West Ham United have made the odd foray into the Scandinavian market in the past, and reports indicate that they may consider doing the same again with Midtjylland duo Franculino Dju and Dario Osorio.
Midtjylland rejected a £13m bid from the Hammers for their Guinea Bissau hotshot in the summer of 2025, according to Danish publication Bold.
Franculino recently recovered from a four month spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, just in time for what technical director Simon Kjaer predicts will be a record-breaking sale.
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West Ham United are far from the only club keeping tabs on a striker with 22 goals in an injury-interrupted season. There is likely to be considerable competition both at home and abroad.
West Ham United linked with Midtjylland duo Franculino Dju and Dario Osorio
Chilean winger Dario Osorio is another Midtjylland player reportedly on the Hammers’ radar. And, together, former Denmark stalwart Kjaer is convinced that Midtjylland have two attackers with a future at the very highest echelons of the European game.
“They’re not just great talents, they’re already great players who have proven their worth at an international level. They have the individual quality to play in any league,” Kjaer tells Calciomercato.
“They’re ready for Europe’s elite and have that ‘X-factor’ that makes them attractive to the most prestigious clubs. The next natural step for them is the biggest stage.
“I have no doubts. These players are at a top European level. They are ready for the top leagues, given the individual quality they possess.”
Danish publication Campo claimed in March – three seasons after it was reported that West Ham were prepared to pay £7.5 million for Osorio’s services while at Universidad de Chile – that the 22-year-old is once again attracting attention from the London Stadium outfit.
Ernest Nuamah is currently the most expensive player ever to leave the Danish top flight. Now at Lyon, he joined Molenbeek in Belgium in a £23 million deal back in 2023.
Kjaer is convinced that both Osorio and Franculino will cost sums in excess of that £23 million marker.
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“In this transfer window, we will break all records not only for the club, but for the entire Danish league in terms of sales. We are talking about significant figures,” says Kjaer, who earned a staggering 132 caps for his country.
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“[Franculino] is a top striker. Osorio is undoubtedly ready for Serie A, the Premier League, and the Bundesliga. He has many qualities. He’s very quick, covers a lot of ground, and is very intense. He has extreme pace in the opening stages and is very good at pressing.
“He can run at you and go left, he can go right. He has fantastic finishing with his left foot and likes to combine with his teammates.”
There are shades of Jarrod Bowen in Dario Osorio. Like the West Ham skipper, he loves to cut inside onto his left boot from the right-wing. Similarities have also been drawn with Gareth Bale, Raphinha and Angel di Maria, though Kjaer feels that Chilean icon Alexis Sanchez is a more fitting comparison.
“He’s by far the most important talent and the most promising player in Chilean football,” says the former Wolfsburg, Lille, Roma and AC Milan defender. “They always compare him to Alexis Sanchez. I have no doubts, he can play in the best leagues in the world.”
If Midtjylland sell both players for Danish record fees, Franculino and Osorio will bring around £50 million to the MCH Arena.
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