West Ham interested in Brazilian duo as club plot January transfer swoop

West Ham United’s Head of Recruitment Rob Newman has set up a scouting network in Brazil, in which he aims to target Brazilian youth players.

This new network has led to the Hammers scouting Sao Paulo defender Luizao, who has reportedly travelled to London to undergo a medical.

Should Luizao sign for West Ham, he may not have to wait long for his teammate to join him. Pablo Maia is now in talks to move to East London, and West Ham plans to sign both players next month.

West Ham ready to make transfer swoop for Brazilian duo in January.

Maia, who turns 21 next month, has been with Sao Paulo since he was 17. He made his professional debut with the club earlier this year and broke a club record; he became the club’s leader in most debut-season appearances, having played in 61 games.

Maia can alternate between playing as a defensive midfielder and a centre-back. He is often placed in the centre of the midfield, preferring to drop back into the defensive zone to make passes. Maia tends to show a greater contribution when the ball is transitioned to his team, demonstrating good positional awareness and vision in order to set up his teammates.

Maia does not always show athleticism in his style of play, but he receives praise for his level-headed approach to football. His importance in the midfield, as well as his ability to dictate the game, has shown why many clubs have monitored him in the past. It may very well be why West Ham aims to sign him.

As for Luizao, he is a left footed centre-back who can also play as a left-back.

At just 20-years-old he has not played many first-team matches but he has impressed in the matches he has featured in. But his contract expires at the end of this season and a number of European clubs are monitoring him.

Luizao also posted a cryptic message on social media that could be interrupted as a farewell to Sao Paulo.