West Ham United executives are hunting for fresh cash to fund vital January signings. However, they need to sell big players first to keep the finances in check. Reports coming out this week suggest the club’s bosses see Lucas Paqueta as the top candidate for a permanent move away.
Mick Brown said that the Hammers are ready to let the Brazilian go. They will sell him if a buyer makes a decent offer during the winter window. Brown points out that Paqueta’s recent games haven’t been up to the club’s usual standards, especially while the team struggles for form.
West Ham want to sell Lucas Paqueta in January
The former senior scout says manager Nuno Espírito Santo is getting fed up. The playmaker simply hasn’t stepped up when the squad needs a leader to pull them out of a slump. Outside distractions like the betting investigation have clearly knocked Paqueta off his game.
Even so, Brown argues that the club can’t keep carrying a player who isn’t performing at his best. This is the same player who once had Manchester City ready to spend a fortune. While City nearly paid a record fee back then, Paqueta’s value has since plummeted, meaning West Ham won’t get anything close to that original sum.
Regardless, the board sees selling him as a sacrifice they have to make. Selling the Brazilian now makes sense for the budget and will help bring in the new players the squad needs. Right now, the team is too thin to compete without bringing in money from major sales. Brown believes the club will definitely put that money back into the squad if they get the chance.
“Paqueta’s performances are a worry for West Ham. Given the situation they’re in, you’re looking at their best players and waiting for them to step up and drag them out of a difficult position. There’s no doubt Paqueta is one of those players, but his performances have not been good enough, and he hasn’t stepped up when needed.
“The manager has been frustrated by his performances because he’s not showing anything like the level they need him to be at the moment. Of course, things have happened to Paqueta with the betting scandal and everything surrounding that; it’s not West Ham’s fault, and it’s not Paqueta’s fault. There was the thing with Man City where they were prepared to pay a big fee for him, but they’re not going to get anything near that sort of fee now.
“He has got to prove out on the pitch that he is still the top player he was before, but he isn’t doing that for West Ham, and that’s a concern. There will be clubs interested, and of course, he’s not playing in a great side at the moment, but at a time when West Ham need him to step up, he’s disappeared. If there’s a chance that they could let him go and use the money to strengthen their position, then I think it’s something they would be open to.”
Is it the right decision?
Letting the 28-year-old go is a smart move for the East London club. Keeping an unhappy player who is doing less and less on the pitch hurts the whole team, especially when the manager needs everyone fully on board to climb out of the bottom half of the table.
Paqueta clearly has talent and flair, but his actual impact on games has faded over the last year and a half. This decline has left fans feeling let down. On top of that, the constant talk about his legal troubles is a massive distraction.
The club need to move past this to make a fresh start. West Ham fans deserve a team focused 100% on winning games. Putting that transfer money into hungry, reliable players will make the team stronger; one inconsistent star just can’t offer that same backbone.
Looking ahead, it looks like both sides need a clean break. Paqueta might need a fresh start in a slower league, while West Ham can finally build a team that doesn’t rely on individual moments of magic. Keeping a player whose value is falling makes no business sense.
The board has to be brave and make the call. Parting ways right now helps both the club and the player. It ensures the Hammers head into the second half of the season with their heads in the game, a clearer plan on the pitch, and the cash they need to fix obvious holes in the squad.
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