West Ham hold Paqueta transfer meeting as STRIKE claim assessed

West Ham United’s bosses are set for an internal meeting following Lucas Paqueta’s request to leave the club during the January transfer window.

The Irons have been rocked by the news that Paqueta, who has 18 months remaining on his contract, wants to depart with immediate effect. The 28-year-old wants to return to Flamengo, although there has been interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Tottenham, too.

With Nuno Espirito Santo’s side locked in a relegation battle and seven points from safety, losing such an influential player would represent a tremendous blow, yet the board is considering a sale, ESPN Brasil reports.

West Ham hold new Paqueta talks

West Ham are set to re-evaluate Paqueta’s transfer fee. The Brazil international midfielder initially had a €58 million (£50m) figure slapped on him, but with Flamengo only willing to offer €40m, they are assessing their options.

The Premier League side, though, are seeking to maximise their profit from any deal and believe they would be able to get more from a European side. Spurs, for example, have indicated their willingness to offer a more lucrative fee.

With an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €62m, it appears unlikely that the London side will be able to hold out for

Paqueta, though, seems to have his sights set on Flamengo and has already agreed personal terms with the Brazilian side.

Is Lucas Paqueta on strike?

Claims that Paqueta went on strike in order to force through his move back to Flamengo have been rubbished by football transfer news expert Ben Jacobs, who assessed the situation on X.

“Lucas Paqueta is still pushing for a move to Flamengo, but the Brazilian has not gone on strike. He turned up to training as normal today,” Jacobs confirmed.

“Those close to Paqueta confirm he is still recovering from a back issue and it remains to be seen whether he is involved in the game against Spurs.

“Flamengo have had a €40m offer rejected.”

Paqueta, therefore, seems to be doing everything he can to force through a deal while staying respectful to West Ham.

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