After not being able to obtain a work permit for Aaron Long, West Ham have decided to pursue other targets in their search for a new centre-back.
And it looks like they managed to get a deal done very quickly, and all behind closed doors, as according to a Portuguese news outlet Record, Gonçalo Cardoso is flying today to London to conclude the deal with the London club.
The centre-back is very highly rated and has reportedly been scouted by top European clubs such as S.L. Benfica, S.S. Lazio, AC Milan and Club Brugge.
Player profile: Should Fabian Balbuena feel threatened?
Despite being only 18-years-old, it looks like Cardoso will come straight into West Ham's first-team squad, potentially threatening Fabian Balbuena's starting XI spot.
The 6'2" defender already has 11 international caps to his name, although they all came for Portugal's U19 squad with whom he managed to reach the U19 EURO 2019 final, ultimately falling short to Spain.
And looking at the fact that he's left-footed, there is a clear sign to Balbuena that if he stops performing there is a young and hungry player waiting for his chance. Manuel Pellegrini loves to play a left-footed centre-back on the left and a right-footed centre-back on the right.
But with Angelo Ogbonna's poor form, Issa Diop needed to volunteer to fit the left centre-back position despite being mainly right-footed.
Cardoso also managed 15 Liga NOS caps for Boavista last season, which looking at his very young age is a brilliant number.
The verdict
With how big is his potential, and how low is the transfer fee, this looks to be a fantastic transfer for the Hammers. Although only 18, he looks to be very mature for his age, similarly to Declan Rice. He can fit both at the centre and on the left of the back-line, which is very good looking at the current form of Aaron Cresswell.
West Ham should close the deal in the coming 24 hours with the youngster hopefully flying to London for his medicals as early as today.