Can friends be lovers?

I'm talking to someone on the net that wants a relationship with me, we have been talking for the last 3 weeks. I've known him for over 35 years well but not in the last 10 years both having lived separate lives and in different countries. We wont see each other for at least 7 months now. I have always had a great deal of love (brotherly) for this man...
Do you think it's possible to establish sexual feelings towards him during this time? I dont have any yet. He's expecting it as he has confessed to being "in love" with me throughout the years & suggests that we could be great together...
As a partner on paper he has ticked most of the boxes of importance as to what I'd look for but I'm not sure on the sexual side because of our history.