West Ham tipped for £13.5m 'shining light' transfer in latest summer raid

West Ham appear to be undeterred by transfer rejection from Brazilian hotshot Fabricio Bruno with the London outfit now tipped to be weighing up a £13.5 million swoop for a Serie A star.

The Hammers appear to be incredibly proactive ahead of pre-season preparations and the upcoming Premier League season as Julen Lopetegui prepares to put his stamp on the club following the departure of David Moyes.

Technical director Tim Steidten has been on the ground in Brazil chasing deals, with midfielder Luis Guilherme already in London and undergoing a medical at West Ham. The club had also been working on a deal for Flamengo defender Bruno but the 28-year-old is reported to have rejected an offer from the Premier League side.

Rejuvenating an ageing defence at the London Stadium is known to be a priority for Lopetegui this summer and already West Ham may have found an alternative to Bruno. That comes in Udinese centre-back Nehuen Perez.

Italian reporter Gianluca di Marzio claims that several clubs have registered an interest in the 23-year-old Argentinian international but only namechecks West Ham in his latest social media post.

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It is believed that West Ham could offer £13.5 million for the player's services, who would inject youth into defence, as well as a wealth of experience having played in Serie A, La Liga and the Europa League.

Napoli had been credited with January transfer interest in the player, who is contracted at Udinese until 2027, but nothing came of that deal. Udinese could be more willing to cash in on the star to a Premier League side rather than strengthen an Italian rival.

In a deep dive into the player's qualities in 2020, while he enjoyed a loan spell at Famalicao from Atletico Madrid, Outside of the Boot raved about his 'great anticipation, timing and strength', labelling him a 'future national team captain' and 'shining light'.