According to The Express, West Ham are interested in signing Vitoria de Guimaraes attacker Jota Silva in a bargain deal this summer.
The newspaper reported on their website on April 23 that the Portuguese international has a £17 million release clause in his contract, but with only 12 months left on that deal at the end of the current season, his club would be willing to reduce the asking price by up to £7 million to avoid losing him for nothing.
The Hammers have recently been scouting the 24-year-old, who is said to be “keen” on a move to the Premier League following an impressive season in which he scored 15 goals and assisted seven more across all competitions.
Brighton and Fulham are both said to be interested, with Wolves also evaluating Silva, while Aston Villa currently appear to be out, but could “jump to the front of the queue” if they want to because their owners also own a stake in Vitoria.
Brighton and Fulham could challenge West Ham for Jota Silva.
Silva fits the profile of a player that West Ham clearly needs after failing to sign any attacking reinforcements during the January transfer window.
Despite unsuccessful attempts to sign Ibrahim Osman and Jota from Saudi Arabia during the winter window, the Irons allowed Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals to leave, despite the drama surrounding their late departures.
And, with Maxwel Cornet a virtual non-factor at the London Stadium under David Moyes, the Irons have been left short when key players like Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus are unavailable.
Cornet may get a renewed opportunity at West Ham if there is a change in manager, as recent developments suggest. However, Lucas Paqueta is still at risk of leaving for Manchester City, so there is likely to be great need for attacking additions.
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If Tim Steidten and his recruitment department believe that Silva can adapt to the Premier League then at around £10m he looks like a great-value option.
But if there are multiple other top flight sides sniffing around him West Ham are unlikely to be able to afford to hesitate once the campaign ends, so sorting out the managerial questions and getting plans in place with whoever is set to take charge of next season is a must.
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Jonathan Jonathan