With a move to Portugal edging ever closer, there was no room in West Ham United’s squad for Luis Guilherme for Brighton and Hove Albion’s visit to the London Stadium on Tuesday night.
Though whether the Brazil Under-20 international has played his final game in the claret and blue colours, well, that is a source of some debate.
Luis Guilherme was nowhere to be seen against Brighton. Nor in the 1-0 home defeat by Fulham three days earlier.
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Are they giving up on him too soon?
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Hammers News can confirm that West Ham have held discussions with Sporting Lisbon regarding a move to the Portuguese capital for the £25 million signing from Palmeiras. As such, an ill-timed injury at this stage of the season would serve only to scupper a deal which appears to be at a fairly advanced stage.
Nothing is done just yet though.
And, according to Iberian publication A Bola, that is because West Ham United and Sporting are yet to fully agree on the terms of a deal.
West Ham United have concerns over Luis Guilherme’s Sporting Lisbon switch
One of the many disappointing Tim Steidten era signings, Guilherme has failed to really catch the eye under three successive managers. He has started only two Premier League matches during the reigns of Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter and now Nuno Espirito Santo.
On his only start under Nuno, Guilherme was hauled off at half-time during a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
The West Ham benchwarmer continues to be mentioned alongside Chelsea’s Estevao as one of the most exciting graduates of the Palmeiras academy, and Brazil’s next generation. But perhaps a more fitting comparison would be Matheus Franca.
The £26 million winger signed by Crystal Palace as a teenager and eventually loaned out to Vasco da Gama after struggling to cope with the physicality of English football.
Like their London neighbours, it seems that West Ham are not yet ready to completely give up on a forward who will not even celebrate his 20th birthday until February.
Hammers News have already confirmed that Sporting are keen to strike a deal at around £17.5 million. A Bola, though, now report that West Ham have reservations about green-lighting a permanent deal next month.
The Premier League strugglers reportedly still believe in Guilherme’s potential. Even if there is no future for him in England, the teenager could potentially see his value sky-rocket on the back of an impressive spell in Portugal, if Sporting are willing to forego a permanent arrangement for a temporary one.
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Palmeiras chief expects Guilherme to thrive in Portugal
A Bola sum things up by stating that ‘negotiations are not easy, but are ongoing’.
“Sporting is a great club that works very well with young players,” Joao Angel Sampaio, the academy director at Palmeiras, told Record this month. “If Luis Guilherme goes to Sporting, he will be in good hands. But he is a player who has many clubs interested in him because his potential is very high.
“He is a player who, in terms of potential, is at the same level as Endrick and Estevao. They are three players from the same generation who are out of the ordinary.
“Luis Guilherme is a player who will surely play for the Brazilian National Team and for a great club in Europe.”
“He is a very fast player. To give you an idea, at 16 or 17 years old, he was already reaching 37 kilometers per hour [nearly 23 mph]. He is a player with very high physical capacity, [and] a very high technical level.
“He is a [number] ‘ten’ who can play as a winger or as an attacking midfielder. He has a very strong shot and is very good in one-on-one situations.”
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