West Ham chiefs appear to be taking a firm stance on Lucas Paquetá’s desire to swap East London for Aston Villa.
Last night, football insider Fabrizio Romano dropped a trademark “Here we go” update, claiming a deal had been agreed for Paquetá to join Villa for £47m. The arrangement was reportedly a loan with a £5m fee up front and a £42m obligation to buy in 12 months’ time.
But just an hour later, ExWHUEmployee posted a late-night update insisting the club would do all it could to keep hold of the Brazilian.
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The West Ham hierarchy are thought to want at least £60m, while manager Graham Potter has made it clear he wants Paquetá to stay. Moments later, Ex quoted a senior club insider as saying: “He will NOT be sold this window even though he wants to leave.”
Explosive stuff—and if true, serious questions must be asked about why Romano reported a done deal when no agreement had been reached. What’s certain is the speculation has caused major disruption on the eve of a crucial game.
One can only hope Ex is correct on this one. It’s far too late in the window for West Ham to be cashing in on Paquetá. The club and supporters have stood by the 28-year-old through some difficult times, and C&H has been told by one of his representatives that the midfielder would be content to remain in East London for at least another year.