West Ham United have been linked with a move for Sporting CP star Jovane Cabral, as per reports.
After just escaping relegation towards the fag end of the Premier League, David Moyes will look to add some quality to the Hammers’ first in the transfer window.
Portuguese news outfit A Bola claim that the English side has already opened talks to sign the Cape Verde international, who could cost around £18million.
But who is Cabral and what will he bring to London?
Jovane Cabral – The player, and his numbers
A versatile winger who is comfortable on either wing or in a number 10 role, Cabral has the ability of making things happen with the ball at his feet.
He loves to cut in from the wing and test the backline, but is equally adept at taking on full-backs and providing crosses in the final third.
The 22-year-old managed six goals and two assists in just 10 Liga NOS starts in the recently concluded campaign, having missed a large chunk of the campaign with an injury. This takes his tally to 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games for the Portuguese side in the last couple of seasons.
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He is equally comfortable with both feet and is an asset over a dead ball. His versatility makes him an exciting prospect for most clubs in Europe.
Why he would be a good fit for West Ham United
Moyes has a plethora of talent at his disposal, but has not been able to get the best out of the West Ham squad. Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen may have put in impressive performances late in the season, but the attacking options Moyes has in the squad have failed to make an impact on a regular basis.
Manuel Lanzini, Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, Robert Snodgrass and Pablo Fornals have not been consistent enough and at least a couple of these names could be on their way out of London before the start of the next season.
So Jovane Cabral, at just £18m, could be a game-changer for the Hammers this summer. Though he has no previous experience of playing in England, Cabral has earned rave reviews in his time in Portugal and Moyes may even see him as a starter next season.
Cabral’s skill and trickery will make West Ham slightly more dangerous in attack and could add the creativity the Hammers have missed for a while now.
However, unless Moyes decides to sell a few of the names in this role, Cabral cannot be promised first-team chances, and West Ham might struggle to lure him.
