West Ham have no-brainer Lucas Paqueta decision after what MOTD spotted in win vs Sunderland
Lucas Paqueta’s future has been causing serious headaches for West Ham in recent weeks.
The Brazilian playmaker could yet leave the London Stadium before the upcoming 2 February transfer deadline, amid strong interest from Flamengo to take him back to the place where his career began.
Football Insider recently revealed that West Ham could still sell Paqueta before the deadline despite Nuno Espirito Santo’s desire to keep hold of him, as they contemplate cashing in on a player who enters the final year of his contract in the summer.
The Premier League outfit have already turned down a bid of over £30million for the 28-year-old, who hasn’t featured in a matchday squad since the defeat to Nottingham Forest on 6 January.
The Hammers know that Paqueta is a potential match-winner for them on his day, but his attitude has been seriously questioned at times, and they have the chance to potentially recoup a sizeable fee for him.
Ashley Williams has effectively answered Lucas Paqueta problem for West Ham
Paqueta has been trying to force West Ham into a sale during the winter window, which the club have seemingly been reluctant to do so far.
However, that could now be about to change after the evidence that arose during their valuable 3-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday.
Goals from Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes saw the East Londoners cut the gap to 17th-placed Forest to just two points, but it was the latter of that trio who stole the show.
Fernandes turned in a commanding display in the centre of midfield for West Ham, as he had the entire Match of the Day team gushing over his performance on Saturday night.
In the process of analysing the youngster’s display, Ashley Williams surely effectively answered the conundrum regarding Paqueta’s future.
“Without Paqueta in the team, I think it gives Fernandes a chance to go and own that midfield, which he dominated today,” the former centre-back said.
“He is doing more than you would expect for a 21-year-old midfielder.”
Fernandes has flourished since his summer move from Southampton, and if Nuno thinks similarly regarding his ability to step up in Paqueta’s absence, then it is surely time to cash in and let the emerging starlet become the main man.
Remarkable stats show Mateus Fernandes can save Hammers from the drop
West Ham are already receiving interest in Fernandes from elsewhere after his recent performances, and his value could be about to skyrocket if he plays a major role in keeping his team up.
The Portuguese proved that he is capable of that during Saturday’s victory, as his stats suggested that now could be the time to let go of Paqueta and fully unleash him at the heart of the team.
Fernandes completed 90 per cent of his passes, while also playing 10 balls into the final third and completing 100 per cent of his dribbles.
He won all seven of his ground duels throughout the 90 minutes, as the impressive Noah Sadiki simply couldn’t deal with his dynamism.
Throw in five tackles and four recoveries, and it was truly close to a complete performance from the former Sporting CP youngster.
It will be difficult for West Ham to let Paqueta leave as they know what he is capable of, but it is surely now a no-brainer for them to cash in and put their faith in a new talisman.