The first signing of 2026 came just two days into the New Year for West Ham United, and it arrives in the shape of former Gil Vicente striker Pablo Felipe.
In an age of drawn-out transfer sagas, this one came like a thunderclap.
Barely 72 hours passed between the time Pablo Felipe was first linked with a move to West Ham United, and the pictures which showed him wearing the claret and blue kit with the number 19 on his back.
Pablo’s conversion rate is higher than even Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. Such is the ruthlessness he has demonstrated week in week out in Portugal for Gil Vicente – ten goals from 13 appearances and 18 shots inside the penalty area – it is not inconceivable that his arrival is the ignition which sparks a repeat of 2007’s ‘Great Escape’, with Pablo in the Carlos Tevez role.
How do you PREDICT Pablo and Castellanos will get on at West Ham?
And who is coming next, do you think?
Nuno has landed himself an ‘exceptional’ centre-forward, with the help of super-agent Jorge Mendes.
Pablo will need some help, of course. And, speaking to the official West Ham website for the very first time, he hopes to get it from fellow Portuguese speakers Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Paqueta.
Pablo is a huge fan of West Ham United duo Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Paqueta
Having made a big impression himself, Fernandes is rivalling Paqueta as the most reliable creator of goalscoring opportunities in East London these days. And for all his critics, and there are many, the mercurial Brazilian is still capable of producing rabbits from seemingly empty hats on those admittedly rare days when he really turns it on.
Considering how lethal Pablo tends to be when the ball is at his feet in the penalty area – he is in the 99th percentile of Europe-based strikers when it comes to his goal conversation rate – the message to Fernandes, Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, El Hadji Malick Diouf and co is clear.
Feed him, and he will score.
“I am a very unselfish player, but I am technically very good,” Pablo says. “I enjoy playing, I like to pivot a lot, I am good in the air and I score goals. I know how to score goals, I know my way to goal and I am eager to score lots of goals for West Ham.
“Mateus Fernandes is a great midfielder with unique qualities, great ball control, very good technical skills.
“And Paqueta doesn’t need many words, because for me he’s a phenomenon, a great player, one of the best in the world.
“I’m very happy to be able to join this group that has great players, world-class players, and I’m here to help and I’m very happy to be part of it.”
Todibo and Walker-Peters are BOTH injury doubts! ❌
How would you set up West Ham's defence today? And would you start Pablo?
Pablo opens up on what Nuno Espirito Santo told him
West Ham have confirmed that Nuno Espirito Santo picked Pablo as a ‘key target’ this month. Ahead of his return to Molineux today – Pablo could make his debut away to bottom-of-the-table Wolves – Nuno was desperate to get a new number nine in the building.
“Nuno is a great manager. A manager I have always looked up to, always admired greatly, always wanted to work with one day,” Pablo adds, opening up on his conversations with the man in the dugout.
“He has a very ambitious project. He is a great manager, and that made me want to join West Ham, this great club.
“I am very happy to be able to do this. I thank God for it, and I will give my all for this club, leaving everything on the pitch; all my effort, all my dedication. The fans really like players who fight for the badge, and I can promise that I will leave every last drop of sweat on the pitch for this club.”
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