West Ham sporting director Tim Steidten has been in Brazil to work on new signings for Julen Lopetegui but the potential arrival of defender Fabricio Bruno now looks dead in the water
West Ham’s deal to sign Brazil international central defender Fabricio Bruno is understood to have collapsed.
The Hammers agreed a package with Flamengo worth an initial £10.2million plus around £1.3m in add-ons but negotiations over personal terms have proven complex. West Ham tabled Bruno a four-year contract which did not include a notable pay-rise and given his Flamengo contract runs until December 2028, the player was not satisfied with the offer.
At this moment in time, the Hammers have decided they do not wish to raise their proposal, meaning talks have broken down. It remains to be seen if the deal could be revived at a later date.
Bruno, represented by Jay-Z’s agency Roc Nation Sports, has also attracted interest from elsewhere in Europe and Saudi Arabia having made his Brazil debut in the Selecao’s 1-0 win over England at Wembley Stadium in March.
Hull City’s Jacob Greaves is another target of strong interest at the London Stadium. Crucially, he is only 23, homegrown and has admirable leadership qualities. Strengthening in defence is among West Ham’s top priorities this summer with Italian veteran Angelo Ogbonna poised to depart upon the expiry of his contract.
Restless sporting director Tim Steidten has been in South America working on finalising the agreement for Bruno and the German has now also set his sights on 18-year-old Brazilian wide talent Luis Guilherme, who belongs to Palmeiras and is also of interest to Brentford.
Corinthians’ attacking starlet Wesley Gassova also features on West Ham’s shortlist but he has been offered to multiple top clubs across Europe including Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid while Brighton and Crystal Palace have also studied his file.
A deal could cost upwards of £30m as Julen Lopetegui’s side continue to sweat on the future of Lucas Paqueta after he was charged with breaching FA betting regulations. Brazil have since confirmed they’ll be including Paqueta in their squad for the Copa America. He joined up with his international team-mates in Orlando today after the FA confirmed to the CBF that there is currently no ban imposed against the 26-year-old.
Meanwhile, Southampton want to make Flynn Downes’ loan permanent following a successful, promotion-winning stint at St Mary’s. However, he is due to be assessed by new boss Lopetegui in pre-season before any final call on his future is made. It’s thought he would prefer to stay in east London.
The Saints are also eyeing the return of Danny Ings while Russell Martin’s side have also looked at Ben Johnson, who could be available on a free transfer beyond June 30.
West Ham look poised to complete the signing of Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham as they look to strengthen their options in reserve between the sticks.
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