West Ham United must be sure before they approach Guilherme Arana
West Ham United have identified Atletico Mineiro’s exciting full-back Guilherme Arana as a potential summer signing but they need to be sure.
The 25-year-old is currently out in South Korea with the Brazilian national team and his staff have been approached by Hammers representatives to discuss conditions of a deal.
Journalist Jorge Nicola revealed that the Irons are competing with Wolves for Arana’s signature via his YouTube channel but reaffirmed that no official approach had been made.
“Atletico Mineiro is in danger of losing Guilherme Arena in the middle of the season with clubs interested in the left-back,” Nicola said.
“I recently talked to someone close to Arena who said he would not renew with the Rooster because there is an expectation that he will be sold in the middle of the season.
“I have been back in touch with this person who says there is nothing black and white in terms of an offer but two English clubs recently surveyed Arena’s staff to understand the conditions of the business.
“One team was Wolverhampton, who have a lot of Portuguese athletes, and the other was West Ham.”
Atletico Mineiro insider Fred Augusto also reported that there was Premier League interest in Arana but added that a deal would have to be worth £16.25million to prize him away from the Brazilian leagues [Twitter].
A left-back is probably fairly high on David Moyes’ list of positions he needs to strengthen despite having Aaron Cresswell tied down to a new deal as his number one choice.
The Englishman and his deadly left boot won’t be around forever and there needs to be some forward-thinking shown, especially as he is the only natural left-sided defender at the club.
Arana might be the man to provide some competition and cover in that area but the club have to make sure he is right for them before spending such a large amount on a player with limited European experience.
In other West Ham news, this Hammer will only leave the London Stadium this summer if a Champions League club makes a reasonable offer.
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Hammers plus more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.