West Ham want to sign Brazilian midfielder Pablo Maia, it’s his dream to play in Europe
West Ham received a boost in their pursuit of Pablo Maia after the Sao Paulo midfielder claimed it is his dream to play in Europe.
The Hammers are keen on signing 20-year-old midfielder Maia from Sao Paulo in January, according to Brazilian outlet UOL.
West Ham have also been heavily linked with Maia’s teammate Luizao, and it seems David Moyes’ side could make a double sweep in Brazil.
They were handed a boost in their pursuit of Maia this week after the midfielder claimed playing in Europe in his “dream”.
“Opportunities will come, I’m prepared. It’s a dream to play in Europe, but my family and agents take care of it. I’m focused on playing football,” said the highly-rated Brazilian.
Scouting masterclass
While West Ham used the summer to scoop a number of big-name stars such as Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca, the Hammers went for a more subtle approach in January after setting up a scouting network in Brazil.
It’s clearly a system that is working, as West Ham are already trying to tie up deals for Luizao and Maia, while Brazilian journalist Jose Passini also confirmed that the Hammers are “monitoring” youngster Jeffinho over a potential move.
West Ham don’t have an infinite supply of cash and spending large on big stars was never going to be sustainable. So to see the club balance it out with some clever scouting is a delight to see.
Hopefully across West Ham’s handful of Brazil stars the club finds one or two hidden gems that will grow to be superstars in east London.
Moyes will hope that one of them is Maia, who will help to reinforce a West Ham midfield desperately needing more depth.