West Ham sent late new transfer warning despite £40m Lucas Paqueta developments
West Ham are in the market for signings as Lucas Paqueta finally heads for the exit.
Paqueta has not played for West Ham since their loss to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on 6 January, with the deadline now quickly approaching.
Now, Paqueta looks set to join Brazilian champions Flamengo this week in a deal around £40million, and it could be confirmed before his medical.
West Ham fans may be clamouring for that sale to be used towards signing further players before the winter window shuts on 2 February, but it may not be that simple.
Finance expert makes West Ham transfer window prediction
With less than a week to go of the transfer window, 18th-placed West Ham have just spent £2m on Fulham winger Adama Traore – a player manager Nuno Espirito Santo knows well from his Wolves days.
West Ham are also eyeing a loan for Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, and according to finance expert Dan Plumley, these are the sorts of deals the Hammers will pursue.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Plumley said: “If West Ham were to be relegated, it’d be £60m off the revenue line, and that’s what you are taking into account with this window.
“You’re not going to see a huge amount of money spent because the club are going to be guarded against a worst-case scenario.
“So if there are any more movements in the next few days before the window shuts, you’d expect them to be for much lower value than what they’ve paid out previously in January.”
Unlike many other Premier League sides, West Ham have not come close to falling afoul of the division’s Profit and Sustainability Rules in recent years.
Plumley added, “If you look at their movement in January, selling Paqueta would more or less cancel that [any PSR concerns] out, and West Ham have never had any issues in recent years with the finances.
“They’re one of the few clubs that have turned a profit in recent years, so they’ve never been on the radar of the problem from PSR, but a transfer like Paqueta would just offset the spend in January.“
Any more deals for West Ham in the winter window?
The Hammers are deep in a relegation battle, and currently sit five points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
To address some of their issues, West Ham signed forward Pablo and then backed it up with the capture of Lazio striker Taty Castellanos.
But they may signal the end of the Irons’ big-money signings in the winter transfer window.
James Ward-Prowse looks set to leave on loan, and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has been linked with Fiorentina.
But as Plumley said, they do have to be wary about making too big a risk in the transfer market.
A Championship relegation would inevitably lead to a player exodus, while West Ham may have to get rid of some high-earning and valuable players to balance the budget.
A delicate balancing act is in store for the Hammers, on and off the pitch.
Stay up to date this winter with our West Ham transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at the London Stadium, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.