West Ham United are set to submit a new formal offer to sign Cruzeiro forward Kaio Jorge after seeing their opening bid rejected, according to Ekrem Konur.
The 23-year-old first rose into prominence as a teenager after progressing through the youth ranks at Santos, with his displays drawing interest from several European sides before Juventus secured his signature in 2021.
The forward endured a difficult debut season in Europe with the Turin club, leading to multiple loan spells at Frosinone, before he eventually returned to Brazil to play for Cruzeiro, where his form has since improved.
In the ongoing campaign, the Brazilian has been in prolific goalscoring form, netting 26 goals while also registering nine assists, with 21 of those strikes ranking as the highest tally by any player in the Brazilian Serie A.
It’s no surprise the Hammers, who are in dire need of goalscoring form, have now turned their attention to the Brazilian.
Now, according to Konur, West Ham submitted a loan proposal with an £18m obligation to buy option to sign Jorge in the January transfer window.
However, Cruzeiro rejected the offer, as the Belo Horizonte outfit are demanding a £34m fee to sanction the departure of the Brazilian starlet, who is also of keen interest to Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Juventus, Napoli and Atletico Madrid, according to the report.
Prolific forward
As a result, the transfer journalist adds that West Ham are preparing to submit a new, improved formal offer for the Brazilian international’s transfer to the London Stadium this winter.
Having honed his technical skills through futsal and finishing as a runner-up with Brazil’s U17 side at the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, Kaio Jorge combines strength, pace, and a natural eye for goal, attributes that helped him break into Santos’ first team at a young age.
Frequently compared to Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino for his influence in a No. 10 role, the forward’s adaptability enables him to feature in multiple attacking positions, offering valuable tactical flexibility for his manager.
While questions remain about his ability to adapt to Europe after struggling in his first stint at Juventus, there’s growing belief that Jorge has gained sufficient experience to thrive in Europe.
