West Ham United are looking to secure January deals for Brazilian duo Pablo Maia and Luizao, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: West Ham linked with Brazilian duo
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Hammers and fellow Premier League club Fulham have their eyes on signing Maia, who currently plays in midfield for Sao Paulo.
It has also been claimed more recently that the east London club have been trying to work out a deal with the Brazilian club for defender Luizao.
With the January transfer window around the corner, it appears that Jones has done some digging into the reports linking West Ham with moves for the two players.
The Latest: West Ham's January transfer agenda
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones shared some insight when asked about the Irons' links with Maia and Luizao.
He said: "The stories are being driven from South American sources. I’ve checked it out and it does seem like there’s something to it. They’re quite open about this being one that is on the agenda."
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The Verdict: Smart investments for West Ham
Looking back over the latest Brazilian Serie A campaign, only two Sao Paulo players ended up making more passes into the final third of the pitch than Maia (121). In addition, only two players at the club racked up a higher combined total of tackles and interceptions than the midfielder (62).
This highlights how capable and well-rounded a midfielder the 20-year-old is both with and without the ball, and why he'd be a smart investment for West Ham.
As for Luizao, only four players at Sao Paulo made more blocks (18) and clearances (54) than the defender, despite him only making 14 league appearances throughout the season.
Taking all that into account, we feel that if the Hammers are able to secure deals for the youngsters in January, they could well be getting their hands on two exciting future stars.