Luis Guilherme finished at West Ham thanks to ‘huge’ Nuno Espirito Santo admission – it’s against his wishes
Luis Guilherme isn’t ready to give up on his West Ham career but the decision may now surely be out of his hands.
Guilherme has been linked with a January transfer exit from West Ham, as Nuno Espirito Santo looks to make room for new signings.
West Ham signed Guilherme from Palmeiras in June 2024, with the Hammers beating the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona to his signature.
Come January of this year, though, and West Ham were reportedly willing to cut their losses on Guilherme, with Porto being among the clubs keen to strike a deal for the winger.
However, no deal materialised, and Guilherme has struggled with injury problems this season as well as generally being out of favour at the London Stadium.
Luis Guilherme makes West Ham future reveal as Nuno’s eyes wander to Wolves reunion
But, the £25million Brazilian doesn’t appear ready to call time on his West Ham career just yet.
As per a report from Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, Guilherme wants to stay and fight for his place at the club beyond the upcoming winter window.
However, he may well have some convincing to do, as Nuno is understood to be keen on reuniting with Fulham winger Adama Traore, who he coached for multiple years during his time in charge of Wolves.
Nuno is known to be a big admirer of Traore’s, and in a 2020 interview via the Express & Star, the-then Wolves manager said of him: “Adama is a huge player for us.
“The impact he has on the games, what he gives to the team, what he has been giving to the team these last two seasons. What he still has to give and has to improve.“
Nuno may get burnt trading away Guilherme for Traore
In signing Traore, Nuno will feel confident that he can get the best out of a player who has shown he has the raw speed and ability to be unplayable on his day in the Premier League.
However, at 29 and with no goals or assists in 15 total appearances for Fulham this season, there are signs that the Spaniard is no longer the same player he once was.
- Traore has scored just four goals in 74 total appearances since signing for Fulham in the summer of 2023
- He enjoyed his best Premier League season under Nuno at Wolves in 2019-20, scoring four goals and providing nine assists that year
- Guilherme has yet to score his first West Ham goal despite making 18 appearances for the club
Meanwhile, in Guilherme, West Ham have a 19-year-old winger very much in the infancy of his senior career, and has pedigree of developing through one of Brazil’s best footballing talent factories in Palmeiras.
So, while it hasn’t worked out for him at the London Stadium so far, giving up on Guilherme, especially for a player in Traore who may now be past his best, has future regret written all over it.
West Ham will kick themselves if they allow the undeniably talented Guilherme to leave, only to see him flourish elsewhere and potentially bankroll another team.
All the clues point to the fact that his wish to remain in East London won’t be granted, though.
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