Bento makes transfer decision as major twist emerges in West Ham pursuit to sign goalkeeper

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West Ham United and Genoa are among the clubs keen on signing Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento Matheus in the January transfer window.

Nuno Espirito Santo wants new signings in the coming weeks and the board look to be backing him, with two new players joining in the first week of the window.

A new goalkeeper is also something on his wishlist, and West Ham have lodged a bid to sign Bento from the Saudi Pro League side.

What do you want to see Nuno do differently against Nottingham Forest? 🤔

And is this a make or break game for the Hammers?

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However, they face competition to lure the 26-year-old Brazil international away from Al-Nassr.

Genoa make £4.3million move for Bento

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Serie A side Genoa have also made a move to sign Bento.

They have offered a loan with an option to buy the keeper for a £4.3million fee at the end of the season.

While West Ham are in the race and he has been made aware of their interest and their bid, he favours joining Genoa over them.

This means that currently, the Italian club are the favourites for the goalkeeper as he fancies them instead of fighting a relegation battle in the Premier League.

How can West Ham convince Bento to join?

Once a player has his preferred club, it is usually difficult to convince him to change his mind, especially if both sides are actively pursuing his services.

In such instances, money and game time can often be the deciding factor and that could be West Ham’s next move.

West Ham are in hot pursuit of Bento but he does not fancy them…😖

What would YOU do to convince him to join?

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Bento may perhaps be unsure if he starts ahead of Alphonse Areola, so if Nuno is hell-bent on signing him, he could assure him that the number one spot is his.

The Hammers are also better positioned to offer him higher wages than the Italian club.

They could also sweeten the deal with performance-based incentives, such as clean sheet bonuses and guarantee a certain percentage pay hike if they avoid relegation.

However, it remains to be seen how high up on the priority list signing a new goalkeeper is, as the club have much more pressing needs, like bringing a centre-back to the London Stadium before the transfer window closes.