West Ham United close to £20m deal for Luis Guilherme after Palmeiras drop demands
West Ham are close to sealing a deal for Palmeiras attacker Luis Guilherme after the player and club dropped their demands, according to Graeme Bailey.
Writing on his personal X account (4 June), the journalist reports that a deal is now close for the 18-year-old for £20million plus add-ons, after they initially asked for £25.5million.
After a deal almost broke down (Jacob Steinberg, 3 June), Tim Steidten has worked hard to get his man and a deal is now set to go through although Fabrizio Romano has issued a warning that it’s not done until it’s done.
“West Ham are back in talks with Palmeiras over Luis Guilherme – after Brazilian club and player lowered their demands,” he wrote.
“Understand deal, which is now close, will be around £20million for the teenager plus add-ons.
“Hammers chief Tim Steidten working hard to get his man.”
West Ham United pay Tim Steidten to get these deals done
There was a reason why Steidten was brought into the club after a poor summer of recruitment, and it was to ensure that things were done properly going forward.
It’s part of the reason why David Sullivan picked the German to lead the team over David Moyes, because he can get things done as such a good negotiator.
That’s why it was such a blow when a deal for Fabricio Bruno collapsed out of nowhere over personal terms, and it seems like it was close to happening again with Guilherme.
However, Steidten has stayed in South America to ensure he doesn’t come home empty-handed again and he’ll now be coming back to east London with one of the top prospects in Brazil as a Hammers player.
It’s not a cheap deal and it can be seen as a gamble, but if he is to perform to the level that people believe he can then it could prove to be a shrewd bit of business when looking back in years to come.
In other West Ham news, the club have “closed an agreement” to sign one La Liga star in a £25.5million deal.
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