For any young Brazilian on the radar of West Ham United, the temptation may be to look at the struggles of Luizao and Luis Guilherme at the Premier League outfit and say ‘no thanks’.
Two-and-a-half years after joining from Sao Paulo in a deal worth £4 million, the closest forgotten man Luizao has come to regular first-team football was during a loan spell in Poland with Pogon Szczecin.
Luizao heads into the summer looking to leave West Ham, his camp open to both temporary and permanent moves. But as the centre-half comes to the end of his time at the London Stadium, he offered a theory as to why his fellow Brazilian Luis Guilherme also found life so tough following a £25 million move from Palmeiras.
While South American expert Tim Vickery questions the logic of signing the 19-year-old in the first place – £25 million is a lot to spend on untapped potential, after all – Luizao feels that Luis Guilherme was not helped by the appointment of Julen Lopetegui.
A coach who appeared to show little interest in West Ham United’s next generation.
So, even with Lopetegui gone, Corinthians starlet Breno Bidon would be forgiven for expressing some reservations if the Hammers were to come calling at some point over the summer.
Corinthians ace and West Ham United target Breno Bidon is a ‘natural talent’
Hammers News understands that, while head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay has installed Raphael Onyedika as first-choice in terms of midfield targets, the West Ham talentspotter is an admirer of Breno Bidon too.
It has been reported that Corinthians value the youngster at a minimum of £12.5 million.
And Diego Pereira, the club’s fitness coach, now explains in an interview with Meu Timao exactly what makes this elegant, stylish playmaker such an exciting prospect.
Breno is a natural talent,” Pereira begins. “He is a player who is only 20 years old. You cannot expect a 20-year-old player to have the body of a 25-year-old! All players have their own stages of development.
“Breno is now mature enough for his age. He has been evolving a lot, in terms of strength, in his ability to make decisions on the pitch.
“I think that is what sets Breno apart; His ability to make decisions in small spaces, at moments in a game. I have no doubt that Breno will improve [further].
“We have to respect the player’s age, so that we don’t overload him and cause injuries.”
Brazil Under-20 star Bidon could be Lucas Paqueta’s protege
With Lucas Paqueta still expected to leave this summer – a club source tells Hammers News that there is now Saudi Arabian interest in the former AC Milan ace – Brazil Under-20 schemer Breno Bidon could potentially step into his boots on a long-term basis.
Bidon is one of those footballers who makes the game look simple. While those around him battle away, Bidon simply glides across the turf; The way he moves more befitting an elite ice skater than anything else.
Dorival Jr, the former manager of the Brazil national team, describes Bidon as a complete midfielder. Like Paqueta, he excels when driving through the thirds and threading intelligent passes in behind. But his wonderful close control and press-resistant qualities also make him a candidate to evolve into a top deep-lying playmaker.
There are shades of PSG superstar Vitinha in him.
As he demonstrated earlier this month, meanwhile, he also has an eye for the spectacular.
“Breno is an intelligent athlete,” explains Edu Vergueiro, the assistant coach for Brazil’s U20 team.
“With good reading and understanding skills, good decision-making, and dynamic. He performs several functions on the field and has good technical quality.”
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