Presenter ExWHUemployee has stated that West Ham United are not close to signing Brazilian midfielder Lazaro, despite reports to the contrary.
According to trusted transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers recently saw an opening proposal of £6m rejected for the Flamengo man, with his club wanting more money.
If this is to be believed, it seems as though David Moyes and co are pretty keen on landing Lazaro this summer. However, according to Ex, these reports are not accurate and a deal isn’t ‘even being particularly discussed’ by the Premier League club.
Indeed, while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, the insider explained: “We were linked with Lazaro, a Brazilian midfielder, a youngster who plays for Flamengo, one of the biggest clubs in Rio de Janeiro. We apparently bid £6m for him but his club want around £20m.
“This has come from Fabrizio Romano. Now, having spoken to him, we speak most days, he’s told me that the president of Flamengo told him that that is the case.
“But I’ve spoken to people in West Ham – and I hate it when I go up against Fabrizio because it’s never a clever move, but often when I do, it’s proven to be ok, particularly when it’s West Ham news – I’ve been told that there isn’t any truth in that deal being close or even being particularly discussed. I think it was more agent-motivated.”
Do you think the reports linking Lazaro with a West Ham transfer are accurate?
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TIF Thoughts on Lazaro and West Ham…
Lazaro is clearly a highly rated talent, with Total Football Analysis explaining that he is a ‘versatile player’ who mainly plays as a centre-forward or an attacking midfielder but can operate on either flank.
But if Ex’s claim is accurate, West Ham currently don’t look likely to land him this summer, despite what has been reported by Romano.
It’s certainly hard to know who to trust with both being pretty reputable sources, so it looks like the proof will simply be in the pudding when the transfer window closes on 1st September.