West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been heavily linked with a shock move to Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window.
It was only six months ago when West Ham sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham.
Now Paqueta could make the same move in the January transfer window, it seems.
However, what does Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo make of the situation? Does he want to keep the Brazilian at the London Stadium or is he happy to sanction his exit?
Would you take relegation if it meant that David Sullivan would leave?! 🤔
Not a nice position to be in – but what would YOU choose if you had to?
Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon in the summer of 2022 and arrived at the club with huge expectations on his shoulders.
However, aside from his through-ball to Jarrod Bowen in the Europa Conference League final in 2023, he hasn’t managed to justify the huge transfer fee that the Hammers paid for him.
Paqueta could well be nearing an exit from West Ham, but is Nuno happy to let him go?
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Tottenham eyeing shock Lucas Paqueta deal
It wouldn’t have been too long ago when claims of a West Ham player joining Tottenham would be laughed off as nothing more than mere speculation.
However, after the Kudus deal in the summer, that’s no longer the case.
The surprise links started last week.
Reports claimed that West Ham ace Paqueta is on the Tottenham radar in the January transfer window.
It was then claimed that Flamengo had joined Spurs in the race to sign Paqueta.
The Brazilian is said to be keen on a return to his homeland, but the opportunity to play in the Champions League this season may prove to be difficult to turn down for him.
Will he actually be allowed to leave the London Stadium, though?
Paqueta is still under contract with West Ham until the summer of 2027 after all, and the club have an option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.
Nuno makes Lucas Paqueta transfer decision
Paqueta’s future will surely all come down to how hard he pushes to leave this month.
Out of 10, how CONFIDENT are you that Nuno can still save West Ham?
Beating QPR in the FA Cup would be a start…
According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Nuno actually wants to keep Paqueta at the London Stadium.
So, it will be really interesting now to see what happens with the 28-year-old.
If he does end up joining Tottenham, will that mean that the Hammers board have vetoed Nuno?
Or will the West Ham boss accept the fact that it’s better to get rid of a player who simply doesn’t want to be there, rather than keep him in the hope that he’ll produce the odd bit of magic here and there?
The prudent play may well be to just move him on. If West Ham can get anything like ÂŁ25 million from Tottenham for Paqueta, selling him should be a no-brainer.
He simply hasn’t been good enough for the Hammers and his body language reeks of someone who does not want to be at the London Stadium.