Sport Nation 2West Ham United faces a crucial Premier League match against Newcastle United at St James’ Park tonight. Manager Julen Lopetegui is under immense pressure, and a good performance is essential. The Spaniard has been putting the players through their paces during training sessions over the past few days.
During Sunday’s training session, a surprise face was spotted training with the first-team. Brazilian centre-back Luizao, who joined West Ham on a free transfer from Sao Paulo in January 2023, was seen participating in the session. This is significant, as Luizao is yet to play a single minute for the senior side, despite featuring regularly for the under-21s.
West Ham actually tried to sell Luizao in the summer, but his £4 million price-tag put off any potential suitors. Corinthians made a £2.5 million bid for the 22-year-old centre-back, but the Hammers rejected the offer.
So, what does Luizao’s inclusion in the first-team training session mean? Does he have a future at the London Stadium, or will he be moved on in January? If yesterday’s training session is anything to go by, he might just be set to stay in East London for a little while longer yet.
Luizao’s Abilities and Future Prospects
Luizao has showcased his aggressive and tenacious approach to the game when playing for the Hammers under-21s. He has proven that he is extremely competent in the air and, although he’s not the quickest, he does read the game pretty well.
However, it’s clear that Luizao isn’t anywhere near good enough to play consistently in the Premier League. If he were, Lopetegui would have given him some minutes this term or during the pre-season campaign.
West Ham has Kaelan Casey coming through the ranks, and he’s far superior to Luizao. If a bid comes in for the 22-year-old centre-back in January, West Ham might just sell him, despite his recent inclusion in the first-team training session.
The Pressure on Lopetegui
Lopetegui is under immense pressure, and his job is at risk. A heavy defeat against Newcastle could spell the end of his tenure at West Ham. The Spaniard needs to extract a big performance from his team tonight, and nothing less than a draw and a convincing display will do.
The inclusion of Luizao in the first-team training session is an interesting development, but it’s unclear whether he will feature in the match against Newcastle. One thing is certain, however: Lopetegui needs to get his team selection and tactics spot on if he is to have any chance of saving his job.
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