West Ham United are set to beat Leicester City in the pursuit of Sporting CP midfielder Nuno Moreira; it has been claimed.
The young Portuguese currently plies his trade for Sporting’s Under-23 side and has played exceptionally well in the youth leagues this season.
According to Record(via Leicester Mercury), West Ham United are closing in on the services of the 19-year-old,
Nuno Moreira: A risky option for Manuel Pellegrini
Since his appointment as the manager of West Ham United, Manuel Pellegrini has looked adamant on improving his side’s overall quality to match the ambitious roadmap he seems to have set for the team.
As a result, the Chilean has continued to invest in new players in the market, and that spree could continue in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The lack of creative essence in midfield has been one of the main problems for the Hammers this season, with Jack Wilshere, Carlos Sanchez and Manuel Lanzini struggling with frequent injuries throughout the course of the campaign.
Additionally, January signing Samir Nasri doesn’t seem to be a long-term option for obvious reasons, thus accentuating the need of a new creative midfielder in the summer and Moreira, in that regard, has been identified as a potential candidate.
As mentioned earlier, the young midfielder has broken through the Portuguese club’s youth ranks and got promoted to the under-23 at the age of just 19.
However, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Nani and Marcos Acuna playing central roles for Sporting’s first team this campaign, the Leoes have been reluctant in promoting him to the senior side.
Therefore, it won’t be surprising to see the 19-year-old depart the club in search of first-team action this summer, having already gained a reputation in his native country.
But that being said, a move away from Portugal could come a little too soon for the youngster, who lacks experience at the highest level of football as mentioned above, having yet to make a single appearance in a competitive match so far in his career.
In fact, Moreira is yet to win a call-up to Portugal’s international youth teams, and thus, it would probably be wiser for the 19-year-old to stay put at his current club.
As for West Ham, coach Pellegrini is known for his tendency to rely on proven individuals, who can make a quick impact on the first team, thus making Moreira a slightly risky option for the club as they look to push for the Europa League places next season.