West Bromwich Albion are reportedly leading the race for Benfica midfielder André Horta.
As reported by Portuguese newspaper Record today, West Brom are the ‘strongest possibility’ for the player’s departure from Lisbon this summer, despite offers from Spain and France as well.
The 20-year-old was close to joining Portuguese side Marítimo on loan, but the deal collapsed because the clubs couldn’t agree on who would pay his wages for the season.
That seems not to be a problem for West Brom, since according to Record, the Premier League side don’t mind paying for his full salary, and would even include some personal bonuses for the player.
The youngster has made only 16 appearances for Benfica since joining the club from Vitória de Setúbal in 2015.
Although a loan move to West Brom is completely possible, a permanent transfer shouldn’t be so easy to get, partly because he’s currently protected by a €45m release clause.
