West Ham United have made an official proposal to sign Barcelona goalkeeper Neto in the upcoming January transfer window.
According to a report from Fichajes, FC Barcelona are set for a grand reset after the appointment of Xavi Hernandez, with many players set to leave the club in the upcoming January transfer window. One of the players who have no future at Camp Nou is Neto Murara and as it appears, West Ham United have apparently made an official bid to secure his services in the coming months.
Neto joined Barcelona in 2019 in a direct swap deal involving Jasper Cillessen. He was brought in as a primary backup for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but the club had to settle for a hefty wage due to the player’s excellent track record as well as the experience of having played for reputed clubs from Juventus and Valencia.
However, almost two and half years into his new spell at Camp Nou, Neto has turned into a liability for Barcelona. His hefty wages have crippled the club’s financial firepower, while the player himself is unhappy over his lack of game-time at the club.
Indeed, the Brazilian has featured in only 19 competitive matches since joining Barcelona. He has been often overlooked by the Catalans, who have continued to put their faith in Ter Stegen, even when the German has underperformed.
But the recent appointment of Xavi could now see a major change in Barca’s goalkeeping department. It appears the club is ready to offload both Neto and Inaki Pena.
West Ham are now ready to pounce on this opportunity and secure the services of Neto in the upcoming January transfer window. The Hammers are in the market for a new goalkeeper as the ever-reliable Lukasz Fabianski will leave the club at the end of the season while loan signing Alphonse Areola has struggled for game-time since joining from Real Madrid.
It opens up an opportunity for Neto to potentially become West Ham’s number one goalkeeper next season. The London giants might not be an unappealing destination even from a sporting perspective, given the way they have performed under David Moyes lately.
As for Barcelona, the Brazilian’s departure could be a step in the right direction as new coach Xavi looks to shake up things and build the new-look Barca setup that will hope to restore the club’s lost glory in the coming years.
