West Ham United bosses are looking for fresh cash to fund key signings in January. However, they need to sell large companies first to get their finances under control. Reports published this week suggested that the club’s bosses are eyeing Lucas Paqueta as the favorite to make a permanent move.
Mick Brown says the Hammers are ready to let the Brazilian go. If a buyer makes a good offer during the winter window, they will sell him. Brown pointed out that Paqueta’s recent games have not been up to the club’s usual standards, especially when the team is in poor form.
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West Ham United look to sell Lucas Paqueta in January
The former senior scout says head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is fed up. When the team needed a leader to lead the team out of a slump, the playmaker didn’t step up. External interference, such as a betting investigation, has apparently incapacitated Paqueta.
Even so, Brown doesn’t think the club can afford to keep an underperforming player. This is the player who once had Manchester City prepared to spend big money. While City paid almost a record fee at the time, Paqueta’s value has dropped significantly, meaning West Ham will not receive anything close to the original amount.
Regardless, the board felt selling him was a sacrifice they had to make. Selling the Brazilian now makes sense for the budget and will help bring in the new players the team needs. Currently, the team is too thin to compete without funding from major sales. Brown believes the club will reinvest the money into the squad if the opportunity arises.
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“Paqueta’s performance is worrying for West Ham. Given the situation they are in now, you look at their best players and wait for them to step up and drag them out of trouble. There is no doubt that Paqueta is one of those players, but his performance is not good enough and he does not step up when needed.”
“The manager is frustrated with his performances because he’s not performing at the level they need at the moment. Of course, there’s the betting scandal that happened with Paqueta and everything that goes with it; it’s not West Ham’s fault, it’s not Paqueta’s fault. City were prepared to pay a big fee for him but now they’re not going to get anything close to that.
“He has to prove on the pitch that he’s still the top player he was before but he hasn’t done that for West Ham and that’s a concern. There will be clubs interested and, of course, he’s not playing in a great team at the moment but when West Ham need him to step up he disappears. If there’s an opportunity for them to let him go and use that money to strengthen their position, then I think they’ll be open to that.”
Is this the right decision?
LONDON, UK – NOVEMBER 30: Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United warms up before the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at the London Stadium on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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It would be a wise move for the east London club to let go of the 28-year-old. Keeping a player who is getting worse and worse on the pitch would hurt the entire team, especially when the manager needs everyone to give their all to get out of the bottom half of the table.
Paqueta clearly has talent and talent, but his actual impact on the game has diminished over the past year and a half. Such a decline leaves fans disappointed. On top of that, the constant talk of his legal troubles is a distraction.
The club needs to get over this before they can start again. West Ham fans deserve a team that is 100% focused on winning games. Investing that transfer money into hungry, reliable players will make the team stronger; an inconsistent star can’t provide the same backbone.
Going forward, both sides appear to be in need of a clean break. Paqueta may need a fresh start in a slower league, while West Ham can finally build a team that doesn’t rely on individual moments of magic. It doesn’t make business sense to retain a player whose value is declining.
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Boards must be brave enough to make decisions. Parting ways now would be good for both the club and the players. It ensures the Hammers remain focused as they head into the second half of the season, with a clearer plan on the pitch and the cash needed to repair the glaring holes in the squad.