West Ham’s season has continued to disappoint, with the Hammers languishing near the bottom of the Premier League.
Goals are hard to come by, defensive errors are mounting, and even the new summer signings in midfield, like Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa, have yet to make a real impact.
With Lucas Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen offering some spark but little else clicking, January could prove pivotal for Nuno Espirito Santo as he looks to strengthen the squad.
And it seems work is already underway to land the centre-back he wants most.
West Ham Eyeing Alexsandro
Brazil's Alexsandro. (REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)
Brazil’s Alexsandro. (REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)
According to ESPN Brasil, West Ham are targeting Brazilian centre-back Alexsandro from Lille in a deal reportedly worth around £26m.
The 26-year-old, who recently earned his first call-up to the Brazil national team, is seen as a crucial piece in Nuno’s plan to rebuild the defence, particularly given the disappointing form of Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman.
Talking to Hammer News about the links with the Brazilian, a top West Ham transfer source confirmed that the club have made encouraging progress.
“The Lille player was on Nuno’s list when he arrived and he is the top target,” the source revealed. “Early talks have been held over price and whether the deal can be done and the signs are good.”
“Ideally Nuno wants him in the building in the first week of January as every game is going to be so important,” they added.
Alexsandro is represented by Roc Nation, who also handle Paquetá, giving the Hammers a solid working relationship to facilitate negotiations.
With talks already underway, West Ham appear set to prioritise a defensive upgrade as they look to arrest a troubling slide in the Premier League.