West Ham United are reportedly ‘in talks’ to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Igor Julio before the deadline, as per the Independent.
The 27-year-old moved to AMEX Stadium from Fiorentina a couple of years ago. However, the Brazilian hasn’t been able to secure his place in the Seagulls’ starting XI with fitness problems being one of the main reasons behind it.
He made 17 starts in the Premier League in his debut campaign before making only 10 starts last term. The South American hasn’t played a minute in three Premier League games this campaign.
Igor was in the line-up for Brighton’s game against Oxford United in the EFL Cup last week, keeping a clean sheet and helping his side win 6-0.
Now, the Independent claim that the former Fiorentina star was close to joining Crystal Palace as a potential replacement for Marc Guehi, who was on the verge of joining Liverpool. However, the move has collapsed, and as a result, Guehi’s move to Liverpool is also in danger.
Following that, Igor has been in negotiations with West Ham to join on a season-long loan deal, with Graham Potter keen on purchasing a new centre-back following Nayef Aguerd’s departure.
Igor to West Ham
The Hammers could sign more than one defender before the deadline, while Axel Disasi of Chelsea and Charlie Cresswell of Toulouse are also on their wishlist.
Igor, valued at around £17m by Transfermarkt, is a technically sound defender and could be a shrewd acquisition for West Ham to add depth to the defensive midfield if they were to purchase him. However, they need to be careful about his injury problems before finalising the potential move.
West Ham clinched a surprising 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest yesterday, having displayed disappointing performances in the first two games against Sunderland and Chelsea.
Potter used a back three system in the first two games but switched to a back four against Nuno Espirito Santo’s team. Therefore, it is likely that the former Brighton manager will continue with the back four in future matches.
Following this weekend’s games, club football will halt for international fixtures, and West Ham will resume their Premier League campaign against Tottenham Hotspur on 13th September.
