FC Porto Drop Interest In West Ham Linked Midfielder | OneFootball

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West Ham United have now been boosted in their chase of midfield target Richard Rios, as European giants FC Porto are out of the race.

The Hammers are all set to sign off on an awful season in the Premier League, despite it starting with high expectations after heavy investment last summer.

The likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Crysensio Summerville have struggled to stay fit, and when they were fit, they could not deliver.

Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter was brought in to steady the ship earlier this year, but he has not been able to do much since his arrival.

The Irons are set for a bottom half of the table finish and the club hierarchy are looking at players to strengthen the squad to help them have a better next season.

Potter wants to bring in players in multiple positions and strengthening the engine room of the team is a major objective.

Palmeiras central midfielder Rios is a player they have been repeatedly linked with, but Portuguese giants Porto have also been keen.

However, according to French journalist Santi Aouna, Porto are not chasing the midfielder anymore, as they are close to securing Gabri Veiga.

Palmeiras are ready to let Rios go, but they are looking for a fee of around €30m to do that.

It is not clear how much money Potter will be given to work with because West Ham are not in any European competition next season.

He is sure to want as much backing as the club can manage, while players will also likely be sold to bring in further cash.

Now, only time will tell if West Ham will move for Rios, whose contract at the Brazilian club is valid until December 2028.