West Ham have opened talks with the representatives of West Brom attacker Matheus Pereira ahead of a potential move for the Brazilian this summer, according to The Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor.

It had been reported earlier on in the summer that West Ham were one of the clubs that were interested in making a potential move for Pereira this summer.

A report from the Daily Express had outlined that the 25-year-old could emerge as a target for the Hammers if they failed to secure a move for Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard.

While there have also been reports that the likes of Leicester City and Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig were also interested in making a move for the attacker this summer.

Other reports have seen Pereira linked with a potential move to the likes of Leeds United and Aston Villa, following his impressive debut campaign in the Premier League.

While the Express and Star have indicated that the Baggies could hold out for as much as £30 million for him this summer.

According to the latest report from Taylor on Twitter, West Ham have now opened talks with Pereira’s representatives as they attempt to sort out a deal for the attacker. While it is also believed that neither Leicester nor RB Leipzig have followed up on their initial interest in the 25-year-old.

The verdict

This is a major potential blow for West Brom and it suggests that West Ham are indeed very serious about making a move for the attacker this summer.

A move to the Hammers is going to be an attractive proposition for the 25-year-old considering they managed a top-six finish last term and can offer him the chance to play in Europe next term.

West Brom were always expecting interest to firm up in Pereira this summer you would think and therefore this will not have come as a surprise to them. However, the Baggies must do all they can to ensure that they get the maximum value out of him if West Ham are going to manage to take him back to the Premier League before the window closes.

Pereira is a player that is too good for the Championship and deserves a move to a club like West Ham, but West Brom at least will not have to worry about Leicester coming in for him with this report suggesting the Foxes are not planning to do so at this stage.