Corinthians chief Ricardo Bonomo has claimed that Yuri Alberto rejected a move to West Ham United in the summer transfer window.
West Ham boss David Moyes was desperate to get the signing of a striker over the line in the summer, after he sold Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta, and Yuri Alberto was one of his key targets.
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Alberto, 22, was someone who the Hammers tried to bring to the London Stadium – and an official bid was lodged for the Brazilian.
At the time that bid was said to be around £15 million (Gazeta Esportiva). And it seems as though there was definitely some truth to those claims.
A high ranking Corinthians official has opened up on West Ham’s pursuit of the forward…
Yuri Alberto decided against West Ham move
There was talk that the Hammers pulled out of a deal for the 22-year-old in the end because Corinthians were demanding too much money for him.
However, it seems as though the reason we didn’t sign him was purely down to the striker himself.
Bonomo – an advisor to Corinthians president Dulio Monteiro – told Meu Timao how Alberto informed the club that West Ham had made a £15 million bid for his signature, but he turned down the chance to move to the London Stadium:
“Yuri Alberto commented that there was an offer to go to West Ham for 18 million euros. He preferred not to now, despite Yuri being in bad form and being heavily criticised. He is a player who will be able to rediscover his value.”
He has been described as a pacy striker who is good with either foot by ESDF Analysis.
However, Alberto has zero experience of playing in the Premier League, and there were concerns as to whether he’d have been a good fit for us.
If Moyes wasn’t totally convinced about the Brazilian, that’s fine. It seems like it was Yuri Alberto’s decision not to join West Ham though.
And whether we try again for him in January or next summer remains to be seen.
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