West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been dealt a kick in the teeth following reports that one of his key players wants to leave in January.
It had been widely believed within the club that Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá would see out the season at the London Stadium. In fact, the player himself posted “Let’s go for one more year” on social media in September, suggesting he’d stay in East London until May 2026.
However, according to a report by Gary Jacob in The Times, Paquetá “is keen to leave the relegation-threatened club in January.” The 28-year-old was subject to a loan bid with an obligation to buy from Aston Villa just before the close of the summer transfer window.
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At the time, a senior West Ham source told Claret & Hugh, “He will not be sold under any circumstances.” Following the sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham, selling another first-team player to a Premier League rival would not have gone down well with supporters.
Espirito Santo has made it clear on several occasions that he considers Paquetá one of his key players, saying, “We have to do more as a team to get the best out of Lucas.”
Losing his playmaker now would be one more distraction the under-pressure West Ham boss could certainly do without.