West Ham could be offered an interesting swap deal involving Lucas Paqueta, according to The Sun.
The Brazilian has been out-of-sorts this season and it’s believed he wants to leave the club and return to Brazil. His off-field issues involving charges by the FA for alleged betting offences, mean his immediate West Ham future remains uncertain, and it could lead to the Hammers exploring the possibility of offloading him sooner rather than later.
The Sun on Sunday are reporting (Sunday 15th December, page 53) that Botafogo are the latest Brazilian side with an interest in granting the 27-year-old’s wish of returning to his homeland.
Whatsmore, it’s claimed Botafogo are prepared to offer striker Igor Jesus as part of the deal to sign Paqueta.
Last month, RTI Esporte claimed Botafogo had immediately rejected West Ham’s bid of up to £35m for Jesus’ signature.
Jesus, 23, returned to Brazil earlier this year after a short stint with Shabab Al-Ahli, where he scored 43 goals in 88 appearances in the UAE.
Since signing for Botafogo, he has registered eight goals and five assists in 31 first-team appearances.
The striker, who is also capable of playing on either side of the attack, as a shadow striker and an attacking midfielder, would certainly give West Ham food for thought if he’s included in any proposal that involves Paqueta’s departure.
As is customary in east London in the modern era, West Ham are in the middle of a striker crisis and are in desperate need of a regular goalscorer.
Michail Antonio has often been the go-to option at times like this but after a road traffic accident last week left him with a broken leg, among other injuries, he is no longer available and it’s unlikely he’ll be available for selection for at least another year.
bowen holds up antonio shirt
That leaves the Hammers with 32-year-old Danny Ings, who has scored just five goals in 62 appearances since signing from Southampton almost two years ago, and 31-year-old Niclas Fullkrug as the only out-and-out strikers in the squad.
Fullkrug has only just returned from an achilles injury that left him sidelined for three months and has scored once in five substitute appearances since signing in the summer.
It means Jarrod Bowen is now the preferred option to play up front, despite him being far more effective in his more natural right-wing position.
So the chance to bring another striker to the club, especially one who is young and not yet in his prime would no doubt be an attractive proposition for West Ham this winter.
However, while a bid is yet to come in from Botafogo, the complication is that Paqueta’s preference is reportedly to sign for Flamengo, which means there’s no guarantee he would agree to such a deal.
The Sun’s report doesn’t provide any information on what kind of transfer fee the Hammers might expect to receive if such a deal were to materialise for the Brazil international.
Igor Jesus
However, West Ham were reportedly told last month after their £35m bid was rejected that Jesus has a non-negotiable £83.2m release clause in his contract.
If that remains non-negotiable in discussions that involve Paqueta, we might well be looking at a straight swap deal here. Paqueta has an £85m release clause in his London Stadium contract.
However, with Paqueta clearly looking to leave, his performances this season being well under-par and West Ham’s desperate need to sign another striker this winter – especially one they have considerable interest in – it wouldn’t be a surprise if West Ham were willing to entertain such a deal if it were to be on the table.
If they can offload Paqueta and also sign a striker they’ve already tried to sign in one deal, it could represent a significant piece of business for the Hammers.