West Ham’s summer might have turned far uglier than it did. Losing Mohammed Kudus to fierce rivals Spurs was already a bitter pill to swallow – and now reports have surfaced that Lucas Paquetá himself came close to leaving, only for the transfer to collapse. Brentford boss Thomas Frank, newly arrived at Tottenham, was said to be eager to lure the Brazilian after his North London switch.

It’s hard to imagine the reaction had West Ham allowed a second prized asset to follow Kudus across London.

Yet this morning Fabrizio Romano is cited by LondonWorld with a striking claim: Paquetá would have joined Aston Villa at the end of the window if not for one decisive factor. Romano said:
“I can guarantee you, without social media leaks, Lucas Paquetá would be an Aston Villa player now. The deal fell through because talks were revealed too soon, at the wrong moment, which annoyed people inside West Ham. These things can happen.”

The identity of those angered remains unclear, but the article suggests negotiations had advanced toward a loan with obligation – effectively securing Paquetá’s permanent exit.

“The proposal surfaced in the final days of the market, Villa offering a loan with a mandatory purchase clause. Such deals are increasingly common given financial restrictions. The package was valued at £50m, with Everton and Spurs also linked.”

So while Paquetá’s widely shared “one more year” message last night disappointed fans fearing an inevitable 2025 departure, the reality is that things might have been much worse.

For now, West Ham supporters can enjoy at least one more season of their playmaker at full throttle – with the added bonus that his reputation, and his price tag, will only climb higher.