Lucas Paqueta to definitely leave West Ham as Sky Sports lift curtain on transfer saga
Lucas Paqueta’s days at West Ham are numbered.
The Brazil international was left out of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad for West Ham’s 2-1 win over QPR on Sunday as speculation around his future rumbles on.
Nuno does not want to sell Paqueta, but he is set on returning to Brazil, with Flamengo leading the race.
West Ham rejected Flamengo’s £30.3million bid on Monday, and even if West Ham hold off on the immediate interest for Paqueta, his future in E20 looks to be over regardless.
Lucas Paqueta to leave West Ham in 2026
Tottenham and Aston Villa are interested in the 28-year-old; however, he clearly prefers a move to Brazilian side Flamengo.
Sky Sports reported on Monday afternoon that if a move can’t be agreed in January, the 28-year-old will definitely be leaving in the summer.
His contract at the London Stadium runs until 2027, and the Hammers do have the option for a one-year extension.
| Season | Appearances | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| 2022-23 | 28 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 33 | 10 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 18 | 5 | 1 |
Paqueta has been hot-headed at times, and he has often let his teammates down due to his behaviour on the pitch.
It must be said noted he has single-handedly changed games for West Ham in the past, and his quality on the ball will undoubtedly be missed.
Fans won’t be happy if Paqueta leaves mid-season, especially given the fact that relegation is on the cards for the Hammers.
The odds of him staying past this year have completely diminished, and West Ham need to adapt quickly, whatever the outcome may be.
West Ham have one way to quieten Paqueta noise
Paqueta will be a huge miss in midfield if he does leave before the deadline on 2 February, and the Hammers have to do everything they can to make up for his potential absence.
The transfer saga has produced up a whirlwind of unwanted media attention and caused unnecessary pressure on Nuno.
Having someone whose future is uncertain can become incredibly distracting for the rest of the squad.
If Paqueta were to leave now, Nuno would be able to work with his players away from the noise.
With West Ham fighting off relegation, every player needs to be 100 per cent focused on the task at hand.
Otherwise, it could come back to cost them dearly.
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.