West Ham United are preparing an improved bid to sign Cruzeiro’s prolific centre-forward Kaio Jorge, according to Ekrem Konur.
The Hammers have endured a poor run of form so far this season, which has seen them win only three of their 20 Premier League games, the joint second lowest in the league alongside 19th-placed Burnley.
With relegation fears looming, the club are looking to make significant reinforcements in the transfer window to provide Nuno Espírito Santo with sufficient depth, particularly in the attack.
In recent days, Football Talk, citing various sources, has reported the East Londoners’ interest in several centre-forward options, including Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jorgen Strand Larson, as well as the recently agreed deals for Gil Vicente’s prolific forward, Pablo, and Lazio’s Taty Castellanos.
Cruzeiro’s Jorge was another name linked to the club, with reports via Football Talk revealing that the Hammers submitted a loan proposal with an £18m obligation to buy, which the Brazilian club rejected.
It appears West Ham remain keen on signing the 23-year-old, as transfer journalist Ekrem Konur claims the East Londoners are preparing to submit a new, improved offer to the Belo Horizonte outfit, who are demanding a £34m fee to sanction his departure.
Prolific forward
The journalist adds that negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing as the Hammers look to get a deal for the prolific forward over the line.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will need to act swiftly to complete the swoop, as Jorge is also of keen interest to Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Juventus, Napoli, and Atletico Madrid, according to the report.
West Ham rank as the sixth-lowest scorers in the Premier League with 21 goals this season and currently sit 18th in the table, four points adrift of safety, making a move for a prolific forward like Jorge necessary.
In the last Campeonato Brasileiro Série A campaign, the Brazilian international was prolific, netting 28 goals and registering 13 assists, the most by any player in the Brazilian league.
However, having now completed deals for two centre-forwards, Nuno’s side must now turn attention to their backline, with their 41 conceded goals now being the most by any team following their embarrassing 3-0 defeat to bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
