Liverpool could be at risk of being beaten to the punch for a Brazilian wonderkid who’s also wanted by a Premier League rival.
According to the Evening Standard, West Ham have opened talks over a possible move for Wesley Gassova, the teenage Corinthians winger who’s also attracted interest from the Reds, along with LaLiga duo Atletico Madrid and Real Betis.
The 19-year-old has been identified as a primary target by Irons sporting director Tim Steidten, who was linked with that post at Anfield over the past 12 months as a potential replacement for both Julian Ward and Jorg Schmadtke.
The youngster is valued at £26m by the Sao Paulo club, although the Hammers are hopeful of landing him for less than that.
Liverpool fans could be forgiven for not knowing a great deal about Gassova, who’s already making waves at Corinthians, having played for their first team on 60 occasions despite only turning 19 in March.
The winger has netted four times so far this calendar year from the left flank, although he can also play on the right, in addition to leading the line or operating as a number 10 (Transfermarkt).
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With the Reds already boasting five senior forwards, the teenager would face stiff competition for a starting berth at Anfield, although he’d likely be viewed as one for the future rather than the here-and-now if LFC were to snap him up in 2024.
One option that Liverpool chiefs might be considering is to secure a permanent deal for him initially and then loan him out for a couple of seasons to give him high-level experience in Europe before returning to Merseyside ready to make a telling impact at his parent club.
Of course, those plans could count for nothing if West Ham’s reported talks for Gassova pave the way for them to clinch his signature. If Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are determined to win the race for the Corinthians youngster, they might need to move swiftly.