LIVE
...

Follow us on

Soccer News

Club may be forced to sell £9m man to West Brom, but rivals lead race

Photo by Silvio Avila/Getty Images
Photo by Silvio Avila/Getty Images
Follow us on Google Discover
2020 Brasileirao Series A: Santos v Sao Paulo Play Behind Closed Doors Amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) Pandemic
Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images

West Brom are in talks to sign Sao Paulo forward Gabriel Sara but Championship rivals Norwich City are leading the race to ahead of a potential £9 million deal, Brazilian reporter Jorge Nicola says on his YouTube channel. 

Tall, rangy, powerful and boasting a wand of a left-foot, you can see why a Norwich City side with an impressive track record when it comes to unearthing diamonds in the rough have taken a liking to the spellbinding Sara.

The 23-year-old playmaker is a hugely exciting prospect. Did we mention he hit double figures for goals in 2020/21, too? 

The Athletic broke the news on Wednesday, claiming that Norwich are in talks to sign Sara. The balletic, velvet-toed youngster is likely to arrive at Carrow Road on an initial loan-to-buy deal.

But it’s not over until the fat lady sings, as they say, and West Brom could still have a verse in this particular song. 

Norwich and West Brom compete for Gabriel Sara

“Two clubs in the English Championship have looked at Sao Paulo with the intention of hiring the player,” explains Nicola. “West Brom are one of the interested parties. Norwich are a little further ahead in the negotiations in relation to West Brom. 

“The deal could reach up to 10.6 million euros (£9 million), plus some future bonuses that will be linked to the performance of the player in English football.

“Sao Paulo are in need of money. And they are likely to accept the offer from Norwich.” 

Gremio v Sao Paulo - Brasileirao 2021
Photo by Silvio Avila/Getty Images

Sara has been out of action since April after suffering a ligament injury in his right ankle. And Nicola beleives that, with Sara still unavailable for the time being, a deal may have to wait until the New Year.

“He will only be sent to Norwich from January,” the reporter says. “So he can finish his recovery process here.”

West Brom’s interest is a bit of a surprise, given that Steve Bruce has already added two talented attacking midfielders to his ranks this summer.

John Swift has arrived from Reading, followed by former Millwall talisman Jed Wallace. 

Derby County v Millwall - Sky Bet Championship
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images