West Ham are reportedly lining up a transfer for Brazilian striker Yuri Alberto, who is enjoying a solid season with Corinthians. South American media speculate that the number nine could be heading to East London during the summer transfer window, though no fee has yet been mentioned.
Corinthians received a loan offer for Alberto from Southampton in July, but the club was reluctant to do business on those terms. Since then, the striker has scored 11 goals in 26 matches in this season’s Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
Alberto is a classic target man and, in many ways, embodies the type of striker West Ham hoped they were signing when Niclas Füllkrug joined from Dortmund for £27 million. While he isn’t blessed with blistering pace, the forward is genuinely two-footed, has a sharp eye for goal, and links play effectively.
At 23 years old, Alberto is highly regarded by ninth-placed Corinthians, who endured a slow start to the league but have recently been in excellent form.
However, the São Paulo-based club is reluctant to part with one of their top players without a fight. “We haven’t received any offers at the moment, and our intention is not to sell him. We want to maintain this group, and if we can structure it further, that would be even better,” said club president Augusto Melo.
