West Ham winger Luis Guilherme has endured a frustrating start to his Hammers career.
The Brazilian wonderkid was signed from Palmeiras as one of the most promising young talents in South America. It feels like an eternity ago that Tim Steidten proudly posed alongside the Hammers’ first signing in what seemed like an incredibly successful transfer window.
However, the reality hasn’t matched the hype—though that’s no fault of Guilherme’s. The 18-year-old has barely been given a sniff of first-team action.
Nothing highlights the disconnect between head coach Julen Lopetegui and West Ham’s director of football quite like the signing of Guilherme. The transfer appears to have been completed with little thought about the player’s progression and integration into the club.
Guilherme has featured for West Ham’s under-21 team, scoring a goal and looking generally impressive. But that’s been the extent of his involvement. The highly regarded youngster seems caught in no man’s land: not quite good enough for the first team, but too good for the academy.
A short-term loan deal to acclimatise to the rigours of English football seems an obvious solution. Unfortunately, there’s little sign that West Ham are planning to take any meaningful action. Guilherme remains in a state of limbo.
The club now faces a pressing decision about Guilherme’s present and future. Without proper action, they risk having a rapidly depreciating asset on their hands.
