West Ham United are still in negotiations to sign Real Betis defender Luiz Felipe, with a €20 million (£17 million) deal to take the Brazilian defender to the London Stadium described as ‘still alive’.
That’s according to this morning’s edition of ABC Sevilla, who claim that negotiations are still on for the defender and that all parties have made ‘clear progress’ on the transfer of the 26-year-old to East London.
The report goes further and says the two clubs were locked in negotiations last week with the hope of ‘advancing the transfer to West Ham‘.
The Spanish side are also reportedly convinced that progress will be made soon in the form of a formal written proposal for the Brazilian defender, who was formerly at Italian side Lazio.
Luiz Felipe would be a superb addition for West Ham United
Brought in at Betis for a free last summer, Luiz Felipe was a crucial cog at the heart of the Spanish side’s defence.
With 23 appearances in La Liga for Betis, he is a very well-rounded centre-back with traits that make him stand out.
According to FBREF, he excels in crosses and blocks, and he boasts a pass completion rate of 86%, which is crucial for the modern-day defender.
The hope from those at West Ham will be that the 26-year-old adapts quickly to the rigorous nature of the Premier League with manager David Moyes, according to the same report from ABC, behind the Hammers’ chase of the defender.
With their strong interest in the player shown by the ‘concrete progress’ made by the English club with regard to the outline of the player’s contract, it seems that the Hammers are determined to get a deal done.
Another report, this time from Estadio Deportivo, claims that the defender’s agent had informed Betis of the interest in the defender and his client’s desire to make the move to play in the Premier League.
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