Nippon Sports claim Jubilo Iwata striker Maeda will arrive in England on Tuesday as West Ham manager Sam Allardyce looks to bolster his attacking options to enhance their bid for promotion.
However, it is expected to be a shortened trial as Maeda must to return to Japan on January 15.
“Maeda, like his team-mates, will all report to the club on the 15th to begin our preparations for next season” Jubilo Iwata president Manuchi Yoshino told the media.
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Maeda, 30, started his career at Jubilo Iwata and boasts a strike rate of 115 goals in 260 appearances, as well as twice earning the J-League Golden Boot award in the previous three seasons.
The striker has made 14 appearances for the Japanese national team and was a member of the squad that won the 2011 Asian Cup.
According to reports from the United Kingdom, Allardyce is hopeful the striker will be able to earn a work permit, having previously shown interest in him in December.
When goal.com contacted West Ham they refused to offer any comment on the proposed trial.
If successful, Maeda will be the second Japanese player in the Football Championship, with Yuki Abe already plying his trade at Leicester City, whilst Tadanari Lee is also hopeful of a move to Southampton.
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