‘From what I understand’ – Lucas Paqueta could complete West Ham transfer ‘after the window closes’
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta could miss the London derby against Tottenham to force a move away from the club.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who doesn’t believe Paqueta’s situation is helping West Ham.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are currently in the Premier League relegation zone, with the Hammers seven points from safety.
West Ham could sell Paqueta in January, with interest from a number of clubs, including in his homeland of Brazil.
Lucas Paqueta ‘going on strike’ vs Tottenham
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Paqueta could move to Brazil once the Premier League transfer window has shut.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Paqueta is “damaging” his reputation.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, Paqueta, as we know, is a rather volatile character. There’s talk of him going on strike for the Spurs game.
“Well, you don’t want that sort of thing going on in your relegation battle when he’s one of your key midfielders. He is temperamental.
“I think that, you know from what I understand as well, he could move after the window closes because the Brazilian transfer window is longer and open longer than the British one, and he could be able to move. So I would think West Ham would be saying to him, we’ll let you go, but it may be in February, but you’ve got to get us through this period of games.
“However, he seems to be agitating for a move. As I say, the rumours are of a potential Isak situation, which is not great for him at all. I mean, he sort of reclaimed a bit of a reputation, and now he’s damaging it again with the sending off the other day, and his behaviour now on this sort of thing. I think it would be difficult, and I don’t think that it’s going to help West Ham at all.
“And I think if he was sensible, he really wants to go, then maybe at the end of February, something like that, if that window is still open in Brazil, that’s the sort of timing that may work for West Ham to get some sort of money out of him at the same time.”
West Ham could face mass exodus
The threat of Premier League relegation for West Ham, may mean the club are willing to accept offers for stars like Paqueta.
Jarrod Bowen could be the first to leave West Ham upon relegation, with revenues set to drop if they go down to the Championship.
It could become a summer of rebuilding at West Ham, with the ownership also under pressure from supporters to sell the club.