Things have gone quieter than a church mouse at the Crucible regarding Luis Guilherme’s future at Premier League outfit West Ham United.
Despite reportedly being made available for loan after an underwhelming debut season in English football, the £25 million signing from Palmeiras approaches pre-season training with active talks conspicuous by their absence.
West Ham United boss Graham Potter insists that Luis Guilherme has impressed, on the training pitch at least. But, having played only 141 minutes of Premier League football across 2024/25, many have expressed the feeling that the teenager would benefit from a temporary spell in a less pressurised, less physically-demanding competition.
Take the Dutch Eredivisie, for instance.
Reports back in March suggested that 2023 Eredivisie champions Feyenoord wanted Luis Guilherme on loan with an option to sign the baby-faced Brazilian later down the line.
Yet, as Dutch reporter Martijn Krabbendam explained this week, an unexpected development at De Kuip has seen Guilherme placed on the backburner.
Feyenoord deal for West Ham United’s Luis Guilherme appears to be off
Feyenoord have enjoyed considerable success when agreeing Premier League loans in recent times.
Hugo Bueno and Reiss Nelson both made an impression in Rotterdam, while Yankuba Minteh earned himself a £33 million switch to Brighton and Hove Albion after taking Dutch football by storm.
On the other hand, Ibrahim Osman has found life a lot more difficult. Brighton beat the Londoners to his signature a year ago – West Ham had a bid rejected by Nordsjaelland before The Seagulls got their man – but Osman started only six Eredivisie games during his own stint at Feyenoord.
That was largely down to the unexpected emergence of Anis Hadj Moussa as one of the brightest young right-wingers on the continent.
As Krabbendam now explains to Voetbal International, Osman is not the only Premier League starlet who could see a spell with Feyenoord scuppered by the mind-bending brilliance of Hadj Moussa.
“Feyenoord wanted to do business with West Ham United but the asking price was too high last winter,” Krabbendam says. “The Brazilian attacker [Luis Guilherme] is considered a very great talent and the Rotterdammers wanted to bet heavily on him.
“But, as is often the case, plans are overtaken by current events.
“Nobody at Feyenoord expected that Anis Hadj Moussa would have such a big impact in his first season. His performances in the Champions League put him on the map.”
Guilherme would become Feyenoord’s new record signing
Krabbendam reported a month ago that Feyenoord would have to pay a club-record fee for Luis Guilherme.
However, with the left-sided Igor Paixao perhaps the most likely of Robin van Persie’s current crop to depart over the summer, Feyenoord’s priority will not be to sign a winger more comfortable on the right-hand flank.
“If Feyenoord now pays a record amount for Guilherme, it will bring in a competitor for a player [Hadj Moussa] who represents a considerable transfer value,” Krabbendam says.
“The Brazilian is a right-winger and therefore not a potential successor to Igor Paixao.”
In terms of other departures, West Ham confirmed on Friday that Carlos Soler is returning to Paris Saint-Germain. Evan Ferguson is also on his way back to Brighton and Hove Albion after failing to score a single goal during his time in a claret and blue shirt.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
