IN yesterday’s Claret and Hugh, in between the Potter arrival and Lopetegui departure, we wrote about Hammers’ attempts to loan their target striker from Benfica. Arthur Cabral, the Brazilian 26 year old, has been on West Ham’s radar for some time and this is not the first time they’ve attempted to secure his services.
The Player has also been the subject of interest from Torino this month. This may well be the reason that Benfica have rejected West Hams overtures for a loan move (maisfutebol.iol.pt) and have decreed that they will only part company in January on a permanent deal.
The fact that Benfica’s required ‘sale’ price required is now ‘between €15m and the €20 million they paid for him‘ in 2023 suggests they’re not over enamoured with him and hoping to move him on with two clubs sniffing around.
Transfermarkt.com list Cabral with a value of €12 million which is usually on the conservative side for a player – but when more than one club seeks the same player, the value usually exceeds the web site’s estimates.
Quite what the brains trust of Potter, Steidten and Sullivan will decide is difficult to predict – he’s a great price, decent quality but ultimately probably won’t set the world on fire. Mind you, I remember reading a scouting report about Alexander Isak, then at Real Sociedad, in 2021 saying exactly the same thing.
With other strikers still under consideration it will soon be decision time for West Ham: Yuri Alberto rejected a move but Latte Lath, Igor Jesus, Evan Ferguson, Santiago Jiminez, and now Cabral have all been linked. Now that Potter is in situ, time to get the deal done!
