West Ham table formal bid for Martinelli as full details emerge
The transfer window is over, with West Ham having completed plenty of business over the last month.
Nuno Espirito Santo was handed quite a few new players to work with, and the Portuguese head coach will now be looking to steer West Ham out of the relegation zone.
The Hammers’ front line has received a huge overhaul, as Taty Castellanos and Pablo have transformed West Ham’s attack.
Additionally, the arrival of Adama Traore at the London Stadium is sure to please Nuno, with the 52-year-old wanting to work with him again since he was at Nottingham Forest in the summer.
However, there was one other player West Ham attempted to sign, with details of an offer now coming out.
West Ham sent offer for Matheus Martinelli in winter window
West Ham lost Lucas Paqueta, with the Brazilian midfielder wanting to return to his home country.
In the end, the E20 side did not replace Paqueta, but Mateus Fernandes has been proving himself in that role.
On their books, West Ham made a profit on Paqueta, and it seems that they did in fact try to bring in another midfielder, even if it was not the same profile.
Reports suggested West Ham wanted Evertton Araujo included in the Paqueta deal, but they also tried to snap up a different Brazilian midfielder.
According to Brazilian outlet Globo, West Ham were among a host of clubs that sent an offer for Fluminense midfielder Matheus Martinelli.
The report states that the Hammers were joined by the likes of Besiktas, Olympiacos and clubs within Arab football.
Each offer sent was around £10.4million (€12m), but Fluminense rejected all incoming offers for the 24-year-old.
Who is Matheus Martinelli?
Martinelli is a 24-year-old Brazilian defensive midfielder currently at Fluminense.
He has been at the Brazilian Serie A club since 2017, where he came through as an academy prospect in 2020.
He has played 299 times for the side, scoring 15 goals and getting 18 assists.
The midfielder was a key player in Fluminense’s Copa Libertadores success back in 2023. Most recently, he featured in the Club World Cup, where his side got all the way to the semi-finals.
Martinelli is highly regarded in his home country and rated as one of the best in his position in the Brazilian Serie A.
On the surface, the Hammers would certainly have got themselves quite the player.