West Ham weighing up bid for Brazilian striker Yuri Alberto | OneFootball

West Ham United are ramping up their efforts to sign a striker this month.

South American football expert Tim Vickery told Sky Sports that the Hammers have set their sights on Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto.

The 23-year-old came close to joining Southampton last summer, but he could now be on his way to the London Stadium.

Alberto finished last season as the top scorer in the Brazilian top flight, bagging 15 goals and five assists in 29 league games.

The Brazilian notched 31 goals and seven assists in 57 games across all competitions last term, cementing his position as one of the most prolific strikers in South America.

Alberto had a brief spell with Zenit St Petersburg in Russia a couple of years ago, where he recorded six goals and four assists in 15 games.

He established a formidable partnership with former Manchester United forward Memphis Depay in Brazil, firing Corinthians to the Copa Libertadores play-offs.

West Ham have been impressed by Alberto’s performances for Corinthians and are reportedly prepared to table a €20 million bid this month.

Corinthians are not interested in cutting ties with Alberto, but their valuation of the striker is around €10m, so they could be forced to do business if West Ham act on their interest.