West Ham United face a tough decision about Lucas Paqueta’s future at the London Stadium. The club are balancing financial sense against the need to stay up. The squad grabbed an exciting 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on January 17 while Paqueta watched from the sidelines.
West Ham Look for Strategic Compromise for Lucas Paqueta Amid Relegation Fight
However, they are still in a real relegation scrap, sitting just five points above the drop zone. Football Insider recently shared comments from Stefan Borson, a former Manchester City financial adviser.
He suggested the Hammers might strike a deal with the Brazilian playmaker to stop him from leaving in the middle of the season. Borson thinks the board could talk Paqueta into staying for the next four months. In return, they would promise the 28-year-old a summer move to Flamengo for around £35 million.
The board originally spent over £50 million to sign the midfielder from Lyon in 2022. They obviously want to get a good chunk of that money back. But right now, they have to be realistic rather than just hunting for the biggest profit. Borson told the outlet that making a deal now for a later move clears the air.
“Now, they might be able to get him to stick around until the summer, right?
“It’s not even five months. It’s more like four months by the end of January, so they could say, ‘Stick around for four months and then you can go for £35m, right? We’ll definitely do the deal’.
“Maybe that’ll do it, but it’s going to be hard for them to turn it down as we get to the end of the window.”
This lets the Brazilian player keep his head in the game for the rest of the season. He pointed out that while it’s hard to turn down quick cash right before the deadline, keeping the squad strong through the spring is probably worth more. This plan basically asks Paqueta to wait a bit for his move. It helps the club in their desperate hunt for points while making sure he gets the transfer he wants later on.
Will it be the right move for the Hammers?
Waiting until the summer to let Paqueta go clearly helps West Ham’s main goal of staying in the Premier League. Selling a star player in the middle of a relegation battle almost never works out well. New players usually take too long to get used to the speed of English football to make a real difference.
So, keeping the midfielder ensures the manager still has a game-changer on the team. He has the spark needed to break down tough defences in huge games against rival clubs. If his contributions help the team secure safety, the lower transfer fee they accept pales in comparison to the massive amount of cash the club would lose through relegation to the Championship.
Also, selling Paqueta in the summer gives the technical director time to find the right replacement. West Ham United can carry out proper due diligence instead of making a panicked choice. Having a clear plan stops the desperate panic buying that usually happens to clubs in January. This lets West Ham spend the money carefully to fix the team’s bigger problems.
While the team lose a special talent, they get a chance to build a more solid group. They can use the money from his sale to make that happen. In the end, this move balances the need to win now with sensible financial planning. It ensures the club survive the present storm before building for the future with less pressure.
