West Ham United are set to miss out on Brazilian youngster Luis Guilherme, according to the Guardian.
The 18-year-old was nearing a move to London, but the deal appears to be falling apart as both sides have failed to find common ground over personal terms.
Guilherme was valued at approximately £25 million, a figure that West Ham could easily match.
There was optimism that negotiations were heading in the right direction over the weekend, but it appears the Palmeiras winger could be heading elsewhere this summer.
Technical director Tim Steidten had identified Guilherme as a target and was pushing to complete a deal for the highly-rated prodigy.
The Brazilian only joined Palmeiras’ first team set-up in January but has made 45 appearances for the South American outfit.
While he is considered a promising talent in his native Brazil, his paltry two-goal contributions raised questions about his readiness to make an impact in the Premier League.
However, Steidten was keen to get a deal over the line, but West Ham are increasingly resigned to missing out on Guilherme due to personal terms.
Guilherme is also attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League (SPL), and there are concerns that the free-spending Arabians may have tempted the youngster with bigger wages.
Reprieve for West Ham
The move for Guilherme seemed like nothing but a shot in the dark from Steidten, who was ready to bet on a teenager that has barely proven himself in the Brazilian top flight.
However, with the deal now effectively dead in the water, West Ham can switch their attention to potential targets who can hit the ground running in the Premier League.
This is the second time that the Hammers have missed out on a transfer target. They had previously agreed a £12.5m deal to sign Flamengo centre-back Fabricio Bruno, but he also looks set to move to the SPL for better wages.
The failed deals don’t reflect well on Steidten, who has been tasked with restructuring the squad, but he must now focus on quality targets to bolster Julen Lopetegui’s chances of success.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com.
