West Ham United are not the only Premier League club whose interest in a coveted Brazil international can be traced back across multiple transfer windows.
In the summer of 2023, Corinthians confirmed that they had turned down a £15 million bid from The Hammers for star striker Yuri Alberto.
Two years on, Yuri Alberto remains on West Ham’s radar. Isn’t he always?
And, in an ironic twist of fate, Corinthians are now reportedly ready to accept an offer almost identical to the one which arrived from the London Stadium when David Moyes was still at the helm.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, meanwhile, held talks of their own at the beginning of 2024. Gary O’Neil would end up bemoaning Wolves’ lack of cash, the Molineux outfit limited at the time to loan deals.
But flash forward to May 2025. With Wolves set to bring in a £62.5 million windfall following Matheus Cunha’s inevitable switch to Manchester United, speculation suggesting Yuri Alberto could end the summer in Old Gold has gone into overdrive this week.
A day after Artem Dovbyk confirmed he rejected West Ham for Roma – a La Liga Golden Boot winner with Girona moving to Italy instead for £26 million – are the Londoners facing further disappointment in pursuit of another long-term striker target?
Agent clarifies Yuri Alberto to Wolves claims in West Ham United boost
In addition to Wolves, Yuri Alberto is also on the radar of Sporting Lisbon. The newly-crowned Portuguese champions have identified him as a replacement for the coveted Viktor Gyokeres.
Now, Yuri Alberto’s agent confirmed West Ham and Wolves’ interest a few months back.
Speaking to Brazilian reporter Jorge Nicola now, however, Andre Cury is keen to point out that nothing is advanced at this stage with any of those suitors.
Reports that Wolves have moved ahead of West Ham and are preparing an offer, meanwhile, appear wide of the mark.
“The striker who was targeted by Sporting CP and West Ham now appears in the sights of Wolves,” Nicola begins. “According to [reports], Wolves will present an offer in the next few days. Corinthians would be entitled to 17 million euros.
“I talked to Andre Cury [Yuri Alberto’s agent] before recording this video. He guarantees there is no official proposal, only preliminary talks seeking information.
“According to Andre, everything is still at the early stages because the window only opens in June.”
West Ham still in the mix as Luizao swap deal emerges as a possibility
The West Ham supporters can sleep a little easier ahead of Sunday’s curtain-closer with Ipswich Town, then.
Whether or not Yuri Alberto ever ends up at the London Stadium remains to be seen but, for now, there is no reason to suggest that Wolves are about to snatch the reigning Brazilian Golden Boot winner from under Graham Potter’s nose.
Yuri Alberto has the most goals of any Brazilian footballer since the start of 2024, including Barcelona talisman Raphinha. He scored 31 times in 57 games last year.
Reports, meanwhile, have indicated that West Ham could offer Luizao to Corinthians in exchange. The former Sao Paulo defender has impressed on loan at Polish outfit Pogon Szczecin, but is still awaiting his senior West Ham debut two years after crossing the Atlantic.
“The idea of signing a defender is a priority at Corinthians,” Nicola said last week. “For that reason, there could be some type of negotiation.”
