West Ham United Are Locked In A Three-Way Battle For This Gifted Midfielder: Is He Worth The Fight? | OneFootball

In a recent report, The Daily Mail stated that West Ham United are locked in a three-way battle for Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia. It has been mentioned that the Hammers could face competition in the form of Arsenal and Fulham in the race to recruit the Brazilian talent in the summer.

Maia’s Rapid Rise In Brazilian Football

Maia has put in a series of decent displays at the centre of Sao Paulo’s midfield this season. The 22-year-old has already made 127 appearances for the Brazilian outfit so far, finding the back of the net seven times and securing three assists in multiple competitions.

The Brazilian midfield ace has been a good performer in both halves as he is averaging 2.0 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 1.4 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in Brasileirao. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from midfield after making 90.4% of his attempted passes in the Brazilian top tier (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at the Brazilian club will run out at the end of 2027 which would make it difficult for the Hammers to sign him on the cheap this summer.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 05: Pablo Escobar of Corinthians and Thiago Maia of Sport Recife in action during the match between Corinthians and Sport Recife for the Brasileirao Series A 2017 at Arena Corinthians Stadium on August 05, 2017 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)

West Ham United Are Locked In A Battle For Maia: Is He Worth The Fight?

Maia is a tough-tackling midfielder who can make a few important interceptions for his team at the centre of the park. He doesn’t hesitate to put his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the front foot and can shoot the ball with venom from long range.

The Brazilian youngster can create the odd chance for his teammates up top and is a good dribbler with the ball as well. He is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also fill in as a box-to-box midfielder or play in the number ten position if required.

Maia has the potential to become a world-class footballer in his position someday. Hence, the Hammers would do well to get him on board in the summer transfer period. At 22, the South American sensation has already proven his worth in top-flight football, so he will be well worth the fight if West Ham boss David Moyes wants to strengthen his squad for the long run.