West Ham United have indicated interest in signing Brazilian centre-back Léo Ortiz from Flamengo to bolster Julen Lopetegui’s backline, according to Brazilian journalist, Bruno Lemos.
The 28-year-old has been an ever-present figure in Filipe Luís’ defence this season, featuring in 41 matches across all competitions. His commanding presence at the back has helped the Mengão keep four consecutive clean sheets in his last four matches in the Brazilian Serie A.
As per Lemos, Ortiz’s performances have ignited the interest of West Ham, who have identified the Brazilian as a prime target ahead of the January window.
However, the Hammers face stern competition from Italian sides, Juventus and Fiorentina, who have also joined the race to sign the experienced centre-half, according to the Brazilian transfer guru.
The 28-year-old is contracted to the seven-time Brazilian champions until 2028 with a valuation of €9m (£7m) by Transfermarkt — a fee that is very much within the Hammers’ reach.
Experienced centre-back
West Ham have had a mixed start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. After spending €144 (£120m) in the transfer window, sitting in 12th place after seven matches with only two victories recorded so far is not where the Hammers may have expected to be at this time of the season.
Although a convincing 4-1 victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town may have taken pressure off Lopetegui after a run of five games without a win, the overall team cohesion remains a worrying concern.
One of the areas of the pitch that has proved to be troublesome has been the defence. The Hammers have kept only two clean sheets in nine matches across all competitions and have conceded 11 goals in the Premier League, the third most by any team in the top 15.
Despite already adding Maximilian Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo to their defence in the summer, adding a top-level experienced defender like Ortiz would provide Lopetegui’s backline with the much-needed coordination.
With the report adding that the East London club had tried to sign him in previous windows, it appears the time might just be right to present a concrete offer for the Brazilian ace to help salvage their defensive concerns in the winter transfer window.
