According to a report from A Bola, West Ham are interested in signing Sporting Lisbon winger Jovane Cabral in January. Southampton are also thought to be in the race for his signature.
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The links are far from new.
The Hammers tracked the Cape Verde international throughout the entirety of the summer transfer window.
A Bola claimed that West Ham actually made a concrete £13 million bid for the 22-year-old. Sporting were said to be holding out for closer to £18 million, however.
That should really be seen as a bargain considering his £55 million release clause (O Jogo).
Cabral is currently in discussions with Sporting over a new contract. As things stand, he still hasn’t committed, however. And it is suggested that West Ham are monitoring developments.
Southampton are said to be keen on the 22-year-old as well.
Despite the fact that the Hammers aren’t in desperate need of a new winger, Cabral would still be a solid addition for us.
Stats
The 22-year-old racked up six goals and three assists in 16 Primeira Liga games for Sporting last season (Transfermarkt).
In those 16 outings, the Cape Verde international averaged 2.9 shots, 1.3 key passes and 2.3 dribbles per game (Who Scored).
This season, Cabral has racked up two goals and one assist in six league games (Who Scored).
The Sporting ace is great on the ball, possesses wonderful technique, has the ability to create out of nothing as has exceptional ability from free-kicks.
There are a lot worse signings we could make in January, that’s for sure.
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