Hulk is expected to sign for Monaco in the near future.
AS Monaco have not quite finished with their big spending this summer with the Ligue 1 club expected to make a £52m switch for Zenit St. Petersburg forward Hulk, according to the Metro.
The Brazilian has only been in Russia for 12 months after making a £48.4m switch from FC Porto and has previously been targeted by both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Blues were the more likely to land the 26-year-old due to the player’s high transfer fee and the west London club’s superior financial clout in comparison to Spurs.
However, it seems both Premier League clubs are going to miss out as Monaco continue their elaborate spending upon returning to the French top tier.
Two years ago the Principality club were taken over by Russian billionaire Dymitry Rybolovlev, who has since plowed nearly £150m into buying new players.
The deal for Hulk would slightly top previous record of £50m for Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao – who arrived at the Stade Louis II earlier this summer and played alongside the Brazil international for two years at Porto.
Along with Falcao, Monaco also spent a further £60m for Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez – another two players to have plied their trade at the Portuguese champions.
Hulk has scored 11 goals in 30 matches for Zenit, as well as making nine assists and is extremely powerful forward with blistering pace, despite the South American’s size.
The attacker has also earned 27 caps for Brazil in his career, scoring six times.
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