West Ham have seen their offer to offload Luis Guilherme rejected by an unnamed Saudi Arabian club, according to Sean Whetstone.
The Hammers insider reported via his personal X account [20 January] that Graham Potter’s side wanted £25.4million for the 18-year-old in an attempt not to lose money on him.
It is understood that the unnamed Saudi club had a much lower valuation in mind for the Brazilian, who has made just five Premier League appearances since making the switch from Palmeiras [BBC Sport].
Al Hilal are one of the clubs to make contact with the Irons over a possible move [Fabrizio Romano].
Luis Guilherme saga likely to continue at West Ham United
The Hammers are likely going to struggle to offload Guilherme before 3 February, especially if they are going to hold out for the same fee they paid for him during the summer.
Guilherme’s rejected move away from the London Stadium just highlights Tim Steidten’s pathetic role as technical director, even for all of his successful signings just months ago.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville and Carlos Soler have all been successful signings, albeit the third only on loan until the end of the season, but Steidten looks to have undone all of his hard work.
Undoubtedly, the young Brazilian winger has plenty of potential and could thrive if given the chance in a team, perhaps in the Championship, but that is not what the Hammers need right now.
Potter needs players who can make an instant impact, with only three teams separating them from the Premier League relegation zone, but dropping down the divisions should not be a real worry.
The biggest issue this month is getting the deadweight out of the East London club before the winter transfer window slams shut, and that has to start with Guilherme.
However, unless the Hammers reduce their asking price for the transfer failure, he won’t be going anywhere, not even Saudi Arabia.
