West Ham United have made a proposal to sign Sao Paulo defender Luizao on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of January.
That is according to the Brazilian outlet UOL, who reports that the Hammers have made an offer that is being deemed very good.
The report says a move is about to materialise but Luizao is making things complicated as he wants the club that oversaw his development to receive some cash for his signature.
That could be done through the player signing a new deal with Sao Paulo which would force West Ham to pay a fee but that could turn the Premier League club off the player. Therefore, a compensation fee agreed upon by the parties involved may be the only solution to finding an amicable agreement.
Luizao is a 20-year-old centre-back who has broken into the Sao Paulo side over the last six months and could be a real find for West Ham if they can secure the Brazilian’s signature.
Their London rivals Arsenal have had real success bringing in players from the country and this is a low-risk move as the player is likely to be free or it will cost very little.