While it was not a surprise to see former Sao Paulo starlet Luizao leave West Ham United over the summer, the nature of his departure from the Premier League outfit may have raised a few eyebrows.
Just one year after West Ham rejected bids in the region of £2.5 million, the Brazilian defender would exit the London Stadium as a free-agent.
And not because his contract had expired, either.
In fact, West Ham United and Luizao agreed to terminate the final 12 months of his reported £20,000-a-week deal. A decision presumably made in order for both parties to put an ill-fated transfer behind them for good, and to allow a defender who had only made four first-team appearances in two-and-a-half years the chance to finally pick up where he left off before moving to East London in the first place.
Now, reports in August suggested that Luizao was under consideration by a Fortaleza outfit sitting 19th in the Brazilian top-flight and heading towards relegation.
Instead, he will now be fighting for promotion rather than looking to avoid the drop. A month after packing his bags and leaving the English capital, Luizao signs a short-term deal with promotion-chasing Criciuma Esporte Clube in Brazil’s Serie B.
Former West Ham United starlet Luizao returns to Brazil with Criciuma
While Fortaleza are stumbling along in 19th, Criciuma are flying high in third the division below.
Speaking to 4oito, meanwhile, football executive Italo Rodrigues admits that Luizao would have been an impossible dream if not for his free-agent status, not to mention the defender’s willingness to put his faith in a club on the up.
“He’s not a player who is within our financial means,” Rodrigues explains. “But the opportunity arose and we reached a consensus to bring him in for this final stretch.”
Luizao was offered to one-time Copa Libertadores champions Vasco da Gama, according to Net Vasco, but his agent’s calls would not be returned.
“We are open to discussions,” Luizao’s representative said a few weeks before putting pen to paper with Criciuma. “There are many inquiries about Luizao. We already have three offers, but we will wait for the best opportunity.”
If Criciuma do secure a return to the first division – potentially replacing Fortaleza along the way – then Luizao’s decision will surely have been justified. Still only 23, his career has been on pause really since making that move across the Atlantic at the start of 2023.
While a regular with Mark Robson’s Under-21 side, Luizao’s only first-team minutes during that two-and-a-half year spell came during a loan spell in Poland with Pogon Szczecin.
Luizao admitted he could not turn down Hammers chance
Luizao would rue the appointment of Julen Lopetegui following the departure of David Moyes, feeling that the likes of he, George Earthy and fellow Brazilian Luis Guilherme did not get the chances they deserved under the Spaniard.
“[West Ham’s offer] was irresistible,” Luizao recalls, speaking to UOL Esporte in the summer. “The sporting project that West Ham showed me. My dream of playing in the Premier League, in addition to securing security for my family.
“I would be one step away from my dream, of playing in the Premier League. They say that sometimes there is a train that comes along only once. So there was no way to say ‘no’.
“Without a doubt, national team coaches look first at the Premier League, for the players who play in the Premier League. So it was something that, for me, would be a step closer to getting on the radar of the national team.
“Playing in the Premier League would be something extraordinary for me. [An opportunity] that I couldn’t pass up.”
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