The 4th Official
·28 April 2024
The 4th Official
·28 April 2024
In a recent segment on Youtube, journalist Jorge Nicola offered an update on West Ham United and their pursuit of Corinthians winger Wesley. It is understood that the Hammers have seen their £12.8m offer get rejected by the Brazilian club for their prized asset.
Wesley has come through the youth ranks of Corinthians and has done well to establish himself as a key member of their first team. The Brazilian starlet has already made 57 senior appearances for the Brazilian club thus far, netting four goals and picking up three assists in various competitions.
The 19-year-old has caught the eye at times in the final third by averaging 1.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 3.3 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has even been accurate when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half after making 83.3% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Brazilian club will expire at the end of 2027 which could make it tough for West Ham to sign him on a cut-price deal at the end of this season.
Corinthians’ forward Wesley (L) and Nacional’s forward Gustavo Caballero fight for the ball during the Copa Sudamericana group stage first leg match between Brazil’s Corinthians and Paraguay’s Nacional at the Neo Quimica Arena Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 9, 2024. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP)
Wesley can engineer a yard of space for himself to get some strikes in at goal. He has got the vision to create a few inviting chances for his teammates in the final third and is an energetic runner with the ball as well. However, the Brazilian whizkid is still quite raw and would need time to prove his value at the highest level.
Still, there is no doubt that Wesley has the potential to be a world-class player in his position someday as long as he continues to improve with each season. Thus, it makes sense for West Ham to try and go back in with another offer for the player when the transfer window commences later this year.
At 19, Wesley is undeniably a star in the making and would be a great acquisition for the Hammers in the long run. However, the East London outfit would have to be patient with his progress before they can unlock the best out of the youngster at the London Stadium.