The Hammers signed Luizao from Sao Paulo in January 2023 with the expectation of him making the jump from the U23s to the first-team the following summer.

However, it didn’t work out as planned for the Brazilian. Now 23 years old, Luizao’s performances haven’t been good enough for the youth team to earn a place in the first team.

Luizao decided he wanted to go out and play some first-team football, so he made a move to Polish side Pogon Szczecin in February for the remainder of the season.

The loan hasn’t worked at all so far, he has only made three appearances, including only one start in the league, which they lost, despite it being a game they really should have won.

Luizao still has a year remaining on his contract this summer, but he is expected to be let go for a small fee or even for free, with Brazilian clubs interested.

He has previously been linked with a move to Lazio, but that now looks very unlikely. Athletico MG, SC Internacional, Corinthians, and Vasco De Gama, where Dimitri Payet currently plays.

The Hammers could use Luizao as part of a deal to bring Corinthians striker and long-term target Yuri Alberto to the club.

However, one problem with that would be Luizao’s wages. The 23-year-old is reportedly on £20,000 a wee,k which would put him just outside of the top 50 earners in the League, and that just doesn’t make financial sense for the club.

If the Hammers want to get rid of Luizao, we will probably end up having to loan him out until the end of the season and pay a portion of his wages until his contract is up in the summer of 2026.