West Ham beat Chelsea to the signing of Portuguese starlet

West Ham United have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to sign midfielder Gedson Fernandes from Benfica during the winter transfer window.

The Hammers and Chelsea were in the running to sign the Portuguese ace earlier in the week but it appears that the former have won the race after making a more realistic proposal.

According to Sky Sports News, the east London side are set to land the 21-year-old on an 18-month loan with the obligation to buy for £33m, provided he appears in 50 percent of their games during the stint.

In comparison to the Hammers, Chelsea are said to have proposed a better final price of £55m but there were no assurances that the club would offer the midfielder with regular first-team football.

The versatile midfielder is set to become David Moyes' first signing since taking charge of the Hammers. The Capital outfit are currently two points ahead of the relegation places, having played a game less than their nearest rivals.