Lucas Paqueta D-day now set at West Ham as beneficial agreement for all proposed

Lucas Paqueta’s potential West Ham exit could be decided shortly.

West Ham rejected a £30.3million bid for Paqueta from Brazilian club Flamengo, and the player has made it clear that he wishes to return to his homeland.

The Rio de Janeiro-based club are set to return with another offer, with the situation getting very messy at the London Stadium, very quickly.

However, a solution that benefits both Paqueta and the Hammers has been raised as a possibility.

Lucas Paqueta's West Ham stats.
Credit: Imago

Lucas Paqueta set for meeting as West Ham solution emerges

West Ham wants to keep Paqueta, which has been abundantly clear.

A report from The Telegraph on 15 January claims that the Hammers will only sell Paqueta if he is loaned back for the second half of the campaign.

South American football expert Tim Vickery stated that there will be a “decisive” meeting between the player and the club on 16 December, in a sort of D-day standoff.

Speaking live on Sky Sports (15, January, 12:27 pm), he said: “West Ham can pretty much guarantee if they don’t sell him, Paqueta will not throw a sulk and down tools, because we have got the World Cup coming up.

“So, I think there is a game of poker going on there in East London, and I am told that the decisive meeting for this will take place tomorrow.”

West Ham set to win either way

Nuno Espirito Santo would ideally like to keep the attacking midfielder around for the remainder of the relegation scrap.

However, he may force his way out, but that would not be the worst outcome for the Irons, as they would receive a significant windfall to spend on new players, and boost their survival chances in the process.

If he ends up departing but returns to East London on loan, that will also benefit the E20 outfit, as he is a key player, and when he is on form, he can change games and potentially change their destiny.

If he stays, and the move does not materialise, then that would not be the worst thing in the world, because, as Vickery states, he is not going to refuse to play, as that would decrease his chances of going to the World Cup in the summer.

No matter what happens between now and the end of the window, Nuno and Co are set to win, as there is no bad outcome for them, all three possibilities benefit the Hammers.

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