West Ham executives impressed by £49m forward personally targeted by Lopetegui

West Ham United executives are said to be impressed by Real Sociedad forward Brais Mendez, who is reportedly a top transfer target for manager Julen Lopetegui. With the January transfer window approaching, technical director Tim Steidten is under pressure to deliver new signings after facing criticism for some of his summer transfer decisions.

According to reports, West Ham officials have been scouting Mendez in recent matches and are very impressed with his abilities. The 27-year-old Spanish international has 6 goal contributions this season across all competitions. Real Sociedad have set an asking price of around £49 million for Mendez.

Lopetegui is said to personally want Mendez at West Ham and has requested his signing. The versatile attacker can play as an attacking midfielder or deeper in midfield when needed. While Real Sociedad are reluctant to sell, West Ham may look to beat other interested clubs like Aston Villa to Mendez’s signature in January.

With Steidten facing scrutiny over some underwhelming summer signings, bringing in a player of Mendez’s quality could help alleviate pressure on both the technical director and manager. West Ham are prioritizing signing a top striker in January, but adding an attacking midfielder like Mendez is also on their agenda as they aim to climb the Premier League table.