West Ham United have had a loan bid for Pablo Maia rejected with Sao Paulo in negotiations to sell the midfielder to Premier League rivals Fulham in a potential £9 million deal, according to Brazilian publication Lance.
After missing out to West Ham for the signature of highly-rated centre-back Luizao, Marco Silva’s Cottagers may be about to take some rather poetic and immediate revenge.
Maia, Luizao’s Sao Paulo team-mate, is also likely to be plying his trade on English soil in 2023.
West Ham a big fans of the tough-tackling midfielder, but their hopes of another raid on Sao Paulo have taken a serious hit with the Tricolor rejecting an initial loan offer from the London Stadium outfit.
As Lance point out, negotiations to sell Maia to Fulham instead are ongoing. The Cottagers are not only much further down the line in their pursuit of the ball-winning 20-year-old battle-axe, they are also willing to meet Sao Paulo’s £9 million asking price.
Fulham are expected to beat London rivals West Ham United to Pablo Maia of Sao Paulo
Maia, the report adds, has been in talks with Fulham since October. He is expected to join the West London outfit in June rather than January, however; Maia’s agent is encouraging his client to stay in Brazil until the summer.
“We have many queries. He has caught the attention of the international market,” Junior Pedroso explains. “He is maturing. And it won’t be bad to stay another six months in Sao Paulo.”
Fulham had an opening bid of around £6 million rejected recently. Maia is a midfielder in the Harrison Reed mould; energetic, aggressive and tenacious. In 22 league starts last season, he picked up seven yellow cards. Maia, then, should fit in nicely at the heart of a Fulham midfield capable of out-running and out-fighting most in the top-flight.
“It’s a dream of mine to play in Europe,” Maia admitted.
“Pablo Maia plays as the (deep-lying) midfielder. He gives security to our defence,”adds Sao Paulo chief Muricy Ramalho. “He has a good pass too. He’s not just about marking (opposition forwards).
“Nowadays, the midfielder has to play too, and he has a good pass. Of course, he does the simple things but he keeps the ball. He gives stability to Sao Paulo.”
Per 90Min, Tottenham Hotspur have also been keeping tabs on Maia.
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