West Ham are set to have their hopes of signing Joao Felix from Benfica ended as the Portuguese side want to raise his release clause to a whopping £107m, according to Record.

What's the word?

Manuel Pellegrini embarked on a significant spending spree over the course of the summer, splashing out over £100m, but if he had his way he would have spent even more as the Hammers were linked to a number of other targets.

One of those, according to Sky Sports, was Benfica midfielder Joao Felix and the Hammers will be left with a bitter taste in their mouth as reports from Record state that the Portuguese side are looking to raise his release clause to a staggering £107m.

Since West Ham's failed approach, the 18-year-old has featured in five of Benfica's first-team games this season and scored a dramatic late equaliser in the Lisbon derby against Sporting - propelling his reputation and strengthening Benfica's desire to secure his long-term future.

A lesson for West Ham?

Luring Felix away from Benfica this summer was always going to be a difficult task for West Ham but they need to take lessons from their failed approach after seeing the teenager star for the Portuguese side so far this season.

In comparison, the experienced players that West Ham did bring in, including Jack Wilshere, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko, have struggled to hit top gear so far this term and need to show significant improvements in the coming months.

With West Ham struggling to find their feet, the Hammers really should be looking to change their transfer structure significantly to target top talents who can provide an immediate boost and room for growth in the future rather than paying inflated prices for experienced players who have failed to prove their worth.

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