West Ham to take clear Lucas Paqueta transfer stance as Premier League relegation fears grow
Lucas Paqueta is once again being linked with a move away from West Ham ahead of the January transfer window.
The Brazilian was hotly tipped to depart the London Stadium in the summer, but a move away ultimately never materialised for him ahead of the new campaign.
Paqueta’s future at West Ham is under scrutiny again, with the midfielder understood to be keen to pursue a transfer away from E20 midway through the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have had a dismal start to the season, and news of Paqueta’s desire to leave is the last thing that they needed at this stage of the campaign.
West Ham need to sell Lucas Paqueta in January
Paqueta has lacked consistency at West Ham in recent years, and they would surely stand to make a significant fee from any potential sale this winter.
The 28-year-old has two goals to his name so far this season, and while his quality is invaluable to the Hammers as a team on the face of it, he has often failed to produce for them when it really matters.
The former AC Milan star has seemingly wanted a move away for some time now, and with that in mind, there is little value in David Sullivan and Co. keeping a player like that around in the club’s current predicament.
| Stats | Paqueta Total | Team Rank |
| Goal Contributions | 2 | 3rd |
| Scoring Frequency | 394 mins | 3rd |
| Shots on Target per game | 0.4 | 5th |
| Key Passes per game | 1.4 | 2nd |
| Successful Dribbles per game | 0.9 | =3rd |
West Ham are sleepwalking towards relegation from the Premier League, and with Sunderland and Leeds both enjoying promising starts to the season, fears will surely be growing in E20 with every passing game.
Nuno will need a squad of grafters who are willing to sacrifice everything for the club if he is to lead the team to survival, and Paqueta’s desire to move on emphasises that he is not up for the fight in that regard.
You simply cannot afford to keep players like that around during a relegation battle, and with that in mind, West Ham would be better served welcoming offers in January and trying to cash in.
- Read More: Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist in agreement over Lucas Paqueta verdict amid West Ham exit update
David Sullivan will regret not pushing for Manchester City sale
West Ham received interest in Paqueta from Manchester City this summer, as they made it clear that they were still keen to sign the midfielder after his FA hearing concluded.
However, a deal ultimately never came close to fruition, potentially because of the lofty valuation that Sullivan and Co. set for the star.
In hindsight, the E20 outfit would have been better to try and entice City into doing business, as they would surely have been able to negotiate a higher fee from them than what they are likely to receive for him this winter.
The way the entire situation has played out will be a huge regret for West Ham, but they may have to face up to the reality that they are better off without Paqueta at this stage.
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