm. My agent is in communication with the clubs and with Milan."