President speaks out after West Ham reportedly made a £16m bid for ‘warrior’

Add as preferred source on Google

West Ham United face a January battle with Serie A giants Inter Milan, Juventus and Roma, not to mention Premier League rivals Brentford.

Then again, competition is to be expected when a centre-half of such potential appears on the scene.

Hammers News were told back in October that Nuno Espirito Santo wanted Lille’s Alexsandro to become his first signing in the West Ham United dugout. The Brazil international’s injury issues appear to have put those plans in serious doubt, however.

And because Toulouse appear determined to keep Charlie Cresswell for the foreseeable future, more recent reports suggest that the Premier League outfit may have turned their attention to Italy.

More specifically, Lecce and Tiago Gabriel.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, West Ham made a near-£16 million bid for Tiago Gabriel around three weeks ago.

As Juventus reportedly open talks for the Portugal Under-21 giant themselves, Inter, Atalanta and Brentford among those also waiting in the wings, Gazzetta’s reports seem to suggest that the Hammers were looking to get a jump on the competition.

Though Saverio Sticchi Damiani, Lecce’s president, believes that it is too early to discuss the prospect of a big-money move.

Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani says Tiago Gabriel to West Ham United talks is ‘premature’

Whether Damiani is right in suggesting that the speculation is ‘premature’, only time will tell. We are only a few weeks out from the beginning of 2026, after all. And if the reports are true and West Ham really did make an opening offer, they are unlikely to be the only club putting cash on Lecce’s coffee table.

Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb, Damiani confirms that there is indeed interest in the Sporting Lisbon academy graduate, though a sale remains at the back of his mind.

“Tiago has had impressive numbers this season; balls won, tackles won, and never a yellow card,” Damiani says, albeit Gabriel has picked up one booking in his 14 Serie A appearances in 2025/26.

“He’s effective thanks to his technical and physical qualities. This shows that, for his age, he’s performing exceptionally well. He’s a player worth following as he develops, without rushing, because he still has a lot to learn.

“Juventus? It’s premature to talk about him [leaving]. But I can certainly say he’s piqued the interest of many.”

This comes after technical director Pantaleo Corvino confirmed that Lecce’s plan is to keep Tiago Gabriel for the foreseeable future. Then again, Corvino said the same thing about Patrick Dorgu before the Serie A outfit accepted a bid from Manchester United in January of this year.

A formidable presence at 6ft 4ins yet smooth with the ball at his feet, Tiago Gabriel has been likened to Chelsea icon Ricardo Carvalho.

In addition, this defensive ‘warrior’ may be the Craig Dawson replacement the Hammers are crying out for.

Jean-Clair Todibo has timed his improvement well under Nuno Espirito Santo

Jean-Clair Todibo has improved substantially in recent weeks, but aerial duels are not his forte. The same can be said of Max Kilman, with Konstantinos Mavropanos arguably the only West Ham defender capable of dealing with crosses into the box.

“I think we’ve improved a lot as a team [under Nuno],” Todibo told West Ham’s website after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion made it one defeat in six league matches.

“And everyone individually is doing his best for the team. So, [we] keep believing. I think we are on to something now.

“I think there are a lot of things [that have contributed to Todibo’s turnaround in form]. There’s also a bit more confidence, more talking. I’m more into the group now. I feel more comfortable with everyone. And it’s also about [everyone] taking his own responsibility at the moment.

“I try to do that as much as I can.”