West Ham are preparing a huge £58m offer for Real Sociedad midfielder Brais Mendez, according to reports.
It comes after the club allegedly had a £50m bid turned down by the La Liga outfit, with Julen Lopetegui supposedly keen on bringing the Spain international to London Stadium this January.
It has been no secret that there have been major issues in the Hammers’ midfield so far this season, with Lucas Paqueta, Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez all struggling for form, while Carlos Soler has only recently begun to impress after a run of games in the starting XI. Tomas Soucek has been the only consistent performer so far.
So it’s no surprise a midfielder is high on the list of targets in January.
Mendez, described by analyst Ben Mattinson as ‘great to watch,’ operates as a No.10 for Real Sociedad and has scored 22 goals in 113 appearances for the club.
At 27-years-old, the midfielder has played his entire career in Spain but has seemingly struggled for form so far this term, having been involved in just six goals in 22 appearances in all competitions.
Such a mammoth outlay on a player who has never played overseas and who is already in the best years of his career seems like one hell of a gamble, especially considering midfield should not be the biggest priority this winter, despite the issues we’ve faced.
It would be more beneficial for the club to spend that kind of money on a striker, given Michail Antonio is out for the season, Jarrod Bowen has fractured a bone in his foot and Lopetegui is now having to rely on Danny Ings and Niclas Fullkrug as his only first-team striker options.
But if these reports are accurate, it does make you question whether Mendez is being eyed as a potential replacement for an outgoing midfielder, such as Paqueta.
The Brazilian has been heavily linked with a return to his homeland recently and given his betting charges are still unresolved, it wouldn’t be a shock if West Ham were looking to offload him this month to avoid any consequences that might come from his off-field issues.
Still, splashing almost £60m on a position that isn’t the main priority certainly seems an odd move right now.
