West Ham United have announced the signing of young Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras on a five-year contract.
The 18-year-old completed his move on Friday, June 14, when the summer transfer window officially opened.
He is regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in South American football, having already made 40 senior appearances for Palmeiras, winning a Brazilian Serie A title, appearing in the Copa Libertadores and playing for the Under-20 national team.
Luis Guilherme is a technically gifted striker with great pace, acceleration, clever dribbling skills and a great left foot. He is a highly promising prospect who has been identified as a top target by Technical Director Tim Staten and Head Coach Julen Lopetegui.
The teenager is set to join Lopetegui and his first-team squad for pre-season training in early July and will be looking to show what he can do in claret and blue.
“I am very happy to sign for West Ham United, a club that trusts me in my work,” said Luis Guilherme. “I would also like to thank everyone at West Ham, especially Tim and his team, who came to Brazil to talk to me and my family.
“They presented the project and my family and I all loved it. So I’m very happy to sign for this club and hope to contribute as much as possible. If things go well, we’re going to have a wonderful journey ahead of us.
“I have already spoken with the head coach. He has shown me his project and I believe I will learn a lot from him. He has coached at national level in Spain and managed big clubs.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world. I believe I can make a lot of progress here with all the staff at West Ham. It is very important for my development.
“When I was young, I used to watch English football whenever I had the chance. To be able to watch this moment and play here now is an incredible feeling.
“I’ve had this dream since I was 11 and now it’s becoming a reality. I’m very happy about it and I’m grateful to West Ham. Let’s go!”
“Luis is obviously still very young, but there is no doubt that he is ready to make an impact here in the first team. He is coming to a great environment, surrounded by other exciting young players and good people who will support him at every stage.
“We will look after him, help him and his family settle in and give him time to settle, but we are very excited about his immediate potential and the progress he can make at West Ham United.
“This is a very important signing for us. We have worked hard across the club and worked closely with the board to secure the signing of Luis. We know how tough the Premier League can be and while we want to have a competitive squad next season, we also want to find a balance that allows us to plan for the long-term future. Exciting young players like Luis Guilherme will help us achieve that goal.”
