Nottingham Forest have swooped to collapse yet another Tim Steidten West Ham deal late in the day according to a new report. West Ham and Nottingham Forest have both been targeting the Brazilian market for summer signings.
The Hammers look set to finally get one over the line too with Brazilian teenage sensation Luis Guilherme in London to have his medical and sign in a £25m deal.
While West Ham have in excess of £100m to spend on six to eight signings this summer, Nottingham Forest are having to tread more carefully. The City Ground side must cut their cloth accordingly to meet PSR rules having been docked points last season.
Hammers and Forest exploring Brazilian market
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten was over in Brazil last summer and in January scoping out players and laying foundations for moves. The German has been back there for the last two weeks working on making signings for new Hammers head coach Julen Lopetegui.
But until Guilherme, he had tasted little success. First a move for Corinthians’ exciting winger Wesley Gassova hit a brick wall.
Then Steidten moved on to Flamengo defender Fabricio Bruno. The Hammers secured a £12.5m deal for the 28-year-old centre-back but the move collapsed.
Now Nottingham Forest have swooped to collapse yet another Steidten West Ham deal.
Forest swoop to collapse yet another Steidten deal
West Ham are determined to sign two centre-backs this summer and are in the market for a new goalkeeper too. After the Bruno move fell through, the Hammers turned their attentions to Internacional’s Vitao.
Although owned by Shakhtar Donetsk, Internacional already had a five-year obligation activated. But according to Revista Colorada, West Ham bid around £6.8m for Vitao and were facing competition from Villarreal.
Agent Kia Joorabchian, a name well known to West Ham fans after he famously brought Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to the club in a deal that shocked world football, was said to be helping West Ham do the Guilherme and Vitao deals.
There was also talk West Ham were rivalling Forest for Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Miguel.
Now a new report out of Brazil claims Notts Forest are on the verge of stealing Vitao from under West Ham’s noses.
Revista Colorada states that Forest have hijacked the move and look set to beat West Ham to the 24-year-old at the 11th hour by offering him more money. The report states that Forest are moving for Vitao as they may be selling his compatriot Murillo.
Forest lure Vitao with more money
It is also claimed the defender has already started the process of handing over the house where he currently lives in Porto Alegre.
“The departure of defender Vitao is getting closer and closer to being completed,” the report states.
“In addition to proposals from West Ham and Villarreal, Nottingham Forest, from England, also entered the fray to sign the defender.
“As reported by the Magazine this Monday, Nottingham Forest signaled a higher proposal than West Ham and also offered a higher salary to the defender. Therefore, the English club is the favourite to be the player’s destination.
“The arrival of the Internacional player in the Premier League would be related to the possible sale of Murillo.”
The Forest hijack may well explain why West Ham have suddenly been linked with two completely new centre-back targets in the last 36 hours.
First it was claimed the Hammers want to sign Lyon’s Jake O’Brien.
Then a report from Gianluca Di Marzio stated that Steidten is also eyeing Serie A star Nehuen Perez.
