Luis Guilherme has beaten West Ham to the punch by explaining his heartbreak at being forced to leave the club – before they had officially announced it.
West Ham have made some abysmal transfer calls – both in and out – over the last few years.
They had better hope Luis Guilherme is not the latest to come back to bite them.
The signings of Niclas Fullkrug and Guilherme are up there with the club’s worst recruitment for years in terms of return on their £47m investment.
That ended up costing Tim Steidten his job.
There was a mix of excitement and scepticism when Steidten spent £20m to bring Guilherme to east London from Palmeiras in the summer of 2024.
It was a sizeable fee for a club like the Hammers to spend on a player arriving at the tender age of 18 from a vastly inferior league where he had only made 19 appearances – many of them as a substitute.
Steidten’s lottery ticket Guilherme leaves West Ham
Steidten’s plan was that Guilherme would have a season to bed in at West Ham before eventually succeeding Mohammed Kudus.
But while Kudus was sold in the summer as expected, Guilherme has failed to win the trust of three consecutive managers in Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo.
What do you think about Luis Guilherme LEAVING West Ham? ✈️ 🇧🇷
Are they giving up on him too soon?
For long spells of his 18 months at West Ham, Guilherme struggled to even make the bench.
Given the lack of options and pace in the ramshackle Irons squad, that in itself has been damning.
Since leaving the club, Steidten has admitted Guilherme’s move to West Ham may not work out.
Although the German was adamant he still believes in Guilherme’s ability to be a future star.
Guilherme has been digging his heels in to stay at West Ham, saying he was determined to make it work.
But in the end the winger has had to admit defeat.
Hammers News exclusively revealed Guilherme was left out of the squad for Fulham because West Ham were pushing him to join Sporting.
That has since been confirmed by Guilherme’s arrival in Lisbon, where he spoke to reporters about the impending £17m move.
Many feel Guilherme has been hard done to at West Ham and not given a fair chance.
After all if a 19-year-old from West Ham’s Academy had put in some of the cameos Guilherme has then fans would be raving about him.
The Hammers have clearly been keen to move Guilherme on.
Guilherme beats West Ham to explain his heartbreak at exit
That is a big gamble with the risk the Brazil Under 20 international will go on to leave the Hammers red-faced by blossoming into a star.
Fans have been waiting for the club’s explanation on the Guilherme sale.
This is shocking! 😰 Relegation is going to be dire for West Ham…
What would YOU do to avoid this mess?
If he was a project player then why have the Hammers given up on him after just 18 months and having been given hardly any game time.
Now Guilherme has beaten West Ham to the punch to explain his heartbreak at being forced to leave.
His decision to speak out first has inevitably raised questions about communication and handling behind the scenes, with supporters likely to view the episode as another example of how exits continue to be poorly managed.
And an emotional Guilherme has admitted he is devastated he did not get more chances to prove his worth and help the Hammers.
He also admits he is sad to leave the club while it is struggling against relegation and says he will always be a Hammer.
Most interesting of all, though, is that Guilherme is backing himself to prove the West Ham hierarchy wrong – saying he knows he will be a success.
“I arrived at West Ham at a very young age, fulfilling one of my biggest dreams: playing in Europe and in the Premier League, one of the greatest leagues in the world, with my full focus on work,” Guilherme posted on social media.
Guilherme ‘certain’ he will be a success after leaving West Ham
“Opportunities didn’t always come the way I expected, but dedication, commitment, and focus were never lacking as I continued to grow both as a player and as a man.
“I wish I could have helped more. I wish I could have done more for you, Hammers. But in football, things don’t always go the way we want.
“It’s hard to leave while seeing the club going through a difficult moment, but I’ll be cheering for better days ahead.
“I want to thank everyone for this time together and for all the affection I received. Now I move on to another challenge in my career, taking with me everything I lived here and with the certainty that good things are ahead.
“Grateful for everything. Once a Hammer…”
Guilherme has sent his post out across all his social media.
It was sent well before West Ham had officially announced or explained his departure.
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