West Ham United have confirmed the signing of 21-year-old winger Xande Silva from Vitoria Guimaraes on a three-year deal.
As reported on the club’s official website, the Portugal youth international is set to link up with the club’s Under-23 side after signing for an undisclosed fee.
The jet-heeled forward is set to make his Hammers debut in the Under-23s training ground friendly against Watford on Friday.
OPINION
This is a good move for West Ham despite the fact that Silva will not challenge for a first-team place to begin with. The Portugal youth international is a real talent, with his blinding pace being his best attribute. The 21-year-old has decent first-team experience for Vitoria in the Portuguese top-flight, but has spent much of his time at the club playing for their B team. Starting out in the Under-23s will give Silva the time he needs to acclimatise to his new surroundings and ease himself into life in London. The prospect of seeing him debut for the club on Friday is an exciting one, and fans should keep a keen eye on his progress in the development squad. The club have obviously identified him as having the potential to break through into the senior set up, and it will be interesting to see whether he manages to do so.
