West Ham United recently sent officials to Portugal to watch a Primeira Liga match between Gil Vicente and FC Porto.
The Lowdown: West Ham’s window
The Hammers enjoyed a busy window in the transfer market this summer with GSB securing eight new additions for David Moyes’ squad.
With only one outgoing player commanding a fee, which entailed Fulham paying £15m for Issa Diop, the Irons splashed out more than £170m on several big-name stars.
This includes the club-record signing of Lucas Paqueta from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon, who arrived at Rush Green after a £51m deal was agreed. The likes of Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo and Nayef Aguerd from Rennes also arrived for £35.5m and £30m respectively.
The Latest: Scouts sent to Portugal
According to a report by Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via SportWitness), Premier League sides West Ham and Crystal Palace sent staff members to Portugal to watch the recent league match between Gil Vicente and FC Porto.
Whilst it isn’t clear which individuals the two clubs were eyeing specifically, a number of Porto players impressed in their 2-0 victory.
It is said that goal-scorer Mehdi Taremi caught the eye up front for the Champions League giants, alongside midfielder Stephen Eustaquio and goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
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The Verdict: Upcoming window?
Having just made eight signings worth over £170m in the transfer window this summer, it seems unlikely that the Hammers will spend big again in January.
However, highlighted at points last season, the Irons tend to struggle with injuries.
This still appears to be the case this summer, with five players currently side-lined due to various issues and another taxing European campaign to embark on.
With injuries to centre-backs Craig Dawson and Aguerd, alongside right-back Ben Johnson, it was reported that Moyes was keen on adding another defender to add cover to his squad.
Therefore, this could be a likely eventuality in January with West Ham clearly hard at work on identifying their new transfer targets.