West Ham United are plotting a swoop to sign highly-rated Portuguese centre-back Tiago Gabriel from Serie A side Lecce, according to Football Insider.
Since arriving at Lecce from Estrela Amadora in January, Gabriel has carved out a reputation as one of Serie A’s brightest emerging prospects.
He began his formative years in Portugal, progressing through Sporting CP and Vitória de Setúbal before completing his development within Estrela Amadora’s youth setup.
Though introduced cautiously during his debut year in Italy, the imposing centre-back has transformed into a mainstay this season, featuring in all of Lecce’s 14 Serie A games and consistently impressing several clubs with his combative performances.
One of the clubs now looking to sign him is West Ham, as per Football Insider, who claims that the Hammers have entered the race to sign the 6ft 5in centre-back.
Having conceded 29 goals in 15 games, the second most in the league, the report adds that the East London club have made signing a centre-back a ‘top priority’ in January, with Gabriel now being earmarked as a possible option, especially with Max Kilman tipped to leave.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, Football Insider’s transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed West Ham’s interest in the Portugal U21 star and how he fits the profile the club are looking for, saying, ‘Tiago Gabriel, I’m sure he’s somebody that West Ham have looked at.’
Towering centre-back
Rourke also added that the towering centre-back is also attracting keen interest from other clubs, saying ‘Brentford have also been mentioned as well, but it does seem reports in Italy are suggesting that Juventus are the current front-runner for the player.’
In a boost to the Hammers, Gabriel could be allowed to leave the Stadio Via del Mare if they receive a concrete offer well above his £2.6m Transfermarkt valuation, with the journalist adding that ‘Lecce, I’m sure, if they’ve received a decent offer for the centre-back that they wouldn’t stand in his way, and they would let him move on as well.’
A stylistic comparison for Gabriel’s game is Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite—not only does he possess excellent physical qualities, but he also shows an instinct for arriving at the ideal moment to cut out passes or snuff out danger.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s backline needs reinforcement, and Gabriel represents a relatively affordable option to improve a leaky defence that has failed to keep a clean sheet since August.
