'He will not leave': President promises West Ham and Newcastle will not sign 27-goal striker
He's going nowhere...
The message to West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Everton and the striker’s many other Premier League-based suitors, heading into the January transfer window, is don’t bother.
Don’t bother ringing up to make your interest known. Do not waste your time trying to convince either the player to leave, or the club to sell.
Yuri Alberto is perfectly happy at Corinthians, thank you very much. At least, that is according to Augusto Melo. The Corinthians president who insists that no one – including his top scorer – will be going anywhere after an impressive end to the 2024 campaign saw the Brazilian giants stave off the threat of relegation.
TBR can confirm Newcastle, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Brentford like Yuri Alberto. So do West Ham. The Hammers even had a £14 million bid rejected back in 2023, according to Melo’s presidential predecessor.
But after recording 27 across the season – more than all-but two Corinthians players this side of the century, one of whom being Carlos Tevez – the Timao are not looking to cash in on Yuri Alberto but build with him.
West Ham and Newcastle warned off Brazil striker Yuri Alberto
“He will not leave,” a bullish Melo tells TNT Sports of his reportedly £17 million-rated striker “He is very happy here and will not leave.
“We started the year with many youth players, we had no squad and no credibility in the market to sign players. Today, thank God, everyone wants to come to Corinthians.
“We are not going to get rid of anyone. We want to keep this squad.”
The comments Yuri Alberto made himself recently, however, were not quite so emphatic. While the one-time Brazil international is hardly desperate to depart – he has already had his fingers burned by a difficult spell at Zenit St Petersburg – Alberto did leave the door ajar for his Premier League suitors to make their move.
“I have a big dream of playing in Europe,” Alberto admits. “I stayed at Zenit and ended up coming back because I couldn’t compete in European tournaments due to the war. I am very happy here at Corinthians but, if an opportunity arises that benefits both Corinthians and myself, I am open to [leaving].
“My priority is England. I really like it there.”
West Ham like Botafogo ace Igor Jesus too while Southampton need goals
TBR understands that, over the summer, Southampton walked away from a potential deal for Yuri Alberto due to the finances involved and a lack of space in Russell Martin’s squad.
It remains to be seen if The Saints renew their interest in January. Bottom of the table on just five points, Cameron Archer, Adam Armstrong and Paul Onuachu have just four Premier League goals between them in 2024/25.
West Ham, meanwhile, continue to rely upon Michail Antonio amid Niclas Fullkrug’s injury-hit start to life in England. West Ham are keen on Middlesbrough hitman Emmanuel Latte Lath too, though the Championship outfit will be in no rush to let him go as Michael Carrick looks to navigate a gruelling promotion push.
Alberto, meanwhile, is not the only Brazilian forward with admirers on UK soil.
Fulham, Newcastle and Forest all made checks on Igor Jesus during the recent international break. West Ham are keen on the £30 million-rated Botafogo forward too, having lodged an enquiry via intermediaries.
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