Aston Villa are targeting West Ham's Lucas Paquetá in the final days of the summer transfer window
Lucas Paquetá of West Ham
Lucas Paquetá of West Ham(Image: Getty Images)
Lucas Paquetá has welcomed Aston Villa's interest, with Unai Emery keen to recruit the Brazil international.
The 28-year-old has emerged as a target for the Villa manager, who is looking to add at least two more players to his squad before the window closes.
Villa, however, are restricted by UEFA’s financial regulations, which have limited their spending power this summer.
They sold Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United for £40 million last week but have yet to replace him. Meanwhile, Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford both left at the end of their loan spells following the conclusion of last season.
Only Evann Guessand has been signed to bolster Villa's attacking ranks, while Emi Buendía - who was on loan at Bayer Leverkusen last season - could leave.
Villa have been attempting to reach an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Asensio on a permanent basis, but the deal is proving complex due to the transfer fee and the player's high wages.
Paquetá, meanwhile, has travelled with his West Ham teammates to Nottingham ahead of their Premier League clash at the City Ground on Sunday. However, amid ongoing uncertainty over his future, there are suggestions he may not feature in the match.
BirminghamLive understands that Villa have received encouragement from Paquetá to pursue a deal with his club, but they do not want to lose him so late in the window.
The playmaker has less than two years remaining on his contract at West Ham, having joined from Lyon in 2022 in a deal worth around £50 million.
He has made 123 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 20 goals and providing 14 assists.
A few years ago, the Football Association started to investigate Paquetá over alleged betting breaches. However, earlier this summer, a regulatory commission ultimately found the most serious charge - spot-fixing - "not proven," and the Brazil international will face no punishment.
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