In England, it’s been radio silence regarding West Ham United’s reported £17 million pursuit of Famalicao ace Gustavo Sa.
While the Portuguese press seem pretty convinced that the rangy playmaker will end up at the London Stadium, sources on home soil are not quite so sure.
This would not be the first time the Iberian media have gotten a little ahead of themselves.
According to ExWhuEmployee, while West Ham United do hold an interest in the Portugal Under-21 international, Gustavo Sa’s alleged £17 million switch to the English capital is a long way from completion.
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The good news is that, if indeed Nuno Espirito Santo’s side go all in on Sa, Famalicao are unlikely to stand in his way.
Famalicao will not block Gustavo Sa’s West Ham United move
Miguel Ribeiro, Famalicao’s president, saw talismanic head coach Hugo Oliveiro leave for Strasbourg over the weekend.
And during the presentation of new manager Carlos Carvalhal, Ribeiro insisted that the Vila Nova will not deviate from their strategy, regardless of whether Gustavo Sa stays or goes.
Famalicao are, after all, your classic ‘stepping stone club’.
“It is clear that we are prepared,” the president said, via the club’s official YouTube channel. “Famalicao lost a coach because a termination clause was triggered, and today we are sitting here with Mr. Carlos Carvalhal.
“If the club was prepared to lose its coach, just imagine how prepared we are regarding the players.”
Gustavo Sa would bring ‘extraordinary’ tactical awareness to West Ham, in addition to the ‘physical robustness of a box-to-box midfielder’ combined with the goalscoring instinct of a more advanced number eight. Those are the words of Rui Pedro Silva; Nuno Espirito Santo’s assistant who handed Sa his Famalicao debut in 2022.
Gustavo Sa would not replace Mateus Fernandes directly. He does much of his best work inside the final third rather than the centre of the park. Talking of replacements, Famalicao secured a best-ever league finish of fifth last season while successfully navigating the departures of several key players.
This is just life for clubs in Portugal. Even the big three of Sporting Lisbon, Benfica and Porto. The top stars leave for a profit, replacements are brought in for a fraction of the fee, and they move on.
“Whether we lose [Sa] or not, the market will decide,” adds Ribeiro. “But one thing is absolutely certain – it will not keep us up at night. Whether a player stays or goes, there is no issue if they remain, and there is no issue if they leave.
“We are comfortable from both a sporting and a financial perspective. Financially and sportingly, we are not dependent on [our players’] departure, nor do we rely on them staying here in order for us to remain ambitious and continue on the path we are following at Famalicao.
“It is very clear to us today: they are our players. Naturally, there will be different approaches from other clubs, but Famalicao is fully prepared for them to stay, to leave, or for whatever else might happen.”
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Gustavo Sa is one of a number of exciting attacking midfielders under consideration. The fans have given their backing to James McAtee – the Nottingham Forest benchwarmer who Nils Koppen has reportedly identified as a leading target – while Nestory Irankunda and Evander are other names to keep an eye on.
And Carvalhal, the former Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City coach, knows the footballing food chain better than most. During a couple of spells in charge of Famalicao’s Primeira Liga rivals Braga from 2020 to 2024, he lost the likes of Francisco Trincao [Barcelona], Galeno [Porto] and Rodrigo Gomes [Wolves].
“We have to be prepared for [sales],” Carvalhal said when asked about the futures of Gustavo Sa and co. “If they stay, it will be a surprise to me. If they leave, it will be taken in stride.
“There are one or two players here who won’t be here for the rest of the season.
“OK, we’re dealing with it. Everything’s already arranged, to, let’s say, finalise the departures of any players who might eventually leave.”
West Ham may be a Championship team these days, but the financial power of English football means they are still higher up the food chain than the fifth-best side in Portugal.
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