West Ham United paid £2.75m to bring Boavista defender Cardoso to the Premier League and he’s obviously impressed Manuel Pellegrini.
Goncalo Cardoso is training with West Ham United’s first-team rather than the reserves with the summer signing making a big impact behind the scenes at the London Stadium, according to Football London.
The Hammers have a habit of signing talented Portuguese youngsters these days. Although they missed out on a little-known Joao Felix before he became Atletico Madrid’s record signing (Sky Sports), they did succeed in snapping up Mesaque Dju and Xande Silva.
Centre-back Cardoso is perhaps the most exciting of the trio, however.
The 18-year-old joined from Boavista over the summer in a deal worth just £2.75 million, according to talkSPORT, and while he is yet to make his first-team debut it seems only a matter of time before Manuel Pellegrini dunks him in at the deep end.
According to Football London, the teenager is training ‘exclusively’ with West Ham’s senior stars rather than with the U23s or the U18s.
Cardoso is still behind the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena in the pecking order but Pellegrini has shown that he is willing to give youth a chance if they deserve an opportunity.
Given that West Ham have conceded eight goals in their last three games, including four against Oxford United, don’t be surprised to see Cardoso feature for the first time during a hectic autumn schedule.
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