West Ham eye £15m playmaker with stunning goal record after Fernandes exit | OneFootball

West Ham are interested in a move for Cincinnati's Evander

Player departures have thus far marked the ongoing summer transfer window at West Ham, but it won't be long before the Hammers begin to add to the squad ahead of the new Championship season.

West Ham have already bid farewell to Mateus Fernandes, with the 21-year-old joining Tottenham Hotspur for a whopping £85 million fee, and there'll be expectations that more will follow him out the door, especially those who have excelled at the World Cup.

Those departures free up wage space and add to the transfer budget. They also command replacements, and a new creative midfielder will definitely be on the radar after Fernandes left the club.

With the Hammers hoping to make their stay in the second tier as short as possible, players who can easily make that step up to the Premier League will be at the top of the list, and they're planning on looking at the top of the MLS to do so.

West Ham register interest in Napoli-linked Evander

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Brazilian attacking midfielder Evander has been one of the more exciting players in his position in the MLS over the past few seasons.

A 15-goal, 15-assist campaign for the Portland Timbers in 2024 led to a move to Cincinnati, where he scored 18 and assisted 14 in his first campaign in Ohio and was named captain off the back of it.

Both times saw him named in the MLS Best XI, and his performances have piqued the interest of sides back across the Atlantic, especially with him scoring nine and assisting eight in just 14 league appearances in the current campaign before the World Cup break.

According to AreaNapoli.it, Italian giants Napoli have been offered the chance to take Evander this summer to help bolster their midfield, but the report also states that they face competition from clubs in England, namely West Ham, who are reportedly moving beyond inquiries.

The 28-year-old is entering the prime years of his career and is keen to move back to a European top flight after spending five years with FC Midtjylland in Denmark before his move stateside. There, he scored 50 and assisted 38 times in 167 games.

He may have to wait a year to find himself back in the top division if he does move to West Ham, but there'd be little doubting his ability to be one of the best attacking midfielders in the Championship to help take Nuno's side to the Premier League.

The report states that Evander could be worth around €18 million (£15.3 million), which would represent significant investment in the second tier, but with his track record, it would seem well worth it.

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With the Brazilian attacking midfielder linked with Napoli, who won Serie A two years ago and finished runners-up last season, there's no doubt that he'd be a real coup for a Championship club this summer.

Understandably, a lot of West Ham fans are rather excited by these links, and have expressed such excitement online.

In response to fan account 'West Ham Central' relaying the reports on X, one Hammers supporter stated, "Now this I could get behind." Another added, "OMG please!"

Others admitted that they don't watch the MLS weekly, but were encouraged by how elite Evander's numbers have been in the division. Alongside his two All-Star team appearances and Team of the Season bows, he's averaging just under a goal contribution a game, with 51 goals and 41 assists in 101 outings.

"Never seen him kick a ball, but his stats are outrageous. I'm up for this gamble," a West Ham fan said. Ultimately, this one doesn't seem to be a gamble, though.

Evander seems to have all the qualities to be a top attacking midfielder in the second tier, and if the Hammers were able to bring him in ahead of Champions League-level clubs, it would provide massive encouragement for the season ahead.