West Ham may not be able to stop Lucas Paqueta from leaving in January.

West Ham rejected Flamengo’s £30.3million bid for Paqueta on Monday, although the Brazilian outfit are set to go back in for him.

Tottenham and Aston Villa are interested in the 28-year-old, yet he has made up his mind on returning to his homeland.

It had also been reported that Paqueta has agreed on personal terms with Flamengo, but Nuno Espirito Santo is doing whatever it takes to keep in E20.

Although West Ham need Paqueta for their relegation battle, not much can be done to prevent his departure, and Flamengo are ready to launch an improved bid of £39m.

Flamengo offer three youngsters in Lucas Paqueta talks

Paqueta has had several memorable moments for the Hammers since joining from Lyon in July 2022, although his exit at this stage of the season could be viewed as contentious by some fans.

Brazilian journalist Matheus Leal reported via X late on Tuesday that Flamengo will offer up to £39million (€45m) for Paqueta, which would include a fixed amount and bonuses for performance targets.

The Brazilian outfit are treating the move as imminent, whether that be for this transfer window or in the summer, although their priority is to get the deal secured this month.

Their dilemma is whether to sign him now for £39m or in the summer for less than £26m, although their priority is to get the deal secured this month.

Flamengo are not ruling out involving players in the negotiation if any youngster appeals to West Ham, and Evertton Araujo, Joao Victor and Iago will be put forward as options.

However, these young talents certainly won’t make up for the loss that Paqueta will prove to be.

Everything you need to know about Flamengo’s three youngsters

While Araujo is a defensive midfielder by trade and is suited to playing further up the pitch, both Iago and Victor aren’t adequate replacements.

Both players are centre-backs, and although the Hammers will need to sign a midfielder once Paqueta leaves, they could do with an additional option at the back.

Charlie Cresswell has been heavily linked with West Ham, while Eric Dier has reportedly turned down the possibility of moving to E20.

The Hammers have the worst defence in the Premier League, and a centre-back is high on their shopping list.

Flamengo players that could be used in the Paqueta dealIf they could kill two birds with one stone and bring in a centre-back while selling Paqueta, that could be the ideal scenario.

Both Victor and Iago have featured in the Brazil U20 squad, although whether they are fit to drag the Hammers out of the relegation zone is a completely different question.

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