Lucas Paqueta is close to exiting West Ham, and Nuno Espirito Santo must find a replacement for the Brazilian maverick.

News broke on Monday that Paqueta wants to leave West Ham amid interest from Flamengo, despite Nuno’s desire to keep the 28-year-old.

Flamengo are willing to offer around £35million for Paqueta, who was left out of the Hammers squad for their FA Cup win over QPR at the London Stadium.

Paqueta has toyed with the idea of leaving the Irons on many occasions, and he almost joined Manchester City in 2023, before the FA announced an investigation was underway, and two clubs could not proceed with the transfer.

Now, it appears the attacking midfielder is closing in on an exit, and Nuno must sign a quality replacement.

West Ham should go for James McAtee

West Ham have splashed the cash already this month in a bid to pull off Premier League survival, having spent over £40million on Felipe and Taty Castellanos.

Nuno will also need to sign a new defender and a successor to Paqueta once his exit is complete, with one player emerging as the ideal candidate.

James McAtee was on West Ham’s radar during the summer before he joined Nuno at Nottingham Forest, and he should now reunite with the manager who prized him from Man City.

McAtee has failed to hit the ground running at the City Ground after playing just 170 minutes of Premier League football, and was even hooked off the pitch at half-time by Sean Dyche during their FA Cup defeat to Wrexham.

So, whilst the 23-year-old’s recent form doesn’t warrant much excitement, Nuno could be the manager to get the best out of him at the London Stadium.

James McAtee’s stats per 90 past year0.38 non-penalty goals2.02 shots 4.03 progressive passes2.14 progressive carries2.27 tackles1.51 blocksMuch like Paqueta, McAtee is someone who operates exceptionally between the lines, offering a blend of creativity and ball-carrying.

The Englishman could offer a much-needed creative spark in behind the forwards, having previously excelled as an attacking midfielder at Man City.

Pep Guardiola’s praise for McAtee

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, McAtee came through the academy at a similar time to Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.

Therefore, competition for places in the first team was strong, and he only made 34 appearances under Pep Guardiola, scoring seven goals.

Guardiola rated him highly, despite most using him from the bench, after once calling him a “quality” player.

“Macca has this quality, he could’ve scored four goals [against Palace]. He has the ability to create chances, he is there,” the Spaniard said via Man City’s official website in April 2025.

“Of course that game we were better than Crystal Palace and you play better and the chances come for themselves. We scored five goals and we had four more clear chances.”

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