West Ham remain interested in signing Sporting Lisbon winger Gonzalo Plata, according to reports in the English media.
The Hammers, along with Newcastle United, Leicester and Brighton are all keeping tabs on the Ecuadorian who is expected to be loaned out when the transfer window reopens in January.
Sporting believe their best chance of selling Plata outright is to send him out on a temporary basis in order to impress a potential buyer. The Portuguese club would expect at least £20m were a team to take up their option to sign him.
West Ham were linked with the 20-year-old earlier this year and the player was even asked about a potential move to England:
“Of course, everyone dreams of the Premier League. When I was little, it was the European league I watched the most.”
Plata appears fully prepared to make the switch to the UK then but there are question marks over whether the Irons actually need another winger. He has played just 64 minutes of first-team football for Sporting this campaign, having not scored or provided a single assist.
