Tim Steidten admits Luis Guilherme transfer mistake amid West Ham exit
Tim Steidten has only one regret about signing Luis Guilherme at West Ham United in hindsight.
West Ham parted ways with Steidten in February after Graham Potter recruited long-term ally Kyle Macaulay as the club’s new head of recruitment.
This came after the technical director’s transfer business left much to be desired after spending over £120million on nine new signings at the London Stadium last summer.
None of those signings have drawn as much criticism as Guilherme’s £25m acquisition from Palmeiras, with the 19-year-old yet to start a game for the Irons.
Steidten makes ‘incredible’ Guilherme claim
Guilherme’s move to West Ham has panned so badly that he was linked with a move away in the winter transfer window and looks destined to leave in the summer.
Speaking in hindsight, Steidten has admitted that he was wrong to rope in such a young player for a club like West Ham.
| Competition | Matches | Starts | Minutes | Goals and Assists |
| Premier League | 7 | 0 | 50′ | 0 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 5′ | 0 |
However, he stands firm on his belief that the Brazil Under-20s international is a great talent and predicted that he will become an “incredibly great” player.
Steidten also shed light on the £27m signing of Niclas Fullkrug, which is another piece of business that has attracted criticism, insisting that he has no regrets over the transfer.
“I’m firmly convinced that Luis Guilherme will be an incredibly great player”, Steidten told the Kick & Rush podcast (26 March).
“Bringing in a young player was perhaps the wrong time, in retrospect. But not the wrong player.
“I knew Niclas [Fullkrug] would fit into the league and into our team.
“We were also looking for someone who could also lead the dressing room.
“I’ve known him since I was at Werder Bremen. I would do this transfer again because I’m simply convinced of his quality.
“I’ve learned to never regret a transfer due to an injury because you just can’t influence that and you can’t predict that.”
West Ham to regret Guilherme transfer decision
It appears West Ham are keen to offload Guilherme and cut their losses on him.
However, they could live to regret that decision and Steidten may well end up having the last laugh.
Guilherme was one of the highest-rated youngsters in Brazil before he was roped in by the East London outfit last summer.
At 19, there is every chance that he quickly puts the disappointment of a poor stint in England behind him and succeeds elsewhere.
Feyenoord are planning to reignite their interest in Guilherme this summer after previously being linked with a move for him.
A stint with the Dutch giants could do wonders for the attacker’s career.