West Ham may be in the market to sign a new centre-back this summer, with Craig Dawson having left for Wolves and Angelo Ogbonna almost certain to depart the London Stadium when his contract expires.

However, the Hammers may already have a ready-made replacement for the Italian in Luizao, who joined the club from Sao Paulo in December 2022.

Can Luizao replace Ogbonna?

Once a mainstay in this West Ham side, injuries have plagued the 34-year-old Ogbonna in recent seasons, with just 19 Premier League appearances to his name across the last two campaigns.

There is no doubt that he will need replacing however, as he has accumulated 219 appearances for the club since joining from Juventus in 2015, and will be fondly remembered by West Ham fans for his performances.

David Moyes has Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma as his first-choice centre-backs but both have struggled with injuries this season, making just 22 starts between them in the top flight.

Therefore, it was no surprise to see the club act ahead of the January transfer window, with Luizao joining on a contract until the summer of 2026 after catching the eye in his home country with Sao Paulo.

He would make 20 appearances for the Brazilian side, scoring one goal, and has now linked up with Mark Robson’s developmental squad, making five appearances in the Premier League 2 thus far.

Luizao has also been labelled “super confident” by Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola, which can only be a good thing for a centre-back looking to make it in the Premier League. 

The 6 foot 2 centre-back certainly doesn't lack the physicality to play in the top flight and Moyes will no doubt be keeping a close eye on his development with the academy sides, as he looks to acclimatise and adapt to English football.

He arrived at the club on a free transfer, so there is little risk involved and hopefully, in the long term, Luizao will be able to establish himself as a regular with the Hammers.

As he is also capable of playing as a left-back and is left-footed, it makes sense for him to fill the void that will likely be left by Ogbonna at the end of the season, so perhaps the Hammers will not have to look far when searching for a new first-team defender this summer.