West Ham United are hesitant to sell Lucas Paqueta to Tottenham Hotspur after Mohammed Kudus deal earlier this summer
Tottenham Hotspur have had an underwhelming summer transfer window thus far.
They have been in the market for quite some time, looking for opportunities to strengthen their squad if the right player becomes available. Needless to say, Spurs have been dealt quite a few blows this summer, with players either rejecting to join or moving to rival clubs. With the deadline day looming large, Daniel Levy must accelerate the club’s transfer business and bring in a creative midfielder.
Thomas Frank has been keen on a new No.10 even before James Maddison’s ACL rupture, as evidenced by the north Londoners’ pursuit of Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White. This saw Tottenham put all their eggs on the signing of Eberechi Eze, only for arch-rivals Arsenal to swoop in and hijack a deal at the 11th hour last week.
As a result, West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta has emerged as one of the alternative targets to Eze late in the transfer window. The Brazilian has had a difficult time due to off-the-pitch issues, but that is understood to be behind him now. Yet, there is a possibility that he ends up leaving the Hammers this summer, with Spurs interested.
West Ham do not want to sell Lucas Paqueta to Tottenham
Reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that Tottenham made new contacts with Lucas Paqueta’s agents over a possible move to N17. He is an option considered by Daniel Levy for the No.10 role.
Earlier this week, reports revealed that Tottenham and West Ham held talks about a swap deal that would’ve seen Yves Bissouma moving to the London Stadium and Paqueta in the opposite direction. The deal collapsed due to Bissouma’s preference to join a Turkish club, but that has not stopped Spurs to pursue the West Ham star.
Now, as per journalist Dean Jones on X, the Irons are reluctant to sell Paqueta to Tottenham. They would consider a big offer for their player in the final days of the transfer window, but not from their London rivals.
This is down to the possible backlash the West Ham board would receive from the fan base, having already sold Mohammed Kudus to Spurs in July. Kudus has enjoyed a bright start to life at Spurs, quickly settling in under Frank’s tutelage. He picked up two assists in Tottenham’s opening weekend 3-0 win over Burnley, whilst the Ghanaian international did well in the big success at Manchester City last week.
Tottenham closing in on Xavi Simons
As per latest reports, Spurs are closing in on the signing of RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons. Chelsea were also interested, but the Lilywhites have agreed a fee with RB Leipzig for the Netherlands international.
This means it would not be a setback for Frank if he misses out on the signing of Paqueta. In Simons, the Dane would be getting a player that is only and with a higher potential than the 28-year-old midfielder. Plus, the Dutchman does not arrive with the baggage of off-field issues, unlike the West Ham man.
Of course, signing the Brazilian on top of Simons would be the icing on the cake, but a second transfer from the Hammers this summer looks highly unlikely.
