Neymar could land a £25m deal with West Ham 15 years after almost joining for the same amount.
West Ham fans of a certain era will recall how a youthful Neymar was poised to join the club at the beginning of his career in 2010.
Fifteen years ago, when Neymar was emerging as a talent at Santos, West Ham United were seriously interested in signing the 18-year-old. David Sullivan and David Gold had taken over the club in January of that year, just before an exciting summer transfer window.
West Ham was already gaining recognition in South America, having signed Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from Corinthians four years prior.
There was talk that Neymar could be “parked” at West Ham for a while before making a move to Chelsea under Roman Abramovich, assuming he succeeded in England.
At the time, a transfer fee between £20m and £25m was suggested for Neymar. However, the player’s father rejected West Ham’s offer.
As a result, West Ham missed out on the Brazilian sensation, who would later go on to join Barcelona in 2013, becoming one of the best players in the world with both the Spanish club and the Brazilian national team.
Meanwhile, West Ham’s fortunes took a turn for the worse, as they appointed Avram Grant as manager, only to suffer relegation that same season.
Now, over a decade later, Neymar’s potential move to West Ham could come full circle.
At 32 years old, after stints at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, the former forward is reportedly on the brink of returning to Santos, his boyhood club.
This move would come 15 years after his near-transfer to West Ham for a similar fee of £25m.
In the present day, West Ham is looking to offload Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme, whom they signed for up to £25m from Palmeiras just seven months ago.
The club is reportedly in talks with a Saudi club to recoup their investment and generate funds for new targets.
West Ham’s sporting director, Tim Steidten, had spread his striker budget across signing both Niclas Füllkrug and Guilherme, with much of the focus placed on the young Brazilian.
Despite the club’s initial hesitations about paying such a hefty fee for an untested player, Steidten was adamant about signing Guilherme and was even told that his job would depend on the player’s success.
However, Guilherme has struggled to make an impact, and many believe West Ham’s initial doubts were valid.
Talks have now emerged about West Ham attempting to offload him, and it seems that a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal could be on the cards.
The connection between Neymar’s departure from Al Hilal and Guilherme’s potential move is becoming clearer.
Neymar will not be registered for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season, and Santos has offered him a way out, with a formal loan proposal already submitted.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Neymar is nearing a return to his boyhood club, waiting for final approval from Al Hilal.
This situation has led the Saudi club to explore the possibility of replacing Neymar with Guilherme.
It has been confirmed that Al Hilal has reached out to West Ham to inquire about the conditions of a potential deal for the winger.
Given the immense financial power of Saudi clubs, it is unlikely that the funds will be an issue, particularly if Neymar’s massive wages are cleared off their books soon.
Furthermore, the Saudi Pro League is shifting its focus towards younger, rising stars rather than recruiting big names in the twilight of their careers.
This shift in strategy could work in West Ham’s favor as they look to sell Guilherme to Al Hilal.
If this deal goes through, it could not only resolve West Ham’s situation with Guilherme but also bring them full circle with Neymar, as they look back on the time when they almost signed the now-global superstar.
