West Ham move a step closer to signing highly-rated Brazilian striker

West Ham manager David Moyes is moving swiftly in the January transfer window as he aims to strengthen his side for the second half of the season.

The Hammers are fifth on the Premier League table and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

David Moyes has solely relied on the hard work and determination of Michail Antonio for goals, but he is aware that the second half of the season will be closely contested, so he’s moving rapidly to get another striker to help the team.

According to a report on Sky Sports, the Irons have made a £5million loan bid to take Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa, 25, on loan until December 2023.

The loan deal is expected to come with an obligation to buy, similar to the deal they struck with Brentford to bring Said Benrahma to the Premier League.

Gabriel Barbosa is a huge star in Brazil and has scored 104 goals in 147 games for Flamengo, the club that has had players like Bebeto, Jorginho and Ronaldinho.

Barbosa has been capped 17 times for Brazil, but is said to be keen on a move to the Premier League to try and cement his place in the national team ahead of this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

David Moyes has transformed West Ham into a genuine top-six side in the Premier League and they are on course for a UEFA Champions League spot if they can maintain their impressive form in the second half of the season.

The Hammers have been hit with a number of injuries to key men with experienced defender Angelo Ogbonna, ruled out for the rest of the season, and big summer signing Kurt Zouma, also out until late February.

Left back Aaron Cresswell also missed the festive games through injury, but is on his way back now.

Premier League teams are looking in the January transfer window to try and keep their season on track, but West Ham manager David Moyes has always maintained he’ll only sign a player only if he adds to the quality of the team.

He added: “You have to buy the right players. Of course, we want to strengthen and keep improving to challenge the teams at the top.

“We are also keeping a close eye on the players we have out through injuries and if they are coming back soon it helps and guides with how we want the transfer market to go.”