West Ham United strike £12.8m Fabricio Bruno deal, five-year contract to be signed soon
West Ham United are set to secure their first signing under Julen Lopetegui, as Brazil defender Fabricio Bruno has agreed to join the club from Flamengo, according to Brazilian journalist Vene Casagrande.
Casagrande’s post on X [22 May] details that Bruno has agreed a five-year contract at the London Stadium, with West Ham set to pay a fee of around £12.8m for his services.
The news will come as an exciting shout for Hammers fans, with Bruno making his Brazil national team debut this year following excellent displays in his homeland for Flamengo, who he joined in 2022.
Lopetegui is part of a wider scheme in terms of recruitment at the club with technical director Tim Steidten and the board, and Bruno looks set to become their first capture.
West Ham begin new era with Brazil man
After Fabricio Bruno plays in the Copa do Brasil and the Copa Libertadores, he will become a West Ham United player by 29 May.
This kickstarts a new era as the first recruit made after the departure of David Moyes, with a global recruitment team looking to help take the Hammers to the next level.
Bruno appeared for Brazil for the first time back in March against England, and must surely have had West Ham scouts looking at his game at the time – the 28-year-old is a stranger to the Premier League, but carries plenty of experience in the Brazilian game that the club will hope can be honed by Lopetegui.
The East Londoners are expected to be extremely active in the transfer market this summer with plenty of incomings and outgoings, the latter possibly including Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma from the defence, making Bruno a key signing in such case.
A marker has certainly been set down early doors at the London Stadium, with players of a terrific calibre being attracted to the long-term club project.
In other West Ham news, the club are interested in a highly-rated Hertha Berlin man.
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