Incoming: Luizao
(Picture: Getty Images)West Ham are closing in on the signing of Brazilian defender Luizao from Sao Paolo.
The 20-year-old will be a free agent when his contract at the Brazilian club expires at the end of January, and is set to move to east London.
The centre-back will initially join the Irons’ U21 set-up and is not expected to play a part for David Moyes’ senior side this season.
Luizao joined Sao Paolo as a teenager in 2017 and made his first-team debut earlier this year. He has so far made 14 Serie A appearances for the club, scoring once.
Moyes’ first team are ramping up their preparations for the Premier League’s resumption and will meet Fulham in a friendly at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The club’s World Cup stars are yet to return to training, with Germany’s Thilo Kehrer due back on Monday before England’s Declan Rice and Brazil’s Lucas Paqueta arrive midway through next week. All three are expected to be in contention to face Arsenal on Boxing Day.
