West Ham United seem to be closing in on moves for both Pablo Maia and Luizao.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in an interview with Football FanCast that there is clear communication between the Hammers and the players involved in the deal.

Regarding how far along the deals are, Jones claimed:

“They’re not players I know loads about but clearly a path of conversation is open here. From a West Ham point of view, you’re always going to be excited when you hear about talents like this joining the club.”

Maia is expected to cost around £9m, whilst his Sao Paulo teammate is likely to be available on a free transfer in January.

Mascherano & Parker 2.0

This double swoop could draw comparisons with the Irons’ controversial 2016 unveiling of both Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, given how both of these deals saw young talent shipped straight from Brazil to east London.

Around the time of this West Ham team, and just after the latter had moved to Liverpool, it marked the emergence of Scott Parker.

Both Luizao and Maia share qualities with these impressive stars who graced the Boleyn Ground before going on to achieve huge things in the game, and given the fact that they are both just 20 years old, the future is truly blinding for these two at the London Stadium.

The former boasts a particular bite and nastiness that could share similarities with the Argentine defender who went on to play 334 times for Barcelona.

He already has five yellow cards this season in 14 appearances, but his 3.8 clearances and 1.0 tackles per game outline him as a fine defender.

Meanwhile, the relentless midfielder has proven himself a dependable asset in the engine room, becoming a talismanic figure for Sao Paulo despite his youth.

Boasting a 90% pass accuracy, he too manages to get through the dirty work as Parker did before him which endeared him with fans.

Maia is averaging 1.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 0.9 clearances per game alongside his stunning ability with the ball.

Should he translate this form to the English game, he might be the next man to win Hammer of the Year, of which the former Bournemouth manager won three.

Although that period is somewhat mired by its relegation, these two stars will often leave fans romanticising such a dismal period in the club’s history.

Hopefully, in Maia and Luizao, they can underpin what will be a bright future for David Moyes’ side that is brimming with talent.