West Ham United have taken ‘concrete steps’ to sign Lecce centre-back Tiago Gabriel, according to Ekrem Konur.
A move completed in January from Estrela Amadora to Lecce has seen Gabriel rapidly establish himself as one of the most exciting young talents currently emerging in Serie A.
His early development took place in Portugal, where he progressed through the youth systems of Sporting CP and Vitória de Setúbal before completing his development in Estrela Amadora’s academy.
Though introduced cautiously during his first season in Serie A, the imposing centre-back has transformed into a mainstay this season, featuring in all of Lecce’s 15 Serie A games while repeatedly catching the attention of multiple sides with his commanding front-foot defending.
Having conceded 32 goals in 16 games, the third most in the league, West Ham are looking to bolster their backline ahead of the January transfer window, with several options being eyed, including Gabriel.
This is according to transfer journalist Ekrem Konur, who claims that the Hammers have now entered the race to sign the four-cap Portugal U21 star.
It appears the East Londoners are now looking to accelerate efforts to sign him, as the report adds that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have taken ‘concrete steps’ towards the potential transfer of the 6ft 5in towering centre-back.
However, they face competition from London rivals Brentford, who are also keen on the 20-year-old, along with Inter Milan and Juventus, as per the report.
‘Concrete steps’
West Ham’s relegation battle was hit by a further blow last weekend when Aston Villa came from behind twice to record a 3-2 win at the London Stadium.
They now sit 18th in the Premier League and three points below 17th-placed Leeds United, who have carried out a remarkable turnaround to stay unbeaten in their last three games.
This season, only fellow relegation strugglers Burnley (18) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (35) have conceded more goals than the Hammers in the league.
More worrying is their abysmal clean sheet record: they have kept only one in 17 matches across all competitions, in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in August, making defensive reinforcement necessary, with Gabriel now eyed.
Gabriel can be likened to Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, as he combines outstanding athleticism with remarkable instincts, regularly stepping in at the right time to intercept passes or neutralise threats.
The Portuguese still has two years left on his contract, and if he’s to leave, Lecce will likely demand a fee well above his £2.6m Transfermarkt valuation.
