Lucas Paqueta hasn’t played for West Ham United for more than two weeks now, and he is being heavily linked with a move to Flamengo in the January transfer window.
Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon way back in the summer of 2022 for a club record fee worth around £51 million.
However, the Brazilian has never quite lived up to expectations at the London Stadium, despite the odd flash of brilliance.
And now, Nuno Espirito Santo could well move him on in the January transfer window.
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Paqueta is thought to be close to leaving West Ham for Flamengo, but the deal is not yet done.
That’s because the Hammers are said to be haggling with the Brazilian side about the fee for the 28-year-old.
It has been claimed that Paqueta is actually trying to force a move away from West Ham in the January window.
But the east London club are standing firm, demanding more than the £30 million that Flamengo have already offered for his signature.
West Ham could make catastrophic Lucas Paqueta mistake
It’s fair to argue that if Paqueta remains with the Hammers beyond the end of the January window, he will feature regularly for the club between now and the end of the season.
However, West Ham simply can’t afford to carry a so-called ‘luxury player’ like Paqueta in the starting XI right now.
Nuno needs energy, passion and commitment from his players – three attributes which seem to be missing from Paqueta’s game.
The longer this transfer saga drags on, the more chance there is that Paqueta will actually remain at the London Stadium.
There has even been talk of Flamengo signing Paqueta and then loaning him back to West Ham.
But what’s the point? His heart is clearly not in east London anymore, unfortunately.
If he does stay and actually plays regularly, there is a very real chance that he won’t give 100 per cent, due to being denied a dream move back home.
West Ham simply cannot afford passengers right now. Battling against relegation in the Premier League is not for the faint-hearted.
Selling him should be a no-brainer for the Hammers. The team functions better as a unit without him anyway.
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If the Hammers hold on to Paqueta for another few months, his value will plummet by the time the summer comes around.
He will have just one year remaining on his deal then and buying clubs will not be in such a rush to obtain his signature.
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Not selling Paqueta to Flamengo in the January transfer window would be a big mistake from West Ham.
Nothing can be gained now from keeping him at the London Stadium.
It’s quite obvious to see that his mind is elsewhere and that’s the last thing you need in a player during a relegation battle.
Saturday’s win and performance over Tottenham gave the West Ham fans a glimpse of what life could be like without Paqueta.
And the vast majority of Hammers fans liked what they saw.
It makes zero sense for West Ham to keep Paqueta at the club this month. The Hammers board simply have to sell the Brazilian, even if it means not getting the full price they actually want for him.
Getting relegated with Paqueta in the team and not being able to obtain as much money for him in the summer would be a nightmare situation for West Ham, yet a very easily avoidable one.
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