Whether buying them or producing them in the academy, West Ham United have a proud history of developing some of the best talent around.
The best example of this in recent years is undoubtedly Declan Rice, as while joining a fellow London club is never ideal, he did so after captaining the side to European glory.
However, not every promising prospect goes on to fulfil their potential, as before the Englishman, the most talked about youngster at the club was probably Reece Oxford.
So, Nuno Espírito Santo will be hoping that West Ham’s latest exciting talent follows in the footsteps of Rice and not Oxford.
Where is Reece Oxford today?
Ironically, Oxford’s most memorable game as a West Ham player was his full Premier League debut, away to Arsenal in the club’s opening game of the 2015/16 season.
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The young Englishman, who was just 16 years old at the time, started in the middle of the park and was given what seemed to be the impossible task of stopping a Gunners’ team that included the likes of Mesut Özil, Santi Cazorla and an in-form Aaron Ramsey.
Yet, instead of being made to look foolish, he helped the Hammers to a famous 2-0 victory, and was described as having “everything” by then manager Slaven Bilic at full-time.
However, even after putting in such an incredible showing and being looked at as the club’s “main talent” at the time, per an interview with former West Ham trainee Lewis Page, the teenager would only go on to make another 11 first-team appearances that season, and then go on loan to Reading midway through the following campaign.
Unfortunately, injuries kept him to just five appearances for the Royals, and after two more underwhelming loan spells in Germany, he was finally sold to Bundesliga side Augsburg in the summer of 2019.
Augsburg
80
3
2
West Ham
17
0
0
Mönchengladbach
8
0
0
Reading
5
0
0
Initially, things started to look up for the youngster: while he wasn’t playing every week, he was getting more action than before. But it wouldn’t last, as injuries reared their ugly heads once again.
Then a severe case of long COVID kept him out of first-team action from November 2022 until he left the club this summer.
Unfortunately, Oxford remains without a club today, but at 26, there is still a chance he can find his way back into the game. So, with all that said, West Ham will be hoping their latest talent can follow more in Rice’s footsteps.
West Ham's biggest talent since Rice and Oxford
The good news for West Ham fans is that there are several exciting U21 players in the current squad, like Callum Marshall and Oliver Scarles, but the most promising has to be Luis Guilherme.
The 19-year-old joined the Hammers from Brazilian outfit Palmeiras last summer for a fee of around £25.5m, and while that is a lot for such a young player, it might prove to be a bargain in the future.
For example, one of his best traits is that while he is primarily looked at as a right-winger, he’s more than capable of playing all over the pitch, from attacking midfield to left-wing and even up top or as a second-striker.
Moreover, even though the goal involvements have not exactly flowed freely so far, those in the know are incredibly excited about his attacking potential.
According to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, while the Brazilian gem doesn’t take enough shots, when he does, they are of a “high calibre.”
Furthermore, the more Nuno uses him and the more comfortable he becomes in the English game, the more exciting the Hammers could become.
This is because, according to Mattinson, the “electric” winger is a player who “thrives on transitions” and can “turn past players with ease” thanks to his “elite ball manipulation,” which sounds like a player fans would want to watch.
Finally, while he might not hit the levels of a Dimitri Payet, he could bring some of the trickery and mazy runs the Frenchman was famous for back to the London Stadium.
At least that is what it sounds like when Mattinson describes him as an “entertainer” who is capable of producing “match-winning moments,” be that through a “30-yard screamer” or by “taking on players.”
Ultimately, fans have not quite been able to see it over the last year, but there is a very good chance that Guilherme is West Ham’s most exciting prospect since Rice and Oxford, but only time will tell which player he emulates.