West Ham will regret missing out on Flamengo wonderkid Matheus Franca as transfer news drops
West Ham will regret missing out on Brazilian wonderkid Matheus Franca, as direct Premier League rivals Crystal Palace are set to seal his transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
West Ham had displayed interest in bringing the Brazilian to East London [Daily Mail, 1 July], but the Brazilian is set to join London rivals Crystal Palace south of the river, in a deal worth up to £25.7million including add-ons, with £17million to be paid upfront.
The Hammers’ interest in Franca came following the appointment of Tim Steidten as technical director, who is credited with bringing Kevin de Bruyne to England, which in itself is an endorsement of Franca’s talent and potential.
Crystal Palace have real talent on their hands
Franca will join the South London outfit following the departure of the talismanic Wilfried Zaha, who left to join Galatasaray following the expiry of his contract. The Eagles look to have found another gem to add to their collection.
The Brazilian is described by The Athletic as “a gem that needs polishing”, but the club’s record of refining attacking talent in recent years has been displayed by Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze’s outstanding performances last season, as the former bagged 11 assists while the latter reached double-figures in goalscoring for the first time in his career.
France ranks in the top 95% of players in the world’s “next eight” competitions (those outside of the recognised top 5 leagues) at passes attempted, progressive passes, progressive carries, successful take-ons, and progressive passes received, showing the sort of player that has arrived in South London.
As well as a clear flair for attacking potential, Franca has also shown great ability at the other end of the pitch, ranking in the 99th percentile for both tackles and interceptions, while he is in the 92nd percentile for blocks (all stats per 90 from FBRef).
The Hammers are yet to strengthen in the transfer market since they also say their main man leave in Declan Rice, and are now seeing clubs they are likely to be competing for Premier League positions with making these types of ambitious signings.
Palace finished three places above West Ham last season, and adding such a talented player to their squad may help extend that distance, with both sides losing key players this summer but only one strengthening so far.
West Ham may regret missing out on Franca this summer, especially if he goes on to reach the potential he has been tipped for.
In other West Ham news, the club have finally reached an agreement to sign Juventus midfielder.