West Ham have been linked to Paolo Hurtado. Who is the potential new addition?
After last summer’s drawn out and ultimately unsatisfying transfer saga, it would make sense for West Ham United to nail down a couple of transfers early.
The Hammers are already being linked with players, and Paolo Hurtado is one.
Peru’s Paolo Hurtado in action
Portuguese newspaper A Bola claim West Ham are monitoring Hurtado with a view to a potential summer move.
So who is the possible new addition? Here are five facts about him…
1) Paolo Hurtado is already contracted to a club in England. He belongs to Reading, signed in 2015, but has barely featured for the Royals before being loaned out.
2) He spent half of last season and the whole of this campaign at Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes. He has scored nine goals and provided three assists this season.
3) Hurtado plays mainly as a central attacking midfielder, making 18 of his 26 starts this season in this role. His adaptability has also seen him shifted to play on both the left and right wing positions.
Picture Supplied by Action Images
4) He hails from Peru and is an international player for the South American side, with 28 caps to his name. Peru are seventh in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers and could yet still make it to Russia 2018, with the top five teams getting in.
5) West Ham’s chances of signing him are boosted by his contract situation. Hurtado’s deal at Reading expires in June 2018.
Paolo Hurtado
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