West Ham United face some serious problems ahead unless they can find some miraculous results out of nowhere over the course of the next couple of months.
Meanwhile, unlike West Ham, Everton are sitting comfortably in mid-table, 15 points clear of the Hammers.
If West Ham are to have any chance whatsoever of avoiding relegation from the Premier League, beleaguered boss Nuno Espirito Santo desperately needs to get a few more top-class signings over the line before the January window slams shut.
West Ham have already signed striking duo Pablo and Taty Castellanos, but those moves won’t be enough to help the Hammers avoid the drop.
Nuno admits these four could all be leaving West Ham…
How do you feel about what could be a BIG January overhaul?
The real area of weakness at the London Stadium right now is the centre-back department.
And it seems Everton could be set to scupper one of Nuno’s alleged plans to help fix his side’s defensive woes.
Everton could hijack West Ham’s January window move for centre-back
When it rains, it pours.
And now there is yet more bad news on the way for West Ham fans.
Meia Hora claimed on Thursday that West Ham have made contact to sign Leo Pereira in the January transfer window.
Pereira is renowned for his defensive brilliance and the 29-year-old would be a major upgrade on both Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos at the London Stadium.
However, there could be trouble ahead for the Hammers.
That’s because journalist Felipe Silva has claimed that Everton have entered the race to sign the Brazilian central defender.
And in what is yet another blow for West Ham, Flamengo are demanding a whopping £52 million for Pereira.
Leo Pereira is exactly the kind of player West Ham need
Standing at 6ft 2in tall, Pereira is incredibly commanding in the air and his playing style is quintessentially South American.
The 29-year-old is aggressive in the tackle and excels when man-marking his opponents.
The Brazilian has made 280 appearances for Flamengo, winning two league titles and 16 trophies in total with them along the way.
He was also named in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A team of the year in 2025.
Pereira also made 115 appearances for Club Athletico Paranaense and is a proven and consistent performer at the very highest level in Brazil.
With his impressive physicality, he would be a perfect fit for Premier League football.
However, it’s fair to say that Pereira won’t be joining West Ham now, given Flamengo’s £52 million demands and Everton having joined the race for his signature.
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