West Ham Firmly In Contention For This 25-Year-Old Defender: Is He A Good Option At €40m?
West Ham Firmly In Contention For This 25-Year-Old Defender: Is He A Good Option At €40m? West Ham United are firmly in contention to sign Brazilian centre-back Natan Bernardo de Souza from Real Betis when the summer window opens. According to ABC Sevilla , a local paper in Andalusia, West Ham are joined by Crystal Palace , Bournemouth , and Brentford in keeping a close eye on the 25-year-old, alongside a few top Serie A sides.
West Ham United among clubs tracking Real Betis centre-back Natan this summer Betis first brought Natan in on loan from Napoli back in 2024 before triggering a €9m buyout clause to keep him permanently. He has clearly made an impression in La Liga this season; Sport Witness backed up the Premier League links last Thursday, specifically listing Bournemouth, West Ham, and Newcastle as interested parties. Even Barcelona have him on their radar.
Real Betis need to balance their finances by June 30th, and they see Natan as one of their best chances to raise funds, given the amount of interest coming in. While earlier reports suggested €30m might do the trick, local outlet Estadio Deportivo claims Betis actually value him between €35m and €40m. They expect the price to stay high, largely because having so many clubs in the hunt means they don’t have to offer any discounts.
Would West Ham actually get value from a centre-back priced at €35m to €40m? SEVILLE, SPAIN – DECEMBER 21: Natan of Real Betis gestures as he warms up prior to the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Betis Balompie and Getafe CF at Estadio La Cartuja on December 21, 2025 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) West Ham’s defensive struggles have been obvious this season, and fixing the back line this summer is a massive priority.
On paper, Natan looks like a strong candidate. Looking at his 2025/26 La Liga stats, he’s putting up 1. 10 tackles and 1.