Food For Thought: Three South American Gems West Ham United Should Sign in the Summer

Over the years, the South American continent has become the hub of producing some world-class talents. Some of the finest attackers in the game of football currently, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuaín, Alexis Sanchez and the list goes on and on.

So, it is not a surprise that teams across Europe have been scouting the South American markets extensively to get their hands on the next best talents that will emerge from the region. West Ham United too have been known to keeping their eyes on talents coming from these parts and recently signed Jonathan Calleri in the summer of 2016 and Manuel Lanzini before him. While Calleri may not have been an instant hit, Lanzini has established himself as a key man for the Londoners and the Hammers continue to monitor talents across the continent.

Here we take a look at three gems of footballers from South America, who West Ham should target in the summer of 2017:

Malcom

The highly rated 19-year old Brazilian burst onto the scenes in 2015 in Corinthians’ Serie A winning campaign, racking up 29 appearances under now Brazil manager Tite, scoring 5 goals, which saw him linked with a move to Chelsea.

His impressive displays earned him a move to French side Bordeaux in January 2016, where he has been in fine form this term. The winger has scored 4 times for his club and also has 3 assists to his name.

Blessed with explosive pace and tremendous energy, he has mostly been used out wide, where he is utilized to stretch the opposition defences while he can pop up in the box and cause harm when needed. But Malcom has shown that he can play through the middle and with his direct running, he could add a different dimension to the Hammers’ attack.

Lucas Pratto

Lucas Pratto’s name had been linked with the Hammers earlier in January, but nothing materialized on that front. The 28-year old had an impressive year with Atletico Mineiro and has become a regular in the Argentine national setup.

Pratto moved to Atletico Mineiro in 2015 and has been in terrific form for his team. The Argentine has netted a total of 41 goals in 101 appearances for the Brazilian side, 19 of which have come in the past year. On the back of his impressive performances, Pratto recently broke into the Argentine National Team and has impressed on the international stage as well.

Strong and well-built, Pratto holds up the ball well and can bring the wide players into the game and can also be a target man for the Hammers. And big as he is, he also possesses a decent turn of pace and can prove to be a difficult customer to deal with in and around the box.

Thiago Maia

The 19-year old Maia has become a vital cog in the midfield for Santos over the last two years. Someone who epitomizes giving their complete on the pitch, he has become known for leaving everything on the pitch and at times has had to be carried off the field at the end of the games. And not because of injuries, but because he has spent every ounce of energy and just can’t move anymore.

Maia broke into the Santos’ first-team in 2015 and has notched up 51 appearances. A relentless worker in the middle of the park, the young defensive midfielder breaks down his opponents’ plays and recycles the ball for the creative forces in the team to take over.

A no-nonsense, tough tackling midfielder, Maia also has the ability to open up play with his keen eye for a pass. A solid operator in the middle of the park, the 19-year old brings a steeliness to the midfield and also has an immense technical ability and is billed to achieve great heights.