West Ham approach and offer justified – Player turning into defensive monster

In late 2025, West Ham came forward to sign Lecce defender Tiago Gabriel. This came right after his quick rise to stardom and things have become even better for the defender.

The Italian side paid just €1m to sign the player in January 2025. He took a while to settle in, but became a defensive monster this season.

In November, Sport Witness covered claims about West Ham’s formal offer for the Portuguese. This didn’t prove enough, as Lecce were waiting for his valuation to rise further.

He scored a crucial goal for Lecce against Fiorentina on Monday, handing his side hope of Serie A survival.

That was fitting, as Gabriel has been one of Lecce’s most important players. If not for him, they might have been much worse off than they are.

Attention growing around Lecce star

Today, Corriere dello Sport take a deeper look at Gabriel, making it clear that AC Milan are now keen on him.

Lecce want to earn a massive capital gain from his sale, desiring a fee of €25m to sell him.

As of now, this is considered too high by the Rossoneri, which could provide an opportunity to English clubs.

The newspaper also appear to confirm West Ham’s previous approach. They claim that several Premier League clubs have spoken to Gabriel’s entourage at CAA Base are interested in him.

Lecce’s asking price can end up benefitting West Ham and other English sides, with Milan much more likely to prefer loans.

The Rossoneri and Lecce do have a very good working relationship. Young striker Francesco Camarda was loaned out last summer and the two clubs could be on talking terms once again.

A deal for the young defender will not be easy though, with Lecce having an option to extend his contract by another season after 2027.

Our take: West Ham should keep an eye open

In the last few years, Lecce have relied heavily on sales to stay afloat. They depend a lot on outgoing transfers to foreign clubs, with Patrick Dorgu joining Manchester United and Morten Hjulmand joining Sporting in 2023.

Nikola Krstovic joined Atalanta last summer but Lecce were pushing him to join Leeds United instead.

That is why West Ham and other English clubs should keep pursuing Gabriel. He has the physical traits to thrive in England, showcasing immense aerial ability and his strengths also lie in using his tall frame to perfection.

€25m is usually not high for English clubs, who could get themselves a bargain deal.