Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento has made Genoa, not West Ham, his favoured destination, according to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Brazilian, who has been capped 6 times by his country, is said to prefer a switch to Italy if he leaves Saudi Arabia this month.

This news comes shortly after another Italian source, Fabrizio Romano, revealed that the Hammers had made an “official bid” for Bento, with talks ongoing.

From the sound of things, the London club’s attempts to persuade the keeper to make the move to the London Stadium will be in vain.

Bento is expected to push for a transfer to Genoa

Di Marzio claims that the Serie A side have tabled a loan offer with an option to buy for €5m, which is believed to be similar to West Ham’s proposal.

However, Bento is reportedly expected to hold discussions with Al Nassr today (Tuesday, 6th January) in order to encourage his current team to accept the bid from Italy.

The 26-year-old believes that showcasing his performances in Serie A would give him a better chance of being included in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup this summer.

Why are West Ham pursuing another goalkeeper?

The Irons spent £20m to bring in Mads Hermansen from Leicester City last August, but the Dane failed to impress in his first 4 appearances and was subsequently benched by head coach Graham Potter.

Hermansen has not played a single minute since Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival at the club, with the Portuguese manager favouring Alphonse Areola.

However, it appears Nuno is not convinced by Areola either. The 32-year-old’s save ratio (70.8%) is by no means poor. It is the 7th best in the Premier League, but he has let in 2.1 more goals than his xG conceded, putting him 24th out of 30 keepers who have played in the English top flight since the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign.

Want more news on West Ham? Add Hammers Headlines as a preferred source on Google