West Ham United are set to hold talks with Corinthians for Yuri Alberto.
According to journalist Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato via Twitter, West Ham United are set to hold talks with Brazilian giants Corinthians for striker Yuri Alberto. The 22-year-old came through the ranks at Santos, making his senior bow in 2017 at the age of 16 in a 3-1 loss to Bahia. He would spend three seasons in the Santos senior team before moving to Internacional.
He spent two seasons at the Beira-Rio before moving to Europe with Russian side Zenit St Petersburg in 2022. His stint in Russia lasted just a few months as he returned that June to Corinthians on loan before the deal was made permanent this year.
Alberto now looks set for a return to Europe with West Ham keeping tabs. The Hammers are on the lookout for a striker who can help take the pressure off Michail Antonio upfront.
🚨⚒️🇧🇷🇲🇦🇫🇷 #PL |
◉ Tim Steidten will fly in Brasil in the next hours for Yuri Alberto, the striker of Corinthians with who he got an agreement. The German sports director wants to seal the deal and come with the player to London.
◉ West Ham still follow Hugo Ekitike/ Youssef… pic.twitter.com/Hg3xV7s8QA
— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) August 28, 2023
Gianluca Scamacca’s exit coupled with Danny Ings’s fall from grace makes Antonio the Hammers’ lone reliable senior striker. Ings has been linked with a move to Everton, more or less leaving David Moyes with little options upfront.
While Mohammed Kudus has since been added, the Hammers do need an out-and-out striker who can not just lead the line but also find the back of the net consistently. Tim Steidten, the club’s technical director is set to fly out to Brazil with the intention to bring the 22-year-old Alberto to the London Stadium.
A team player who is rather mobile, Alberto will take some getting used to the English game. However, his raw potential and skills are visible for all to see, making him a potential star in the making. Should West Ham act fast, they can land the 22-year-old before other bigger teams are alerted to his presence.
West Ham are seeking more than one striker this summer with Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike and Sevilla’s Youssef En-Neysri on their radar. With just days left for the summer transfer window to slam shut, who the Hammers end up with remains to be seen.
