‘It’s a disgrace’ – West Ham fans fume at ‘unbelievable’ transfer news as exit confirmed
West Ham fans are not happy with their club after promising young winger Luis Guilherme was allowed to leave permanently to join Sporting CP.
Guilherme joined West Ham from boyhood club Palmeiras in the summer of 2024 after a breakout campaign in their senior side.
The Brazil youth international made 13 appearances across all competitions in his debut season in East London, but was handed just one Premier League start as he struggled for minutes.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival at West Ham will have given him hope of more game time this season, but he featured in just five league games and last made the pitch against Liverpool on 30 November.
West Ham fans urged Nuno to play Guilherme more in their quest for more attacking flair, but their pleas came to nothing, and he has now departed the club for good.
Guilherme has joined Sporting in a £12m permanent move
West Ham are desperate for new arrivals this month as they continue to falter in the Premier League, with the threat of relegation to the Championship looming.
Niclas Fullkrug has already left the London Stadium as Nuno looks to clear out his squad for fresh faces to be able to arrive, with Guilherme now joining him through the exit door.
The 19-year-old has made a permanent move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP, bringing his tough 18-month spell as a Hammers player to an end for an initial reported fee of around £12.2million [Ben Jacobs].
Guilherme took to Instagram after the switch was confirmed to send an emotional message to West Ham’s fans, saying: “I wish I could have helped more. I wish I could have done more for you, Hammers. But in football, things don’t always go the way we want.
“It’s hard to leave while seeing the club going through a difficult moment, but I’ll be cheering for better days ahead. Grateful for everything. Once a Hammer…“
West Ham fans slam their club for mismanagement of Guilherme and allowing him to leave
West Ham have been seriously lacking in attack this season, and while Guilherme has failed to provide a spark, he has also not been trusted enough, with just 121 minutes played before his departure.
His sole start this season came at Bournemouth, where he was part of a side that went 2-0 up in the first half, before they threw their lead away in the second period after Guilherme had been taken off at the break.
Hammers supporters have not taken kindly to one of their brightest prospects being sold in the midst of a relegation battle, with one fan saying: “Treated him awfully, gave him no real chance to prove his worth. Looked decent every time he came on as well…“
While another supporter added: “(There was) no plan at all when we signed Luis, was there? Poor development setup from the board again, and another player to add to the list of negative transfer financials (buying and then selling low). Guilherme has a bright future and is a super talent. Hope he does well.”
And one fan said: “Criminally mismanaged his development, yet he never complained and always gave his all. All the best Luis.“