West Ham have now made contact to sign a defender who has been compared to Ruben Dias.
The Hammers are keen to sign a new central defender this summer, and thought they had one wrapped up after striking a deal with Flamengo for Fabricio Bruno – only for the Brazilian to reject the Irons.
Now – however – West Ham have turned attention towards a different defender…
West Ham make contact to sign Nehuen Perez
A story from Gianluca Di Marzio now claims that West Ham have made contact to sign Udinese No.18 Nehuen Perez.
The Argentina international was a standout player for the Italian outfit in 2023/24 – making 36 appearances in Serie A while providing one assist.
Di Marzio believes West Ham have opened talks with Udinese over a deal for Perez – who was the subject of a €16m (£14m) bid from Napoli in January.
The South American has a contract with Udinese which runs until July 2027, so the Serie A side find themselves in a strong negotiating position, and could even demand more than Napoli offered.
Not only did a deal to sign the aforementioned Bruno collapse, but West Ham also need to find a replacement for Angelo Ogbonna – who has now left the London Stadium.
There are also doubts over the future of Nayef Aguerd in east London after a difficult 2023/24 campaign, so depth in the centre-back department is certainly needed.
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As aforesaid, Perez has been compared to Manchester City No.3 Dias.
It was Target Scouting who made the comparison when writing a report on the Argentine, particularly when it comes to one-on-one defending.
Perez is also just 23 years of age, so it seems he still has plenty of room for improvement, making him a wise long-term investment from West Ham.
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Di Marzio did not state how Udinese responded to West Ham making contact, although given the financial disparity between the Premier League and Serie A, we would presume the east Londoners will be able to make a tempting offer.