Who is Gustavo Sa? Meet the 'extraordinary' midfielder West Ham are set to sign
Gustavo Sa looks on course to be West Ham's first major signing of the summer.
The Hammers have already sold Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur, so midfield additions will be required.
Immediate promotion out of the Championship is the expectation following last season's relegation.
The arrival of the Portuguese midfielder could very well be the start of the Irons' busy summer of business.
Nuno Espirito Santo has had plenty of success when it comes to dipping into the Portuguese league market throughout his career.
And, now he is seemingly wants to do so in E20 with Sa the latest of his exploits.
Where would Gustavo Sa fit into Nuno Espirito Santo's vision?
When it comes to Sa, many West Ham fans may be wondering if he could be the Fernandes replacement.
The midfielder seems to be on his way to London Stadium, with Portuguese media reporting that a £17million deal with West Ham for Sa has been struck, via Record.
However, Sa is not quite the same profile as the now-former West Ham ace.
The Famalicao star is a much more attacking midfield option, who operates more in the final third compared to Fernandes.
Last season, the Liga Portugal midfielder scored four goals for his side, while the 21-year-old also picked up two assists.
However, if his teammates had more quality, he could have had much more. Sa, despite having just two assists, ended the season with an expected 4.42 assists according to Sofascore.
Additionally, over the course of the season, Sa created 11 big chances for Famalicao.
So, when it comes to where Sa would fit into Nuno's plans, it would likely be in the number 10 role, directly behind the striker.
A position that was taken up by winter signing Pablo during the latter part of the 2025-2026 season.
Pablo failed to fulfill the duties required so the acquisition of a proper attacking midfielder is the perfect start to the window for West Ham.
Why Sa is perfect for Nuno Espirito Santo
When it comes to Sa's work rate, his agent Helios Martins had an exemplary review of the type of person the midfielder is.
And that glowing praise makes him a perfect addition for Nuno.
As relayed by A Bola, he stated: "We are in the presence of an extraordinary human being, a young man who has constantly overcome every adversity.
"Gustavo's path has been built on the premise of wanting to challenge himself daily, of always wanting to compete with the best."
After Nuno managed to bring in Portuguese gems during his time with Wolves, including Ruben Neves, the hope will be is that Sa can have just as much impact in the Championship as the former Premier League star once had.