It is a testament to West Ham United and their recent transfer market business – with Evertton Araujo of Flamengo potentially next in line – that Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad does not appear to have that many glaring holes these days.
Perhaps this is just recency bias talking.
The Hammers are still stuck inside the Premier League’s relegation zone after all, even if Nottingham Forest and Tottenham did give Nuno a timely boost on a Sunday of costly defeats.
But when you look back to August, and the West Ham United XI which started the season with a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland, it is impossible not to notice the difference. And the improvement.
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Only six of the players who started at the Stadium of Light remain today.
Axel Disasi’s arrival has sparked a dramatic defensive improvement. Despite a lack of goals, Taty Castellanos is clearly an upgrade on Niclas Fullkrug. And from the snail-paced pairing of Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse, West Ham now have Mateus Fernandes, Tomas Soucek, Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa fighting for a starting spot.
A fun fact; only Soucek had played a first-team game for the Hammers back in August 2025.
Flamengo youngster Evertton Araujo could be the latest brick in a midfield rebuild, according to reports from out of his native Brazil. Though, as laid out by Mix Vale, Araujo could be both costly and highly coveted come the summer.
West Ham United face Bundesliga battle for Flamengo ace Evertton Araujo
Flamengo reporter Leo Jose wrote on his X account earlier this month that West Ham are watching Evertton Araujo ‘closely’. He added that the Hammers were putting plans in place for an opening bid in the region of £10 million.
That plan will now require some restructuring.
Mix Vale claim that an as-yet mystery Bundesliga outfit are preparing a ‘major bid’ of their own. One rumoured to land at around £17 million. So, months before the window even opens, the Hammers are at risk of falling behind their fellow suitors.
Now, Mix Vale do not mention West Ham by name. They do, though, say that ‘clubs in England are analysing Evertton Araujo as a strategic signing due to his adaptability to the European style of play’.
Scouts representing both Premier League and Bundesliga clubs are seemingly talking up the 22-year-old’s suitability, feeling that he has both the physical and technical qualities to thrive this side of the Atlantic.
Evertton Araujo has been labelled the second coming of Casemiro by former Flamengo midfielder Luiz Antonio. Like the Manchester United veteran, the youngster is a fine ball-winner but also someone who is making great strides with regards to his distribution.
Considering that Soungoutou Magassa is yet to really kick on following what was supposed to be a ‘coming of age’ performance against Man United in December, West Ham’s apparent interest in another young, stylistically similar midfielder may be a rocket up the backside.
Is the next Casemiro coming to West Ham? 🇧🇷
What do you want from a new midfield signing?
Lucas Paqueta deal gives Hammers a potential advantage
Mix Vale add that Flamengo are planning to extend Araujo’s contract, in order to ensure they can extract maximum value from a prized asset. His current deal still has another two-and-a-half years left to run.
West Ham may have an ace up their sleeve, meanwhile, as a Bundesliga battle looms.
West Ham have a ‘very good relationship’ with Flamengo now, on the back of the deal which took Lucas Paqueta to the Maracana last month. A relationship they could put to very good use by taking Araujo in the other direction.
“The relationship with West Ham was very good,” Flamengo president Luiz Eduardo Baptista told Diario AS. “They had a very clear vision of what they wanted. They wanted to keep Paqueta until the end of the season and we respected that, we respected West Ham’s timing.
“We said, ‘Look, it’s important for us that Paqueta comes now.’ That’s why we paid more! West Ham said that, under those conditions, they wouldn’t accept our offer, so we made that adjustment [to the price]. A little here, a little there.
“It wasn’t a simple negotiation. But in any case, we have the utmost respect for West Ham. They were very fair and very direct. The negotiation was a good experience.”
Fluminense enforcer Matheus Martinelli is another West Ham target, according to reports. Martinelli is keen to stay in Brazil, though it is not yet clear how Araujo feels about things.
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