Two Birds With One Stone: Guilherme In, Kleber Out

By: Yevy | February 2nd, 2009

Over the weekend Dynamo completed the transfer of Guilherme Milhomem Gusmão from Cruzeiro. The Kiev club sent unsettled forward Kleber and a reported $7 million as compensation for the 20 year old Brazilian striker, who signed a 5 year contract with the UPL leaders worth $100k a week. The capture of Guilherme addresses Dynamo’s need for another speedy forward, while shedding the dead weight of Kleber off the club’s balance sheet. The move appears to be a record transfer for Dynamo, who previously paid $9.8 million for Pape Diakhate and $8.4 million for Ismael Bangoura. Dynamo’s valuation of Kleber stood at $8 million, putting the total value of the transfer at the $15 million mark.

Guilherme started his career with Cruzeiro at the youth level in 2003. He broke into the senior team in 2007 and over the next two years scored 27 goals in 55 appearances for the Brasileirao outfit. Guilherme has also played in four matches for the Brazil U20 squad. Guilherme was on the verge of a $10 million transfer to Real Zaragosa, but the deal with the Spanish Segunda club fell apart, allowing Dynamo to swoop in. His main assets are his speed and technique. Although not blessed with exceptional height or athleticism, Guilherme is a proficient header of the ball. He should be in competition with Bangoura for the role of the fast striker in manager Yuri Semin’s system. Guilherme will wear number 77 for Dynamo and is expected to be on the team’s UEFA Cup roster.

Just as satisfying as Dynamo’s acquisition of a potential impact player is the end of the protracted Kleber saga. The “Gladiator” has demonstrated he is far more interested in the comfort of his native Brasileirao than in pursuing top level football away from home. Dynamo made a sizable investment in the forward only to see him become an expensive albatross hanging around the club’s metaphorical neck. Since making the concession of allowing Kleber to return to Sao Paulo on loan, Dynamo has had to endure conflicting statements from the player and his agents about his aversion to playing in Ukraine. This further damaged Dynamo’s position as they were trying to unload Kleber. Sao Paulo jerked Dynamo around for months as the dirt-poor Brazilian outfit tried to convince the Kiev club they were serious about buying the forward, only to concede in the end they just wanted to keep him on loan.

It remains to be seen how long it will take for Guilherme to work his way into Semin’s rotation. It would be overly optimistic to expect him to make an impact against Valencia on February 18. Semin is a manager who is not blinded by expectations, and he will not rush Guilherme into battle until he is convinced the player is capable and ready to help the team. The Brazilians who have come to Ukraine did not grow up dreaming of playing for Dynamo, and it would be foolish to expect any of them to want to spend their careers here. They are either looking to get paid and retreat back to the comforts of home, or work their way into a move to a top European league. In both cases the player will not stay long, but one will be a waste of oxygen and the other will play every match as if it was his last. There’s little doubt about Guilherme’s talent, so lets hope he has the will and desire to match.