West Ham United target Simon Banza could have played his last game for Braga following their 1-0 defeat against Porto last weekend (h/t O Jogo).
Braga want to shake things up this summer, and Banza could be sold to give them funds to work with.
He netted 21 goals in 28 league games this season. The only player who netted mores was Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, who fired Sporting CP to the title with 29 goals.
Banza went a bit cold towards the end of the season, failing to score in his last seven games, but that doesn’t erase his impressive firepower.
West Ham are not the only club after him this summer, but they are reportedly at the front of the queue.
His contract with Braga runs for another three years and has a €40 million release clause, but they will reportedly consider bids of around €25m.
West Ham need to close a deal for Banza quickly
Banza is highly rated in Portugal, and West Ham should be looking to close a deal as soon as possible, considering the current over-inflated market.
The Democratic Republic of Congo international has been on West Ham’s radar for a while now, and rumour has it they are finally ready to launch a bid.
However, they must act fast because competition for his signature is fierce.
A striker is very much the priority this summer. Michail Antonio isn’t getting any younger and is expected to leave the club this summer.
Jarrod Bowen did a decent job filling in with his 16 goals in 34 games, but West Ham must sign a genuine number nine if they want to challenge for Europe next season.
Banza seems to fit the bill perfectly.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com.
