West Ham Closing In On Nottingham Forest Defender | OneFootball

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West Ham United are closing in on Nottingham Forest centre-back Morato during the final stretch of the summer transfer window.

Morato made the switch from Portuguese titans Benfica to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2024 and remains tied to the City Ground outfit until 2029.

The Brazilian defender has since established himself as a regular option at the City Ground, making 21 Premier League appearances last season and scoring once.

The arrival of Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Lisbon this summer has pushed Morato down the Nottingham Forest pecking order, with the 25-year-old yet to feature this season.

The centre-back recently attracted transfer market interest from Italian giants Roma, with boss Gian Piero Gasperini also suggested to be very keen on him.

However, it was also suggested that the Serie A side will not put all their eggs in the basket of signing the Tricky Trees defender before the end of the summer transfer window.

And they have been right not to do so, as according to journalist Jacob Steinberg, West Ham have moved quickly and are closing in on Morato on a loan deal.

The Hammers are looking to strengthen their squad in the final stretch of the transfer window as their start to the Championship season has been far from ideal.

West Ham have not been able to secure a victory in their first three league games and are currently sitting 19th in the table.

Morato is a player that former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo knows well and he will be confident of getting the best out of the defender at the London Stadium.

Now the Hammers will need to get the deal over the line quickly, with the clock ticking.

Whether the development now means Wout Faes will still join West Ham remains to be seen.