Aston Villa told chances of Paqueta signing as West Ham set January stance

Aston Villa remain interested in Lucas Paqueta, but West Ham have made it clear that he is not for sale in January, according to a report.

The Brazilian has had a tumultuous couple of years in East London. From coaching turmoil and struggles on the pitch to having a blockbuster move to Man City ruined by gambling charges, Paqueta has as yet been unable to reach the heights a player of his quality could reach.

In the summer, the 28-year-old was the subject of strong interest from Aston Villa, and some reports suggested that Paqueta was keen on the move. However, West Ham blocked his exit.

Paqueta not only accepted the decision, he even celebrated a goal by throwing away an imaginary phone and kissing the West Ham badge to show his commitment to the club.

However, transfer speculation continues to be rampant. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that Paqueta is actively looking to leave the struggling Hammers in January, and journalist Ben Jacobs also stated that a winter departure is possible.

Paqueta not going anywhere

However, Jacobs has now provided an update on the situation. He reports that West Ham chairman David Sullivan will not sanction a sale of Paqueta in the upcoming window.

Although West Ham expect the Brazilian to depart in the summer, they will resist any temptation to cash in on him mid-season, as this could doom their hopes of Premier League survival.

Jacobs claims that this not-for-sale stance is not expected to change even if the Hammers manage to find a suitable replacement. Paqueta has not requested a January transfer (yet).

The journalist also states that Aston Villa remain his most persistent suitors, with their interest actively driven by Unai Emery. However, due to their financial situation, it is not believed that they would be able to muster the resources to seriously test West Ham’s resolve in January.

Football transfer news headlines today

Maresca stunned as Chelsea risk losing ‘very important’ player

Liverpool submit official offer for Mohamed Salah replacement

Guardiola demands Man City sign Vini Jr

Chelsea in talks to RE-SIGN fan favourite

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store