Report claims West Ham have named their price to sell Lucas Paquetá
West Ham’s Transfer Crisis: Are the Hammers About to Self-Destruct?
Can it possibly get any worse for West Ham United? The club, already reeling from a turbulent summer, now appear to be backing themselves into a corner as the transfer window edges towards its close. Supporters, already angered by the sale of one of the club’s prized assets, Mohammed Kudus, to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a fee many believe was below market value, are bracing themselves for another potential bombshell. Reports now suggest that Lucas Paquetá, arguably the team’s last remaining creative heartbeat, could also be put up for sale.
The Kudus deal was bad enough. Spurs snatched the Ghanaian international for a fee of £55 million — a figure that feels uninspiring when measured against his talent, his potential, and the club’s desperate need to build rather than dismantle. To make matters worse, Tottenham reportedly paid £30 million below Kudus’ release clause, leaving West Ham fans with the bitter impression that chairman David Sullivan and his board had been outmanoeuvred. That sense of frustration may now be compounded if Lucas Paquetá, the Brazilian playmaker around whom the team’s attack revolves, is also ushered out of the London Stadium.
Instead of sending a clear message to the footballing world — that Paquetá is untouchable and not for sale under any circumstances — the noises coming from within the club suggest a worrying willingness to cash in. It leaves fans asking the obvious questions: are the club’s finances so precarious that they feel compelled to sell off every valuable asset? Are the bailiffs circling? What is the fire they seem so desperate to put out?
According to a report from GiveMeSport over the weekend, the Hammers are actively considering offers for Paquetá. That claim, if true, would cap off what many supporters would describe as a dreadful and short-sighted transfer window. With just over a week to go before the deadline, it is hard to see how selling their best player could bring any tangible benefit. The club have already had three months to strengthen their midfield but have failed to secure any meaningful reinforcements. To expect them to adequately replace Paquetá in the final eight days borders on the impossible.
What makes the rumours even more baffling is the fact that Paquetá himself is reportedly content to remain in East London. He has been supported by West Ham throughout his two-year FA investigation into alleged betting breaches, and he has never expressed a burning desire to leave. Freed from the cloud of a potential lifetime ban, his market value is only likely to increase over the next twelve months. Selling him now, when he is entering his prime years, would be financial and footballing madness.
Fans have witnessed both the brilliance and the flaws of Paquetá during his time at the club — moments of dazzling creativity interspersed with frustrating inconsistency. Yet, there is no denying that he is one of the few players capable of producing the kind of match-winning magic that turns a game on its head. Indeed, in the recent harrowing loss to Chelsea, his goal was one of the only glimmers of hope.
The figure being bandied about — around £60 million — may look respectable on paper, but it raises the obvious question: what use is £60 million if there is no time or ability to reinvest it into the squad? Cash in the bank does not win football matches, and for West Ham’s worldwide fan base, estimated at over four million strong, the prospect of losing yet another star without adequate replacements feels like a betrayal.
At this point, many are demanding clarity. Is the club seriously entertaining the idea of selling Paquetá so late in the window, or is this simply speculation designed to unsettle both player and fans? Sources close to the board are being pressed to confirm whether there is any truth to the rumour, but as things stand, the uncertainty is only fuelling anger.
One thing is certain: if West Ham do sanction Paquetá’s departure now, after already losing Kudus, they risk plunging the club into both a footballing crisis and a full-blown mutiny from the supporters. The message is simple — keep hold of your stars, or risk irreparable damage.