Report – West Ham agree loan deal for 20y/o Euro dazzler, could be completed in days
West Ham looked destined to miss out on Benfica youngster Gedson Fernandes at one point.
The Hammers had stalled in their attempt to bring the 20-year-old to east London, as per The Guardian, with competition from Everton looking to have derailed their bid for an 18 month loan deal.
But a fresh update on Thursday could mean that the transfer is back on track.
According to a report from Football Insider, the Hammers have reached an agreement on the terms of an 18 month loan deal for the youngster without an option to buy at the end of it.
It is understood that the player is keen on a move to the Premier League, and that his preferred destination is London for family reasons.
This latest development could mean that Fernandes flies in to complete his switch in the coming days.
The West Ham Zone View of this deal, should it come off, is that it has the potential to be pretty special.
Fernandes is a precocious talent, there’s no doubt about that, but he has hit the buffers a little bit with Benfica.
So far this term he has just two league starts to his name, and it’s understandable that his form has suffered as a result.
The midfielder has a Whoscored rating of just 6.38 for the season, but that’s no reason to despair or write him off.
In the Europa League last year, for instance, the player was averaging 2.5 tackles per game in the centre of the park, as per Whoscored. That’s more than Mark Noble has managed for the Hammers this term.
If this deal is tied up, and that’s looking increasingly likely, then the Hammers could have a real player on their hands, provided they show him a little bit of patience.
In other news, Danny Mills urges West Ham to complete swoop for 29yo int’l who would ‘immediately’ improve side.