‘Bid accepted’ – West Ham are familiar with next £11 million transfer coup

West Ham could be close to signing another Brazilian talent to replace Luis Guilherme.

West Ham United appear to be wasting little time in the recruitment process, having just sealed a £25.5 million agreement for Brazilian prodigy Luis Guilherme.

The 18-year-old was confirmed as a Hammers player this week, signing a five-year contract after joining from Palmeiras in his home Brazil. West Ham have been shopping in the South American country and are not finished yet.

Tim Steidten, the club’s technical director, has been in Brazil working on deals ahead of Julen Lopetegui’s debut season in command, after replacing David Moyes this summer. The former Wolves player left the Midlands club last summer after a disagreement over recruitment, and it appears that West Ham are eager to placate the coach in these early days.

When confirming the signing of Guilherme, Steidten stated: “This is a really important signing for us; we’ve worked hard across the Club, working closely with the Board, to gain Luis’s signature. We understand how tough the Premier League is, and we want a competitive squad next season while also ensuring that we plan for the long term. Exciting young players like Luis Guilherme will help us achieve our ambitions.”

RTI Esporte now reports that the club has made an official bid of £11 million for Fluminense attacker Jhon Arias, which has already been accepted. The Premier League club is in desperate need of additional strikers, and the 26-year-old might be the answer.

The Colombian international has 13 caps for the national team and has been with Fluminense since 2021. West Ham are said to owe Fluminense a further £1.8 million in bonuses if the striker meets performance benchmarks.

The deal is expected to be completed over the next few days. Arias is a winger by trade, generally deployed on the right, although he can also play on the left and down the center. Wolves and Atletico Madrid both expressed interest in the player earlier this year.

Since joining Fluminense, the forward has scored 35 goals and assisted 38 times in 168 games, with seven goals and four assists this season.