Gustavo Sa to West Ham at final stages as Famalicao exit closer than ever

West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Famalicao's Gustavo Sa.

The Hammers are close to finalising their second signing of the summer after Keiber Lamadrid's loan move was made permanent.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been in clear need of a replacement for Mateus Fernandes, who recently left the London Stadium to join Tottenham in an £85million move.

Tomas Soucek is set to stay in E20, and Sa could be his midfield partner for the Championship next season.

That's because West Ham are close to reaching an agreement with Famalicao for the Portuguese U21s star.

If the hype is anything to go by, the Irons are onto a winner.

West Ham move closer to Gustavo Sa deal

According to A Bola this Sunday, Sa is "very close" to seeing his move to West Ham made official.

The two clubs are already said to be close to finalising a deal, with everything pointing towards a £17m exit fee.

Sa was close to joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Itihad in recent months, but the deal fell through at the final stages, and he now looks set to become a Hammer.

The final details are being talked over, and the Irons will be hoping that the 21-year-old can fill the boots of Fernandes fairly quickly.

In saying that, their respective data from last season may show they are not worlds apart anyway.

Sa compared to Mateus Fernandes; stats review

While Liga Portugal is of lesser quality than the Premier League, it has produced some top-class players over the years.

Bruno Fernandes didn't take too long to transition to English football, did he?

Though Fernandes racked up two more assists than Sa, the latter created an improved 1.45 in terms of expected assists, which suggests it was his teammates who let him down.

Sa created 43 chances in 23 games compared to Fernandes' 37 in 36 appearances, while he also managed to get 15 extra shots off.

While the new Tottenham man did have more of a defensive duty at times, Sa still made 0.29 more clearances per 90 and won possession back in the final third more times on average.

The stats suggest that the West Ham-bound midfielder could perhaps one day be an upgrade on Fernandes.