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What’s the story?
West Ham are keeping a close eye on Sporting CP defender Cristiano Piccini, according to a report from Portuguese news outlet Sapo Desporto.
In case you didn’t know…
The Italian right-back only secured a move to Portugal in the summer but he is already catching the attention of clubs from across Europe, including the Hammers. Arsenal are also cited with interest in Piccini.
The heart of the matter
It’s claimed that West Ham scouts have been attending Sporting’s recent games with the purpose of tracking Piccini’s progress. However, West Ham’s relations with Sporting are somewhat strained, which could make a potential transfer difficult.
The two clubs were at the centre of a saga surrounding midfielder William Carvalho in which the chiefs of the two clubs fell out.
What’s next?
Despite this public spat, it looks like West Ham are keen to land Piccini as they look to strengthen their options as the recent purchase of Jose Fonte has done little to improve their defensive displays.
Author’s take
With Slaven Bilic far from secure in his job as manager, it makes sense for him to be looking to further improve a defence that has been too easy to score against this season.
