West Ham United are working to complete a deal for Carlos Borges from Manchester City this week, with a fee previously agreed for around £14 million, according to Fabrizio Romano. Football Talent Scout has described the youngster as “all-action” in a glowing review.
West Ham United Set to Sign Carlos Borges from Manchester City
Manchester City Expected to Include Buy-Back Clause
Pep Guardiola’s side are expected to keep a buy-back clause in the terms of a sale to the Hammers, although the price and period of the term’s activation are still unknown. This will allow the club to bring back the youngster at an exclusive price, should he flourish for the East London club.
Nottingham Forest had previously shown interest in signing the winger, but it appears that West Ham will beat Forest to a deal.
Manchester City has been known to include buy-back clauses when selling former academy players, most notably in the case of Romeo Lavia. The Cityzens have a £40 million buy-back clause for the Southampton midfielder, that activates in the summer of 2024.
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West Ham United Look to Rebuild After Declan Rice Sale
Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal this summer will leave fans of the club concerned over a lack of outstanding quality in their squad. David Moyes’ side struggled toward the bottom of the table until very late in the season, eventually pulling away from the relegation zone and to safety in late April.
The team ultimately finished 14th, but were victorious in the UEFA Europa Conference League final, beating Fiorentina 2-1 with a dramatic injury-time winner from Jarrod Bowen. With their former captain exiting the side, they will need to improve at both ends of the pitch, and Borges could add desperately needed chance creation to their front line.
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What Can Carlos Borges add to West Ham?
West Ham struggled on the attacking side of the pitch in the 2022/23 season. Moyes’ side created chances that had an expected goals value of 51.21, however, they finished the Premier League season with only 42 goals scored. Their xG was decent in comparison to their peers in the bottom half, but not much higher than a relegated Leicester side, who registered 48.99 expected goals.
Carlos Borges should help to improve both their chance creation and their chance completion. The 19-year-old scored 21 goals and supplied 10 assists in 24 Premier League 2 matches last season. The left winger is noted for his mixture of pace and technicality, which he uses to keep defenders on the back foot, punishing them if they allow him to use his pace or if they give him too much space on the ball.
Who Else Could West Ham Buy This Summer?
Sky Sports reported earlier this month that West Ham were interested in England and Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire, following the player being stripped of captaincy of Erik Ten Hag’s side. Despite the interest in the former Leicester defender, it does not appear that a bid has materialised so far.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers have launched a bid for Conor Gallagher for around £40 million, including add-ons, however, this offer was rejected by Chelsea after internal discussions. The club is understood to want at least £50 million to sell the England international, who greatly impressed fans whilst on loan at Crystal Palace, but struggled during the Blues’ tumultuous 2022/23 season.
The club could drift into a relegation battle if further signings are not completed soon. Leicester experienced a similar fate this past season, with James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans unable to prevent the Foxes from falling into the Championship.
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