West Ham could reportedly sign Flamengo wonderkid Lazaro for as little as £12m, with the Irons looking to recruit the Brazilian wonderkid in the coming days.
According to Fabrizio Romano via Caught Offside, the Hammers have made a £6m offer to Flamengo to sign Lazaro, however, the Brazilian giants are seeking nearly double for the attacking midfielder, with West Ham now needing to table a £10m bid to sign the 20-year-old.
The Italian journalist said: “So far, West Ham offered £6m with a verbal proposal but Flamengo immediately refused because they definitely want more, and are waiting for proposals from other clubs, including Belgian teams. I believe £10-12m will be needed to get a deal done for Lazaro this summer.”
With eight goals and eight assists in all competitions this year for Flamengo, Lazaro has exploded onto the scene in Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro titans, with the youngster thriving in a new centre-forward role that has proved productive for both the player and the club.
Labelled by Total Football Analysis as an ‘outrageous’ talent with the potential to become a full Brazilian international, Lazaro is capable of playing anywhere in the attack with the qualities to drop deeper into the midfield if needed, and these traits could be well-valued at a club like West Ham.
Whilst David Moyes has spent big on a striker this summer in Gianluca Scamacca, a younger and more versatile option in Lazaro will be another solid addition in the window, especially with Michail Antonio turning 33 later this season, with the Brazilian a perfect long-term recruit for the Irons.
West Ham have to complete Lazaro signing soon
Lazaro has exploded onto the scene in Brazil since the turn of the year, and for West Ham, the talented South American could be exactly what Moyes needs to complete his attacking depth following the arrival of Scamacca earlier in the window, with £12m a steal for the 20-year-old.
Versatile to operate anywhere and with plenty of time to develop into a Premier League player, Lazaro ticks a lot of boxes West Ham fans want for a third-choice attacker, and with European football on the horizon for next season, the Brazilian could play a lot of football for the Irons should a deal be wrapped up in the coming days.
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