West Ham are preparing a formal bid to sign Cruzeiro striker Kaio Jorge

West Ham United are set to submit a new formal bid to sign Cruzeiro striker Kaio Jorge after their opening bid was rejected, the newspaper said. Ekrem Konur.

The 23-year-old first came to prominence as a teenager after rising through the youth ranks at Santos. His performances attracted interest from several European sides before Juventus signed in 2021.

The forward endured a difficult debut season in Europe with the Turin club, which led to multiple loan spells at Frosinone, before eventually returning to Brazil to play for Cruzeiro, where his form has since improved.

In the current season, the Brazilian has been in prolific goal-scoring form, scoring 26 goals and also registering nine assists, with 21 of those strikes being the highest goal tally of any player in the Brazilian Serie A.

It is no surprise that the Hammers, who are in dire need of goalscoring form, have now turned their attention to the Brazilian.

Now, according to WomenWest Ham submitted a loan proposal with an obligation to buy of £18 million to sign Jorge in the January transfer window.

However, Cruzeiro has rejected the offer as Belo Horizonte’s team demand a £34 million fee to clear the departure of the Brazilian star, who is also key to Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Juventus, Napoli and Atletico Madrid, according to the report.

Productive progress

As a result, the transfer journalist adds that West Ham are preparing to submit a new, improved formal bid for the Brazil international’s transfer to the London Stadium this winter.

Having honed his technical skills through indoor football and finishing runners-up with Brazil’s U17 side at the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, Kaio Jorge combines strength, speed and a natural eye for goal, qualities that helped him break into the Santos first team at a young age.

Often compared to Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino for his influence in a number 10 role, the forward’s adaptability allows him to play in multiple attacking positions, providing valuable tactical flexibility for his manager.

While questions remain over his ability to adapt to Europe after problems during his first spell at Juventus, there is growing belief that Jorge has gained enough experience to thrive in Europe.