West Ham fans have been left stunned after Fabrizio Romano dropped the bombshell Lucas Paqueta wants to leave in a serious betrayal.
West Ham have been hit by the news that Lucas Paqueta wants to leave the club.
The claim comes from transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano which, given he prides himself on accurate information, suggests the Paqueta camp has leaked the information to him.
Romano says Paqueta is exploring options to leave West Ham in the next two weeks.
He says that the 27-year-old wants a fresh challenge after a difficult 18 months on personal level following the emergence of spot-fixing allegations.
Romano says there has been no final decision yet but the Brazilian magnifico is ‘reviewing options for his future’.
🚨⚠️ Lucas Paquetá, considering to explore options to leave West Ham this summer.
After difficult 18 months on personal level and now free from all accusations, Paquetá considers fresh challenge as a possibility.
No final decision made yet but reviewing options for his future. pic.twitter.com/MulyblbUQf
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 15, 2025
View Tweet
The news comes on the eve of the new Premier League season as Graham Potter’s side prepare to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
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A host of pundits and journalists are tipping the Hammers to be relegated.
Lucas Paqueta during West Ham United FC v Everton FC: Premier League Summer Series
Photo by Daniel Bartel – Premier League/Getty Images
So losing Paqueta at this late stage of the summer transfer window, with little time to find an adequate replacement would be hugely concerning for West Ham.
Both Man City, who were in the midst of signing Paqueta in an £80m deal two years ago when the spot-fixing accusations first surfaced, and Newcastle have been linked this week.
Although the Magpies have signed West Ham target Jacob Ramsey in a £43m deal this week.
The news has rocked Hammers fans.
Especially after Potter insisted in a series of interviews that Paqueta is happy and wants to stay at the club.
They say there is no smoke without fire.
And when Romano is involved it is safe to assume someone in Paqueta’s camp has leaked this news with the intention of drumming up interest.
Fans have every right to ask is this how you repay us – but the real reason Paqueta now ‘wants out’ of West Ham is likely linked to one of his teammates.
After a period of reflection Paqueta may feel West Ham are heading in the wrong direction and he wants to play at a certain level for some of the best years of his career.
Emerson Palmieri and close friend Lucas Paqueta lift the Europa Conference League trophy with West Ham
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
But West Ham and the club’s fans have stood by Paqueta for two long years where he has been mostly woeful on the pitch and his saga a major distraction off it.
Now he has been cleared he wants out? Something doesn’t sit right at all about the situation and Hammers supporters have every right to be angry.
But don’t dismiss the effect the Emerson Palmieri situation is having on Paqueta and his family.
Paqueta and Emerson are inseparable and Paqueta counts him among his best friends.
Even now with his English improved, Paqueta still has to rely on Emerson to translate for him.
Their families are also extremely close and spend a lot of time together in London.
Emerson has now been completely ostracised at West Ham having fallen foul of Potter from day one.
He is expected to leave before the window closes and the prospect of his departure will 100 per cent be influencing Paqueta’s decision to ‘explore his options’.
Paqueta wanted to join Newcastle back in 2022 so he could link up with another of his best friends, Bruno Guimarães.
But Eddie Howe admitted they couldn’t afford the £51m West Ham paid Lyon after they spent £63m on Aleksander Isak.
Emerson is like a big brother to a very shy and immature Paqueta.
Losing him, as he knows he will imminently, is clearly troubling the Brazil international.
Because even the most selfish and cynical of players surely wouldn’t leak they want to leave a club that has stood by them during the most difficult period of their life on the even of the new season if there wasn’t an aggravating factor.
West Ham won’t have heard the last of this now as the clock ticks down to September 1st.