da bet sport： West Ham United are now closing in on a deal to sign a “unique” new forward, who was specifically requested by Nuno.

West Ham closing in on "unique" new signing

da bwin： With Premier League safety at stake, it has been a busy month for West Ham, but Nuno didn’t seem overjoyed by the recent addition of Venezuelan winger Keiber Lamadrid.

The 51-year-old made it clear he wanted more first-team ready players through the door before the February 2nd deadline, saying: “He’s a young player that the club brings in. He’s in pre-season, not really ready to play. But we will assess him and see.

“The club normally seeks players for the future, young players that can help us. What I’m focussed on is now, how important our situation is.

“The club knows the profiles that we need. They need to rebalance the squad.”

The Hammers have a real battle on their hands, considering they are currently five points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, and they will be hoping to close the gap when they host Sunderland at the London Stadium this afternoon.

At the end of December, it was revealed that Nuno had personally requested the signing of Fulham winger Adama Traore, and there has now been a new update on the Irons’ pursuit of the former Barcelona man.

According to a report from Hammers News, West Ham are now close to securing Traore’s signature, with the Cottagers finally willing to sanction a departure, having tried to play hardball earlier in the transfer window.

Marco Silva’s side were holding out for £7m, despite the winger having just six months remaining on his contract, but a deal is now expected to go through for around £2m, a significant reduction.

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There is an expectation the deal will be finalised soon, and Nuno could have the 29-year-old available for the trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea next weekend.

"Unique" Traore could be risky signing for West Ham

Described as a “unique” player by Nuno, the Spaniard has plenty of Premier League experience, making 262 appearances in the competition, during which time he has amassed 14 goals and 27 assists.

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The 29-year-old was particularly impressive in the 2019-20 season, picking up four goals and nine assists, but he has been inconsistent, failing to hold down a regular place in the Fulham starting XI this term.

As such, should Traore be able to rediscover his previous form, he may have the quality to help fire West Ham to safety, but the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is a risky signing, given his inconsistency, failing to register a single goal or assist in the Premier League this season.