Nuno Espirito Santo wanted him at both West Ham United and Nottingham Forest, only to see a long-standing midfield target close in on a bargain £4 million switch.
As reports emerge claiming that Lucas Paqueta could become a Flamengo player at some point over the next 24 hours, it remains to be seen if a replacement will arrive to take the Brazilian’s place.
But whoever takes Paqueta’s place – be it Mateus Fernandes or perhaps Pablo Felipe – it will certainly not be Quinten Timber.
Hammers News reported on the other side of Christmas that Nuno wanted Quinten Timber at Nottingham Forest last summer. The West Ham United boss considered picking up where he left off heading into the winter, too.
If you could only keep ONE of these two players in January – who would it be?!
It even emerged that Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber was trying to convince his twin brother to join him in the English capital.
With West Ham prioritising centre-halves and centre-forwards this month, though, French giants Marseille have been given a pretty clear run at the Dutch international.
West Ham United reportedly held talks with Feyenoord’s Quinten Timber
According to Fabrizio Romano, Marseille are set to sign Timber from Feyenoord alongside Arsenal teenager Ethan Nwaneri.
The 2023 Eredivisie champion was due to become a free-agent in July. Because of his contract situation, L’OM are set to complete the deal for as little as £4 million. To think, just last summer, Feyenoord were reported to want in excess of £20 million.
“That [transfer] will go ahead,” Dutch reporter and Feyenoord expert Marcel Van der Kraan tells De Telegraaf. “They have already reached an agreement.”
Van der Kraan insists that talks were held with West Ham leading into January, before Timber settled on Marseille as his preferred destination.
“His agents have been talking to various clubs for months,” the reporter adds, disappointed to see Quinten turn down the chance to join Jurrien in London. “VfL Wolfsburg, Lazio, West Ham United, but the right choice just wasn’t there.
“You naturally hope for him at a top Premier League club, but that didn’t happen. If you’d asked me a year and a half ago where Timber would be playing now, I wouldn’t have said Marseille.
“I expected his ceiling to be higher. Due to injuries, he had a rather poor spell [towards the end] at Feyenoord.”
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Lucas Paqueta expected to go but Soungoutou Magassa will stay
Timber lost the captain’s armband at De Kuip this season following a dip in form and a series of injuries. He started on the bench in his final Eredivisie outing in a Feyenoord shirt during the dramatic 4-3 defeat by Rotterdam rivals Sparta last time out.
A dynamic number eight who can also play higher up the pitch, perhaps West Ham felt they have enough quality in the centre of the park for the time being. The Hammers are expected to keep faith with Soungoutou Magassa despite reported interest from Galatasaray. Tomas Soucek has enjoyed a resurgence in recent months too, so much so that Freddie Potts has slipped out of Nuno Espirito Santo’s starting XI of late.
Back to Paqueta, Brazil teammate and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr is hoping for a resolution to the saga sooner rather than later.
“I ask my agents, who are also his agents, every day [when Paqueta is leaving West Ham for Flamengo],” Vini Jr told TNT Sports after Real thrashed Monaco 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
“His happiness is mine, and Flamengo’s happiness is ours. God willing, in the next few days he could close this deal.”
Barcelona whizzkid Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernandez is one option to potentially take Paqueta’s place. The teenager is available for a fee similar to the one Marseille are spending on Timber due to a clause in his contract.
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