West Ham have responded to claims one of the club’s star players is trying to secretly engineer a move away.
West Ham fans were furious over the weekend when a message emerged from the club.
Top Hammers insider Sean Whetstone, who counts majority owner David Sullivan as one of his close contacts at the club, painted a grim picture of the summer transfer window.
West Ham only signed Evan Ferguson on loan in the winter window.
Many thought that was because the club were saving funds to properly back Graham Potter and new head of recruitment Kyle Macauley in the summer.
But Whetstone claimed Potter is facing a difficult summer window because the Hammers will have to sell star boy Mohammed Kudus, or Brazilian magnifico Lucas Paqueta – and potentially others too – to fund signings.
Both Kudus and Paqueta have been linked with moves away from West Ham.
The worrying thing is West Ham have very few saleable assets beyond those two players because offloading Jarrod Bowen is a complete non-starter.
Supporters would fully turn on the ownership if that were to happen.
West Ham address claims of fury over star pushing for exit
Kudus has an £85m release clause but his form this season means it is highly unlikely any club triggers it.
The Hammers may well have to settle for much less.
In Paqueta’s case he has been linked with moves to Man City and Brazilian clubs in the last two seasons.
But West Ham’s ability to sell Paqueta will come down to whether he is absolved of any blame in the case against him.
Ironically Paqueta has been in his best form for over a year under Potter.
Much of that comes down to the new manager settling the team down and addressing a blame culture and divide in the dressing room.
What the Hammers don’t need is anything jeopardising that.
So reports which emerged this week were not helpful.
Now West Ham have addressed claims of fury over one of their top stars pushing for an exit after secret talks.
O Dia Brazil reported that Paqueta’s agent had held talks with the director of his former club Flamengo.
Paqueta’s representative allegedly met with Jose Boto at the training centre of the Brazilian giants.
It was claimed the meeting took West Ham by surprise and they were furious to find out about it via the press.
Hammers speak out on claims of secret Paqueta move talks
The report also states the Hammers want just £20m for their record £51m signing in the summer.
But West Ham have denied claims they are furious with Paqueta and his agents.
Because the Hammers have told Claret and Hugh the meeting never happened.
West Ham have strongly denied the reports out of Brazil and the claim they would be willing to accept a £20m offer for the player in the summer. H
A senior source inside West Ham states the stories are “nonsense”.
And although the club did confirm they have received a ‘derisory’ offer for Paqueta from Flamengo in the past, there is nothing new to report regarding the Brazilian’s future.
“They made an offer 13 months ago, which was rejected – that’s it,” a West Ham source told the site.
“Other conversations have revealed that the offer made was considered derisory, and the club never took the interest seriously.”
It has also been reiterated that Paqueta has not asked, or intimated, that he wants to leave West Ham.
Paqueta is the highest paid player in West Ham history on £150k per week.
Paqueta has cost the Hammers a staggering £67.8m since joining with just 16 goals and 14 assists to show for it.
But the 27-year-old is starting to look like he is getting back to something like his best under Potter.
The reality of his situation is that until his fate is decided by a three-person panel in the summer, Paqueta’s future is in purgatory regardless of what he or the Hammers want to do.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
