West Ham United have confirmed on their official website that the club have signed promising Portuguese winger Mesaque Dju from Benfica.
The 19-year-old wideman has penned a deal with the Hammers until the summer of 2022 and will initially link-up with the Irons’ U23 side.
West Ham have clearly put a focus on bolstering their youth ranks over the last few years, with an extensive scouting network in place to scour for rising talent from across the world.
The Hammers U23 side have shown that they are one of the top sides in England at that level and Dju will add to the quality in those ranks.
West Ham have no shortage of wingers, with the likes of Felipe Anderson, Michail Antonio and the injured Andriy Yarmolenko and Manuel Lanzini the frontrunners to play in Manuel Pellegrini’s team.
However, Declan Rice has shown that youngsters that are good enough can get a chance at the London Stadium and the Irish midfielder will be an inspiration to the rest of the rising stars in the Hammers ranks.
Academy director Terry Westley has compared the new man to current West Ham star Antonio.
“We had seen Mesaque play for Portugal and win the U17 and U19 European Championship titles. He was an attacking player who was always highlighted when you watched him in those games,” he told the Hammers official website.
“Mesaque is a wide player who is different to the current young wide players we have in Grady Diangana, Nathan Holland, Martin Samuelsen and Dan Kemp, who are what you would class as a dribblers. He is a dynamic player with great pace and power, a little bit like Michail Antonio.
“He is six-foot plus, two-footed, strong and can deliver with quality from the left or the right, and could even develop in to a number nine with his attributes, which we believe could make him a Premier League player.”
West Ham fans will hope that Dju is not the last arrival at the club before the January transfer window closes late on Thursday.