West Ham opinion: Scout report on Hammers target Nuno Moreira
According to Portuguese publication Record, West Ham are set to beat Leicester to the signing of 19-year-old Sporting Lisbon sensation Nuno Moreira.
The report suggests that the Hammers have sent scouts to watch the young starlet who is yet to make a senior appearance at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Moreira is a highly talented versatile midfielder who has featured in multiple positions in his short career so far. The Portuguese’s best position is as a number 10 but he has played on both wings and as a second striker for the Sporting under-23 side this season.
The 19-year-old shows incredible quality on the ball at such a young age and has the ability to take a number of players out of the game with his cleaver dribbling skills.
Although not rapid, Moreira has a decent burst of acceleration and that combined with his tricks and skills makes him a very difficult customer to stop.
Moreira’s vision at such a young age is very impressive and his flair on the ball would remind you of West Ham’s Felipe Anderson in some ways. His recent rise to fame has been due to his performances for Sporting in the UEFA youth league this season where he has scored once and assisted twice in 7 appearances.
The 19-year-old’s awareness of players around him is phenomenal and is often seen pulling off no look flicks to find his teammates. When played on the wing, Moreira’s dribbling skills combined with trickery on the ball helps him outfox the opposition full-back.
His acceleration takes him beyond the defender with considerable ease and his precision in crossing is something that has caught the eye every time he has played.
His ability on indirect set-pieces is also commendable and looks quite a player considering his young age. Moreira is pretty strong with both feet and has the ability to shoot from outside the box.
However, his shooting is something that he has to improve as he gains more experience.
The youngster, despite having incredible composure in 1vs1 situations, often rushes his shots when under pressure. Such a thing is common at 19 years of age and he is sure to add goals to his game as he grows.
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Moreira’s current contract at the Portuguese club expires at the end of the summer and the youngster will be available for free. Under Manuel Pellegrini, Moreira can hit heights that he would only have dreamt of and the English game will make him a lot tougher.