West Ham United have seen Declan Rice and Ben Johnson become first-team regulars, but Benicio Baker-Boaitey may feel like one that got way.
The Hammers always love a homegrown star, going back to the likes of Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand, through to Mark Noble and now Rice.
West Ham thought they had a real talent for the future in winger Benicio Baker-Boaitey, who was rising through the ranks.
Baker-Boaitey was impressing so much in the West Ham ranks that Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich wanted him.
Come July 2020, Baker-Boaitey – likened to Douglas Costa in a rather lofty comparison – was heading to Germany for talks over a big move.
West Ham were seemingly resigned to lose Baker-Boaitey, and he ended up heading off to Portugal to join Porto.
The speedy winger has spent 18 months in Portugal but now returns to England in a move that may leave West Ham frustrated.
On deadline day, Baker-Boaitey joined Brighton and Hove Albion on loan until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent deal.
The 18-year-old winger has quickly returned to English football and now has a chance to shine with Brighton.
West Ham won’t have been expecting Baker-Boaitey to return to English football so quickly after leaving, and he could end up facing the Hammers in the near future.
If the teenage winger now becomes a star at Brighton, there would be more than a few grumbles inside the London Stadium.
It’s now over to Baker-Boaitey. His decision to leave West Ham for Porto didn’t exactly pay off, and he’s back in England now in the hope of thriving and becoming a Premier League star after all.
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