Tottenham Hotspur target Lucas Paqueta has made it clear that he wants to exit West Ham United
Tottenham brought in several top-quality, household names during the summer to strengthen their attack for the ongoing season under Thomas Frank. The Lilywhites signed Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, and Randal Kolo Muani to give themselves the best possible chance of competing on all fronts and building on last season’s Europa League triumph.
However, not all of their transfer pursuits went as planned before the window closed in August. One major target they missed out on was Morgan Gibbs-White. Tottenham reportedly triggered the midfielder’s €60 million release clause, only for Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis to intervene at the last moment and block the move.
Another player who slipped through Spurs’ grasp was West Ham United star Lucas Paquetá. The Brazilian was identified as the ideal replacement for James Maddison, who ruptured his ACL during a pre-season friendly in August. Thomas Frank was eager to bring the West Ham playmaker to North London and urged the club’s hierarchy to do everything possible to secure his signature.
Tottenham should revisit the Lucas Paqueta deal as player remains keen on leaving West Ham
West Ham have endured a good start to the new season, sacking Graham Potter three months into the campaign. The Hammers are currently in a relegation battle, and it looks more than likely that they are going to go down at the end of the season. The lack of positive results, and the instability at the club has left a lot of players unhappy at the London Stadium.
One of them is Lucas Paqueta. The 28-year-old decided to stay put at West Ham in the summer, rejecting any sorts of advances from Tottenham and Aston Villa. But, in hindsight, it looks like the decision to stick with the Hammers has not helped the Brazilian as he continues to struggle under Nuno Espirito Santo this season.
As per Gary Jacob (via The Times), Paqueta remains unhappy with the situation at West Ham and has relayed his intentions of leaving the West London club in January. This gives Spurs a newfound belief that they could finally land their man in the winter and add more depth in the final third of the pitch. He would also be a massive upgrade on James Maddison, who is still recovering from his long-term injury.
Spurs should test the waters for the Brazilian as he looks to make the switch to a new club in the coming months. The Lilywhites currently sit third in the Premier League and look well on course to build on last season’s Europa League success. With Thomas Frank aiming to bring in a new attacking midfielder in January, signing Lucas Paqueta may not be a bad option to consider.
The only potential obstacle to the deal would be negotiating once again with West Ham. Both clubs would need to set aside their past differences to reach an agreement for the 28-year-old’s transfer. Whether Paqueta will be wearing a Tottenham shirt by the end of the January transfer window remains to be seen, but this could be the perfect opportunity for the Lilywhites to finally get their man.