West Ham United have rejected an approach from Aston Villa for midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
According to The Guardian, the Villans were looking to lure the Brazilian midfielder to Birmingham on an initial loan deal that included a mandatory purchase clause.
However, it wasn’t enough to convince West Ham to do business this late in the transfer window.
With Paqueta’s future at West Ham up in the air, the former AC Milan star is expected to sit out Sunday’s trip to City Ground, where Graham Potter’s side will take on Nottingham Forest.
Paqueta is open to leaving West Ham before Monday’s deadline and would welcome a move to Villa.
Paqueta is a hot commodity once again
Paqueta, who has been described as a ‘maverick‘, has endured a rough past few months with spot-fixing allegations hanging over his head.
However, now that he has been cleared of any wrongdoing, the Brazilian playmaker is once again a hot commodity on the transfer market.
Villa are the latest team to sound out an interest in Paqueta this summer. Tottenham had enquired about his availability earlier this month before Villa tested the waters with their approach.
West Ham are under no pressure to cash in on Paqueta this summer.
They’ve had their issues with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules, but Mohammed Kudus’ big-money move to Tottenham earlier this summer eased the pressure.
Paqueta has two years left on his contract at the London Stadium, but West Ham have an option to extend his deal by an additional 12 months.
That leaves them in a strong negotiating position, and while they’re reluctant to part ways with him, it is believed that only a fee of around £60m will convince West Ham to sanction the move.
Paqueta joined West Ham in a club record deal three years ago and has made 123 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with 20 goals and 14 assists.
West Ham can’t afford to lose him this late in the transfer window, as it’ll leave them with little time to find a replacement.