West Ham United could not have asked for a better time to pause play during the 2022-23 Premier League season after David Moyes’ Hammers came into the extended international break on the back of four losses in their last six league fixtures while sitting just outside the bottom three.
Despite their struggles on the pitch at current, the capital outfit still has one eye looking toward the future after reports from Mail Sport have linked West Ham with inching toward a completed deal for São Paulo academy product Luizao.
West Ham close in on the signing of Brazilian defender Luizao https://t.co/XZfyHS700E
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) December 14, 2022
The 20-year-old left-footed center-back was in London on Monday to complete his medical with the Premier League side as he looks all but guaranteed to make a free move in January once his contract expires
Given his age, Luizao is on course to come into the Hammer’s developmental side at first with the future of the club in mind, with the Brazilian set to first be on terms during a three-and-a-half-year contract.
West Ham’s chief center-back options before the season were all on the wrong side of thirty apart from Kurt Zouma, which prompted moves for Nayef Aguerd and then Thilo Kehrer on deadline day after Aguerd suffered a long-term injury at the beginning of the season. But with both Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson both at least 32 years of age, future options were in need of being secured.
The club is also linked with eyeing up another São Paulo talent in 20-year-old midfielder Pablo Maia in what could end up as a similar move akin to Luizao, though no further details were provided in the Mail’s earlier report.
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