Sky Sports Journalist Reveals Surprising New Details on West Ham’s Pursuit of Brazilian Duo
A Sky Sports journalist has made surprising new claims regarding West Ham’s pursuit of two Brazilian players, which might catch some off guard.
West Ham is close to securing their first summer signing after several attempts. The club is set to announce Brazilian midfielder Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras in a £25m deal. This follows unsuccessful bids for Corinthians winger Wesley Gassova and Flamengo centre-back Fabricio Bruno. While the deal for Gassova fell through due to fee disagreements, the Bruno deal collapsed at the last minute. Initial rumors suggested Bruno demanded higher pay, but it was later reported that he declined the move because his wife is pregnant, and they wanted to stay in Brazil.
The imminent signing of Guilherme has sparked much debate among West Ham fans. Until recently, most fans and Premier League journalists were unfamiliar with the 18-year-old, who has just one goal and one assist since joining Palmeiras’ first team last season. Some fans are concerned that spending £25m on a young, inexperienced player from Brazilian football is risky. Given that West Ham has a budget of £100m for about eight signings, dedicating a quarter of this to Guilherme implies he is seen as a crucial future player.
West Ham’s technical director, Julen Lopetegui, and Tim Steidten are keen to strengthen the defense and aim to sign two new centre-backs this summer. Following the collapse of the Bruno deal, the club has been linked with several alternatives. However, a Sky Sports journalist has recently made surprising claims about West Ham’s moves for the Brazilian players. Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany discussed the deals for Guilherme and the 28-year-old defender Bruno.
Plettenberg stated that efforts were made to revive the Bruno deal, but it seems to have fallen through as West Ham decided not to meet his demands. He reported, “Understand Fabricio Bruno to West Ham, deal is currently off! Verbal agreement was done but then clubs from Saudi Arabia showed concrete interest. After that, new salary demands were made to West Ham. But clear decision: West Ham bosses do not want to meet these demands and have informed the player’s management.”
Plettenberg also made a surprising revelation about the Guilherme deal. West Ham is finalizing his medical and media package ahead of the teenager’s official announcement. According to Plettenberg, the Brazil Under-20 star is seen as a ‘prospect player for future years’ rather than an immediate impact signing. He said, “Luis Guilherme is planned as a prospect player in whom West Ham has a lot of confidence in the next years! Medical scheduled for this afternoon (Monday). After that, the 18 y/o winger is supposed to sign a contract until 2029. Palmeiras will receive around €23m (£19.5m) guaranteed plus add-ons.”
Spending such a significant amount on a prospect player is considerable for a club like West Ham, especially given the major rebuild needed and the limited funds available to Steidten and Lopetegui. Fans hope Guilherme proves himself quickly, but as Hammers News cautioned last week, West Ham is primarily signing potential in Guilherme, and expectations should be adjusted accordingly.
