West Ham scouts take in trio of top Sporting, Benfica stars wanted by Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal

West Ham scouts were reportedly in attendance to keep a close eye on a trio of players as Benfica defeated big Portuguese rivals Sporting Lisbon 2-1 on Sunday.

Reports suggest that West Ham were monitoring Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio and Benfica duo Joao Neves and Antonio Silva, although there were numerous other scouts from Premier League rivals also in attendance at the Estadio do Dragao.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have been linked with the above-named trio, although 90mins reports that representatives from Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa were also in attendance.

The publication states that both Benfica and Sporting are bracing themselves for “significant interest in their top stars in the coming months.”

Portugal has always been a happy hunting ground for English top-flight clubs and it appears that three new names are firmly on the lips of some Premier League heavyweights.

Neves, Silva and major United target Inacio, who have all been capped by Portugal, look set to prompt a massive battle for their signatures over the course of the next two transfer windows.

And while both clubs will be desperate to keep their top talent, they have also shown a tendency in the past to cash if the right offer comes along.

As for West Ham’s interest, the likelihood of the Hammers actually outbidding the likes of United, Arsenal and Liverpool is very slim. Indeed, it may have been a case of them actually looking at slightly less expensive options.

The one advantage David Moyes’ men do have over their heavy-hitting Premier League rivals is that they can guarantee first-team football at the London Stadium.

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