FootyChatter.com

Join The Club for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation plus sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,

have read our

Privacy Policy

and agree to the

Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

West Ham United are wasting no time in reinvesting Lucas Paqueta's transfer fee as they look to secure Premier League survival

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

West Ham United's Premier League survival battle has received a shot in the arm in the past 10 days. The Hammers have been mired in relegation trouble all season, but back-to-back wins against Tottenham Hotspur and at home to Sunderland have given fans hope that Nuno Espirito Santo's men can close the five-point gap to safety. West Ham have also been active in the January transfer window as they look to boost their chances of beating the drop, signing strikers Pablo and Valentin Castellanos, from Gil Vicente and Lazio respectively, in quick succession earlier this month in a statement of intent.

One player who won't be part of West Ham's fight against relegation in the second half of the season is Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who looks set to return to his homeland in a £35m move to former club Flamengo. The 28-year-old enjoyed a sensational start to life in east London after his £50m arrival from Lyon in 2022, helping the Hammers win the UEFA Conference League in his first season, but is said to have grown disillusioned with English football following a two-year investigation for spot-fixing charges, of which he was cleared last summer.

It means that Paqueta's exit is the best solution for all parties, as it allows the player to return home while giving West Ham significant funds to strengthen their squad before the window closes next Monday. Having brought in Venezuela winger Keiber Lamadrid on loan from Deportivo La Guaira last week to add to the arrivals of Pablo and Castellanos, the Hammers are now eyeing another double swoop. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. The Premier League strugglers are closing in on the signing of Fulham winger Adama Traore, with Matteo Moretto of Spanish newspaper Marca reporting that the deal is "safe". West Ham have been in talks with the 30-year-old, who played for Nuno at Wolves, and Cottagers boss Marco Silva appeared to confirm to talk SPORT last weekend that Traore would leave the club this month. Meanwhile, West Ham are also interested in signing Chelsea defender Axel Disasi on loan until the end of the season, according to French newspaper L'Equipe.

Disasi, 27, has not played for the Blues this season after former boss Enzo Maresca told him last summer that he was not part of his plans. The Frenchman has returned to first-team training since Liam Rosenior replaced Maresca as manager earlier this month, but L'Equipe reports that a loan move is still "likely". West Ham are not the only club in for Disasi, according to L'Equipe, while Chelsea have an international loan limit of seven players, which is set to influence the defender's destination. James Roberts is a freelance sports journalist working for Four Four Two. He has spent the past three years as a sports sub-editor for various national newspapers and started his career at the Oxford Mail, where he covered Oxford United home and away. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Four Four Two is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

©

Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury,

Bath

BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait. ..