West Ham target Pablo Maia has admitted that he dreams of making a move to the Premier League.

The Hammers, Arsenal and Fulham have all been credited with an interest in the Sao Paulo midfielder and, asked whether a transfer to England is a possibility, he replied:

“I heard about an offer from an English club to Sao Paulo FC, and then another club inquired about a loan deal two windows back. The Premier League is played at the highest technical and intense level in the world, with players accustomed to the Champions League and World Cup.

“It’s a league that we dream of, set as a goal. Whenever I can, I watch the games and analyse how players in my position perform.”

What do West Ham fans need to know about Maia?

The 22-year-old came through Sao Paulo’s youth system before making his senior debut for the club during the Paulista State Championship at the beginning of 2022.

Maia made his first appearance against Ituano in a 0-0 draw and he hasn’t really looked back from there, having gone on to make 126 appearances in all competitions.

During his time in the first team, the Brazilian has won two major trophies; the Brazilian Cup in 2023 and the Super Cup earlier this year. He is a holding midfield player by trade, but he can also be deployed in more advanced positions if required.

West Ham have looked at the Brazilian market in the past

The Irons did recruit Luizao from Maia’s club Sao Paulo in January last year, so scouts from the club will certainly be aware of the midfielder.

However, it must be pointed out that, at the time, Rob Newman was steering the club’s recruitment. Since then, Tim Steidten has been brought in as technical director and the German has focused on signing players in Europe instead.