Why West Ham should go all out to sign Bruno Henrique in January

According to 90min (h/t The Sun), West Ham sent scouts to watch Bruno Henrique during Flamengo’s FIFA Club World Cup final against Liverpool.

Bruno Henrique, 28, who joined Flamengo from Santos last January, was in great form this season, racking up 26 goals and 9 assists in 46 outings. He produced excellent performances in Qatar in the FIFA Club World Cup and was voted the second-best player at the tournament. The forward received the Silver Ball trophy for his efforts.

With West Ham struggling in the bottom half of the table, should Manuel Pellegrini make a move for Henrique in January? Without any second thoughts, he should.

Bruno Henrique during his time at Santos. (Getty Images)

The Hammers are very light in the forward department following the summer departures of Marko Arnautovic, Lucas Perez, Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez. To replace the strikers, the club broke their transfer record to sign Sebastien Haller from Eintracht Frankfurt.

But after a bright start, the Frenchman has faded and that has directly affected West Ham’s struggles in front of goal. Truly, Haller needs more support through the middle, someone who can reduce the burden of scoring goals off his shoulders.

With Felipe Anderson being a shadow of last season and Pablo Fornals proving a disastrous signing, Pellegrini needs to bring attacking reinforcements next month.

Bruno Henrique would be a good fit at the London Stadium. He was one of the stars in the FIFA Club World Cup and was also on target three times over the course of their successful Copa Libertadores campaign.

Bruno Henrique celebrates after scoring for Santos. (Getty Images)

The Brazilian is a quick and dynamic player with fantastic technique and has the ability to unlock defences with a little bit of magic. He also plays with a lot of intensity and is a hard worker off the ball. Henrique showcases impressive close control, dribbling ability and movement to trouble defenders.

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The 28-year-old is a very tricky proposition for any defender and has shown in Brazil that he can consistently score or create goals in the final third. In the video below, one could get a glimpse of the forward’s style of play and the qualities he could bring to West Ham if a move goes through.

Verdict

West Ham have often lacked creativity from the wide positions this season, resulting into lack of productivity. They need potency in the final third and Pellegrini should go all out to sign Henrique, who is an exceptional wide player and is currently playing at the top of his game.

(Note: This article was written before the Boxing Day fixtures)