By Conor Hogan

West Ham look set to sign Venezualan winger Keiber Lamadrid in the coming days.

ExWHUEmployee provided an update on the player, who looks set to complete his medical at the club before being officially announced. Lamadrid will be the third signing Nuno Espírito Santo has made this month, following the signings of Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos.

With Adama Traoré also reportedly keen on a move to London Stadium, Hammers fans have become cautiously excited at the attacking options Nuno will have at his disposal for the remainder of the season.

However, Ex also remarked that 22-year-old Lamadrid is expected to begin in the Irons’ academy, with first-team chances dependent on how he fares for the Hammers’ youth side.

This shows some maturity on West Ham’s part, as another young winger that the club bought could’ve done with some time in the academy setup: Luis Guilherme.

The Brazilian teenager, who departed West Ham for Sporting Lisbon earlier this month, never really looked ready for first-team football in England’s top-flight. However, he also rarely featured for the Hammers’ academy sides. It was a strange situation, as the winger found himself somewhat ostracised from both teams.

Spending over €20 million for an academy player seems ludicrous, but Guilherme had potential – some time in the youth set up or even a loan to a Championship club would’ve greatly benefitted both him and the club.

That’s where the deal for Lamadrid is more sensible. West Ham are reportedly signing the winger on a loan with an option to buy. Additionally, the fee for Lamdadrid is much more modest than what the Irons paid for Guilherme, with some reports estimating it at around £1 million.

The deal seems a smart move for everyone – West Ham receive a promising winger on a low-risk deal, Lamadrid gets the opportunity to prove he is worthy of being a Premier League player and if the Hammers like him, his club Deportivo La Guaira will net a million pounds for his transfer.

Given their current predicament, West Ham should probably focus on players for the present rather than the future. But this deal shows that the Hammers may have learned from their previous mistakes when it comes to acquiring young, unknown talents from abroad.