West Ham United have bolstered their attacking options with the significant £18.3million signing of Brazilian striker Pablo Felipe from Gil Vicente, as manager Nuno Espirito Santo fights to secure the club's Premier League status.
Family Pedigree and Ronaldo's Influence
The 22-year-old arrives at the London Stadium with an impressive record of 10 goals in 13 Primeira Liga appearances this season. However, his footballing pedigree runs even deeper, as he is the son of former Porto striker Pena, who was the league's top scorer with 22 goals in the 2000/01 campaign.
In his first interview as a West Ham player, Pablo Felipe paid tribute to his father's legacy but was equally keen to highlight the profound impact of global icon Cristiano Ronaldo on his career. "I was greatly inspired by my father for everything he taught me about football from the very beginning," he said. "But of course Cristiano Ronaldo is an inspiration to all players in terms of discipline, focus and determination. He is definitely an inspiration to me, because he is a great player, but also a great athlete with tremendous focus."
A Dream to Work with Nuno
The young striker also expressed his admiration for his new manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, a connection that has a curious historical footnote. His father, Pena, once scored against a Porto side for whom Nuno was the substitute goalkeeper during the 2004/05 season.
"Nuno is a great manager, a manager I have always looked up to, always admired greatly, always wanted to work with one day," Pablo Felipe stated. "He has a very ambitious project and that made me want to join West Ham, this great Club." His father Pena spent time at Porto during Jose Mourinho's tenure, though he was out on loan when the club clinched the Champions League in 2004.
January Reinforcements for Survival Battle
Pablo Felipe's signing is West Ham's first major move of the January window, coming shortly after the club allowed Niclas Fullkrug to join AC Milan on loan. The Hammers are reportedly still active in the market, with Lazio's Taty Castellanos named as a further target.
The immediate focus, however, is on a critical run of fixtures against fellow strugglers, starting with a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Nuno emphasised the all-consuming nature of the relegation fight ahead of facing his former club. "Our job here at West Ham takes so much out of us that honestly it seems like there’s nothing else around," he said. "What I want is to perform, compete."
With the club entrenched in a battle for survival, the hope is that Pablo Felipe's potent mix of familial heritage and dedication to Ronaldo's elite mentality can provide the goals needed to steer West Ham to safety.
