West Ham working on double Sao Paulo deal as Luizao arrives for medical | OneFootball

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90min

·13 December 2022

West Ham working on double Sao Paulo deal as Luizao arrives for medical

Article image:West Ham working on double Sao Paulo deal as Luizao arrives for medical

Luizao is not the only Sao Paulo player West Ham United hope to sign in the January transfer window, sources have confirmed to 90min.

The Hammers have already agreed a three-and-a-half year deal with the talented 20-year-old central defender and will welcome him to London Stadium once his contract at Sao Paulo, which expires at the end of January, runs out.


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Benfica, Sporting, Porto, Fulham, Wolves, Juventus and the Red Bull group were all interested in signing Luizao, but he struck an agreement with West Ham after the club undertook an extensive scouting mission in South America.

90min understands that Luizao arrived in England on Monday ahead of a planned medical, but he is not the only Sao Paulo player that West Ham hope to bring in.

Exploratory talks have also been held with the Brazilian giants over a deal for Pablo Maia, who is also 20, although West Ham and Sao Paulo are yet to agree the structure of a potential move.

West Ham would ideally like to loan Maia with a view to a permanent switch, sources have told 90min, but Sao Paulo's preference is to sanction a permanent transfer for the defensive midfielder in January.

Fulham have already had a bid for Maia rejected, 90min further understands, while Tottenham are also monitoring his development at Sao Paulo.

West Ham spent over £150m in the summer transfer window, bringing in Lucas Paqueta, Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer, Maxwel Cornet, Emerson Palmieri, Alphonse Areola and Flynn Downes, but have struggled for form domestically.

They have lost nine of the 15 Premier League games they have played so far this season and sit just a point above the relegation zone. David Moyes's side did, however, breeze through their Europa Conference League group after winning all six of their games.

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