After weeks of anticipation, it has finally been made official that Luis Guilherme will join West Ham United from July 1st. A player with a huge amount of hype behind him, in this article we will dig deep into who Luis Guilherme is and what he may add to Julen Lopetegui's West Ham side.
Widely recognised as one of the jewels in Brazil's crown, Guilherme at 18 years old has had an incredible amount of success within football already. At Palmeiras he is one of the golden boys, alongside soon to be Real Madrid man, Endrick. Journalist Thiago Rabelo wrote 'football is easy for Luis Guilherme'.
Albeit an exciting transfer from a fan's perspective, and one of which West Ham fan's won't be used to, there have been many doubts surrounding this move due to the heavy price tag for a player with very little experience. Technical director, Tim Steidten, who was heavily involved in the process of bringing the young Brazilian to East London, said 'me and Julen (Lopetegui) were determined to bring Luis to London'.
What you can expect from Luis Guilherme:
At a rumoured £20m price tag before add ons, does Guilherme's ability match up to the money spent? Whilst predominantly being played on the right for Palmeiras, it is evident that his talents would be better utilised through the middle of the park.
Pros: Guilherme has an exceptional ability to pick the ball up on the half turn and carry the team forward, similarly to Mohammed Kudus. His footwork is a level apart from the rest, with a typical 'Brazilian flair' to his game, it makes it easy for him to glide through other teams defences and create chances from nothing.
Cons: It's clear that Guilherme needs to work on his end product. In 23/24, he recorded 0 goals and 1 assist for Palmeiras. Watching his game, as described, he can create chances out of nothing, however he needs to fine tune burying chances to progress to the next level.
Luis' overall game is brilliant and there is a way he comes into this team and shines from the get go. The foundations are more than apparent, it's clear to see why Steidten and Lopetegui were determined to get this deal over the line.
Factoring in the potential of Luis Guilherme and his value to Palmeiras from a business perspective, the price tag becomes more understandable.
Where he fits in:
Guilherme's versatility could see him slot into a few places within Lopetegui's side. However, he will work best in the attacking position within a three man midfield. It is possible that West Ham are preparing for Lucas Paqueta to be sold to Manchester City, and that Kudus will be moved on to the wing and Guilherme can slot into the number 10 position.
Looking back at Sevilla under Lopetegui, they often played a 4-3-3 with a carrying midfielder, in which was often Papu Gomez. If Lopetegui decides to implement his go-to formation, Guilherme possesses many skills which would help him to flourish in this role.
The alternative to this idea would be that West Ham's new head coach plans to move Jarrod Bowen up top permanently, meaning fans could see Guilherme out right, as he has played for Palmeiras.
A very exciting transfer for all parties, it will be interesting to see how Luis Guilherme performs for West Ham in the upcoming season. Will he live up to his potential and become East London's very own Neymar?
