West Ham United have completed their third signing in the transfer window with a surprise purchase of Venezuelan winger Keiber Lamadrid.
The player, who has an international match on his CV, has undergone a medical test in France and is now waiting for a work permit and international go-ahead to seal his move to the Premier League. He is expected in London in the next 24 hours.
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Lamadrid follows in the footsteps of strikers Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe at the London Stadium. West Ham are fighting to stay in the Premier League as they are five points behind Nottingham Forest in 17th place.
Lamadrid loaned to West Ham
The 22-year-old Lamadrid will be on loan for the rest of the season, with an option to make the transfer permanent for around £870,000 this summer.
But it is unlikely that he will go straight into the first team that awaits another tough game at home to Sunderland this weekend. GiveMeSport writes it is more likely that he will be part of the U21 team.
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West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has brought in the youngster with a view to incorporating him more next season, if he proves fit between now and May.
Crysencio Summerville currently occupies the left wing spot and has found his form with two goals in the last two games.
Lamadrid has scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 103 appearances for his club Deportivo La Guaria. He has one international match from the bench in November last year.
West Ham continue their pursuit of Adama Traoré
West Ham are still looking to sign Fulham’s powerful winger Adama Traoré, but are ready to take their interest right up until the closing day of the transfer window.
Fulham want £7 million for the player, and “The Hammers” will not approach that amount for a player who is out of contract this summer.
Both clubs are now stuck to see who blinks first and agree to change their position in the negotiations.
There is a very welcome sense of positivity in the West Ham camp after their shocking 2-1 win away at arch-rivals Tottenham on Saturday.
They still have the worst goal difference in the division, with the exception of bottom side Wolves, and are thus effectively six points from safety ahead of the home game against Sunderland on Saturday.
But with experienced striker Callum Wilson scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute, they have regained some ground on Forest.
And Wilson, 33 years old, may well remain at the club despite intense speculation that he would leave after the arrivals of Taty and Felipe in recent days.
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Celtic and Leicester were linked with Wilson, but his Premier League experience and finishing ability have made him indispensable to the fight for survival.
