West Ham United, which hopes to move to the Olympic Stadium that is now vacant following the 2012 London Games, could face further competition from the National Football League, according to a report from Goal.com.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, opened talks the NFL following the annual game the city hosts that was held at Wembley Stadium before more than 80,000 fans last weekend between the St. Louis Rams and the New England Patriots.

"Given the ever-growing popularity of gridiron this side of the Atlantic the mayor and his team have held a number of meetings with senior executives in the last few days to explore further opportunities for NFL in London," a spokesman said. “The talks were exploratory, and we are at an early stage, but the signs are encouraging.”

The other interested parties in the Olympic Stadium include Leyton Orient of League One, a soccer players’ college and a consortium hoping to stage Formula One grand prix in the Olympic Park. According to the report, the NFL’s proposition is one of the frontrunners, as the stadium would only be required 10 times a year rather than more than 20 for domestic soccer.