Lucas Paqueta seems set to join Flamengo from West Ham United after the Brazilian club agreed a fee with the east London outfit.
Paqueta will leave West Ham to join Flamengo imminently, after intense negotiations between the two clubs.
The Guardian claims that Flamengo have agreed a fee with the Hammers for Paqueta worth somewhere in the region of £36-40 million.
Nuno Espirito Santo has already signed two players this summer in the form of Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe.
How many points would West Ham have taken from their last two games if Lucas Paqueta had been playing? 🤔
Maybe I’m harsh, but I just don’t think he suits this team anymore…
However, more new additions will be required if West Ham are to have any chance of avoiding relegation down to the Championship.
West Ham’s win over Sunderland was a timely one, but the current squad may not be good enough to ensure Premier League survival for another season.
And with Paqueta closing in on an exit from the London Stadium, the need for new signings has become even more urgent.
West Ham eye last-minute January transfer splurge
David Sullivan is allegedly prepared to back Nuno further still in the January transfer window.
With around £36 million set to be incoming from the sale of Paqueta, the Hammers will be flush with cash.
It’s not just the fee for Paqueta that will help West Ham.
Guido Rodriguez is set to join Valencia on a free transfer in a move that will see his £75k-a-week taken off the books.
In past years, the Hammers have failed to adequately replace the players who’ve been sold – Declan Rice was the best example of this back in 2023.
However, things are set to change this month, with Nuno intent on bolstering his ranks at the London Stadium.
And the Hammers boss is not hanging around. He wants the new faces in through the door quickly, with Paqueta set to depart.
Lucas Paqueta out and three new signings in at West Ham
When Paqueta’s exit is officially confirmed, West Ham will then immediately invest the money back into the playing squad according to the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg.
And Nuno wants to make three very specific additions.
It is claimed that the Hammers boss is desperate to bring in a new goalkeeper, a centre-back and a midfielder before the January window slams shut.
However, the only specific name mentioned in Jacob Steinberg’s report is Fulham attacker Adama Traore.
Summerville, Todibo and Mavropanos are firing at last!
Is your view of the Tim Steidten era changing? Or has the damage been done? 💸
Out of those three positions, the addition of a top-class new centre-back is surely Nuno’s priority.
West Ham are worryingly short of options in the central defensive department right now.
If Jean-Clair Todibo or Konstantinos Mavropanos are forced to miss a lengthy period of time, Nuno will be forced to play the Max Kilman and that would spell disaster for the Hammers.
The sooner that Paqueta is gone the better it will be for West Ham as a club.
With just one week remaining before the January transfer window closes, the Hammers had better start making their moves or risk missing out on key new signings this winter.
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