Over the years, there have been a handful of players who’ve walked through the doors at Upton Park or the London Stadium and immediately lit the place up.
Dimitri Payet had us drooling. Carlos Tevez almost single-handedly kept us up. Jesse Lingard, for a brief but brilliant loan spell, felt unplayable.
Lucas Paquetá definitely belongs in that category—well, sort of. The Brazilian lit up his debut season with deft touches, Samba flair, and the kind of confidence that had fans off their seats. But since then? The spot-fixing allegations (from which he’s now been cleared) derailed his progress and left his future uncertain.
Nevertheless, he remains one of West Ham’s most talented players, and unsurprisingly, he’s a man in demand.
Now, it seems the club have drawn a line in the sand over his future.
West Ham Name Price for Paquetá
West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta. (REUTERS/Scott Heppell)
West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta. (REUTERS/Scott Heppell)
According to a new report from GIVEMESPORT, West Ham have officially named their price for Paquetá.
The Brazilian midfielder is still admired by Manchester City, who were circling before the betting allegations came to light, while Crystal Palace are also said to be interested—according to a report from Caught Offside.
West Ham’s stance is simple: they’d prefer to keep their prized playmaker, but if the right bid comes in, they won’t stand in his way. That “right bid” has been set at £60 million—a figure that would represent a small profit on the £51m the club paid Lyon back in 2022.
Crucially, the Hammers are not willing to sell everyone. GIVEMESPORT report that Jarrod Bowen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are completely off limits. But Paquetá? Alongside a few others, he’s on the list of potential departures—so long as it’s on West Ham’s terms.
With the club looking a shadow of themselves in that dreadful 3-0 opening-day defeat to Sunderland, losing Paquetá would be more than just a blow—it could be the difference between survival and relegation this season. And with so little time left in the transfer window, reinvesting £60m properly is no small task.
A word of warning, then: if Paquetá does leave, the Hammers better have a plan—because this squad can’t afford another hole in midfield.