Julen Lopetegui is reportedly still looking to enhance his attacking options at West Ham United this summer.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has already signed one Brazilian attacker in the summer transfer window, in the shape of Luis Guilherme.
The Spaniard is said to be chasing incredibly exciting deals for Max Kilman and Jonathan David this summer.
However, there is another player on Lopetegui’s radar, and there has been for quite some time now.
The Hammers boss inherited an unbalanced and ageing squad from David Moyes, so not only does he need to inject plenty of quality to his ranks, but he needs to add some youth as well.
Now that July is upon us, I expect to see Lopetegui make a flurry of new signings. He apparently wants to get the majority of his business wrapped up before our first pre-season game against Dagenham and Redbridge on July 20th.
It seems as though there is one man Lopetegui definitely wants to sign, and he could be available for a real bargain fee now…
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui can now strike deal for forward
Lopetegui has already brought Guilherme and Wes Foderingham to the London Stadium this summer.
However, if the Spaniard is to oversee some genuine progress at West Ham, he needs to make a bare minimum of five more top quality new additions.
The need for a new centre-back has been well documented, but our forward line is still in need of more competition and cover.
And there’s one man out there who seems to be persistently linked with moving to East London.
Wesley Gassova of Corinthians was one of the first Brazilian forwards Tim Steidten eyed up, and we actually had a £15 million bid rejected for him.
Now a new claim has emerged out in Italy. Area Napoli have covered quotes from ESPN’s Brazilian football correspondent Diego Mezzogiorno on the current Wesley situation.
“Two weeks ago a journalist who covers Corinthians in Brazil had the news that some Napoli executives were following the boy. When I had the chance to speak with Conte and De Laurentiis I asked them about it. Porto and West Ham have been on Wesley’s trail for some time, he plays in the role of Kvaratskhelia.”
“The manager has not confirmed me, but he has not said no to me. If Napoli wants him, they would take this boy for 10 million euros.”
I’m sorry, but I highly doubt the veracity of these claims.
Why on earth would Corinthians sell Wesley, 19, for just £8.5 million now, when they rejected a £15.4 million bid from the Hammers last month?
It just makes no sense to me. I think these claims may have been lost in translation somewhere along the line.
Either that, or the suggestions were nothing more than ill-informed rubbish made to generate online interaction.
The 19-year-old Corinthians ace is a real talent, and the fact that he’s a right-footed left winger means that there is probably some truth in the Hammers’ apparent interest in signing him.
That’s one area of the West Ham squad where Lopetegui definitely needs to address urgently.
However, he will cost in excess of £20 million, I have no doubts about that.
Julen Lopetegui undoubtedly needs to bring another forward to West Ham, but I don’t think Wesley Gassova will be the man he signs, especially not for £8.5 million.
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