Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Thu 9 April 2026 8:10, UK

West Ham United look as though they haven’t learned lessons from their ill-fated gamble on Luis Guilherme after showing interest in another wonderkid from Brazil.

Two years ago, the Hammers splashed out a hefty £25million to sign Guilherme from Palmeiras on a five-year deal, but he made just 18 appearances before being sold.

The teenager played 13 times during his debut campaign, starting only once, and with Nuno Espirito Santo not convinced, he moved on to Sporting CP for around £12m.

Guilherme would have been delighted to secure a high-profile switch after his London Stadium misery, but now, a countryman is reportedly set to follow in his footsteps.

West Ham are drawing up their summer transfer plans and preparing for the future, with one ace tipped to become Brazil’s next big No 9 supposedly on their radar.

Who are West Ham targeting?

According to Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola, West Ham are eyeing up a swoop for 18-year-old forward Heittor Vinicius from Palmeiras, the club from which they also signed Guilherme.

The wonderkid has not yet broken into the senior set-up for the Serie A outfit, but his performances for their academy have caught the attention of a host of elite clubs.

It is expected that he would be a recruit for the future, rather than one expected to make an immediate impact, but either way, the move would carry plenty of risks.

Heittor has played for Palmeiras’ Under-20s since the age of 17 and remains there, while he has scored five goals in 10 matches across youth competitions so far this season.

That tally includes two in four Copa Libertadores U-20 matches and three in as many games in the Brazilian U-20 league. Last term, he netted 10 times in 35 total appearances.

Addressing West Ham’s interest on his YouTube channel, Nicola said: “The information suggests that West Ham intend to sign him; a team with significant investment capacity.

“They are closely monitoring the steps of the 18-year-old centre-forward.”

Heittor gamble would be too big

Guilherme may now be impressing for Sporting CP, but he was once an unknown quantity, just like Heittor is now. The latter would also likely cost a fair chunk.

If they stay in the Premier League, they will need to sign tried-and-tested forwards to pick up on the slack left behind by Taty Castellanos and Callum Wilson, both of whom could leave.

Should they drop into the Championship, Heittor may not want to move at all, especially with top-flight slides likely to be rivalling West Ham for his signature over the coming months.

West Ham have clearly put a renewed focus on emerging markets in South America, but they should be prioritising first-team-ready players and blooding their own youth.