West Ham United lead race to sign Luizao with contract decision made
West Ham United are now the standout team in pursuit of Sao Paulo defender Luizao with his contract situation becoming clear, according to Andre Hernan.
Hernan, a Brazilian journalist whose YouTube channel has more than 200,000 subscribers, believes that despite Sao Paulo’s best efforts to re-sign the 20-year-old, he has decided to pursue a career in Europe.
His contract at his boyhood club is due to end on 31 January but the Irons may well look to purchase him for a small fee before then to bring him to the Premier League.
“Sao Paulo, it was communicated that Luizao will not renew the contract and must be going to an English club,” Hernan said.
“Sao Paulo were trying their last card but how much their last offer is worth does not interest Luizao as he previously had a long contract and Sao Paulo did not want to do that.
“There are already a lot of people (clubs) on top of him now he has started to perform at Sao Paulo who have since offered three proposals, none of which were accepted.
“There are now two options for Luizao, the first of which is that he has a dream to play in Europe and the Premier League and that dream should come in January.
“Luizao wants there to be a financial reward for Sao Paulo which will go a long way and it will come with the club in the lead of the race being West Ham from England.
“It will require talks between West Ham and Sao Paulo to come to a common agreement.”
Future
Having not played every game in the Brazilian Serie A during 2022, there is surely no way David Moyes wants Luizao to come in and play every single week in the Premier League.
With Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer and Craig Dawson, he already has a very solid contingent of central defenders to choose from, as long as they manage to stay fit, and there is no obvious place for the 20-year-old to slide in.
But in two or three years’ time, they could all have moved on elsewhere in theory and West Ham have to protect themselves and their future by getting in players who could make the grade one day.
It is obviously a gamble to go and sign somebody who has not yet played a minute of football on European soil at a senior level but sometimes that is where the bargains can be found.
He must have some ability to be rated by Sao Paulo, one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, so if the cost is not astronomical for a young, hungry, talented player, then it is certainly a gamble worth taking.