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It's transfer rumour time again. Yay.
Portuguese site Abola claim that Reading winger Paolo Hurtado is interesting Premier League sides West Ham and Bournemouth. The article states:
"Hurtado's very high income at the service of Vitoria is echoing abroad, especially in England, with West Ham and Bournemouth closely following the Peruvian who is in the castle by yielding from Reading, Her Majesty's own land club*."
*We used Google Translate, to predictably awful results.
Communication problems aside, there's not much more information to be had apart from what I put in that second paragraph. That said, The Sun point out that Hurtado's deal expires in a year's time (which would lower his transfer fee), but also claim the Peruvian is rated at £2million.
His agent Elio Casareto responded to the report on Twitter thusly...
@TalkReading @phurtado0712 No idea mate.
— Elio Casareto (@ecasareto) April 27, 2017
Why would West Ham and Bournemouth want him?
They probably don't, but you're here now so we might as well discuss it properly.
Despite only playing for Reading for 150 minutes since his arrival under Steve Clarke in the summer of 2015, he's done very well on loan in Portugal. In two spells with top flight side Vitória de Guimarães (a brief one in 2016, and a season-long deal in 2016/17), Hurtado has racked up a grand total of ten goals and three assists in 42 appearances.
However, the bulk of that form has come this campaign, with an impressive nine goals and three assists in 35 games.
Nonetheless, it's hard to see either West Ham or Bournemouth shelling out their hard-earned cash for a player who's settled in England like snow in the Sahara.
Awful jokes aside, the whole rumour doesn't really make much sense. Sure, Hurtado's done very well this season, but he's far from qualified for playing Premier League football.