Lopetegui’s side have submitted a £26 million offer for Roma’s Tammy Abraham, looking to add firepower to their attacking roster. West Ham United have enquired about Monaco left-back Caio Henrique in recent weeks, according to reports, though Julen Lopetegui and Co face stern interest from Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest for the 27-year-old’s signature.
The former Real Madrid chief, during his first summer in east London, has been one of the busiest managers in the top flight, having struck deals for Maximilian Kilman, Crycensio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and the like.
It seems, however, as if he has not completed the wholesale changes required to make the capital club a European football-chasing outfit and Henrqiue – a Santos graduate – has been earmarked as another potential addition.
Brazilian publication, UOL, has stated that the Premier League duo have entered the race for Henrique’s signature, though neither have made proposals at the time of writing. The once-capped Brazil international, formerly of Fluminese and Gremio, has been subject to interest from both recently, but Lopetegui and Nuno Espirito Santo are yet to make any advancements as they continue to monitor his situation.
That said, Henrique – contracted to Monaco until the summer of 2027 – and his current employers are keen to continue working together for the foreseeable future, according to the report. Formerly of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, Santos-born Henrique moved to his Ligue 1 employers and has racked up 139 appearances across all competitions since.
What may prevent a deal coming to fruition, however, is the left-back’s worrying unavailability record, particularly in 2023/24. Henrique, 27, has just returned from a year-long hiatus thanks to an ACL injury.
Last term, he played just nine games in Ligue 1 – equating to 625 minutes of action – having missed 23 league outings through his injury. A midfielder in the infancy of his career, Henrique’s positional versatility – combined with his impressive intelligence and comfortability in possession of the ball – make him an attractive prospect for those in the Premier League.
With Aaron Cresswell now approaching his mid-30s and Emerson Palmieri having struggled to set the England top flight alight since his move from Chelsea in the summer of 2022, signing Henrique could be a smart move.
West Ham Submit £26 million Offer for Tammy Abraham. AC Milan and Atalanta also in the mix
Roma striker Tammy Abraham in action
Despite signing centre forward Fullkrug, 31, for an undisclosed fee recently, it seems as if Lopetegui and his entourage are keen to add even more firepower to their attacking ranks this summer, with Roma’s Tammy Abraham on their radar.
According to Calcio Mercato, West Ham have lodged an opening proposal – worth £26 million – for the former Chelsea man. For the club based in the Italian capital, the one-time Champions League winner has scored 37 goals and notched 13 assists in 119 outings.
West Ham and Tottenham Now Keen on Tammy Abraham
The report states that Abraham, 26, no longer has a set-in-stone place in Daniele De Rossi’s plans moving forward, having signed former Girona talisman Artem Dovbyk earlier this summer.
London-born Abraham has less than two years left on his contract at Roma but, to West Ham’s dismay, he favours a move to another Serie A club, rather than one back to England’s top tier.
