West Ham face a key London derby against Tottenham on 17 January with Nuno Espirito Santo pushing for clarity over Lucas Paqueta’s future, as the club sit 18th in the Premier League and seven points away from safety.
Reports this week state that Paqueta wants to leave in the January transfer window and return to Brazil, where Paqueta previously played for Flamengo, placing extra pressure on West Ham’s planning for the rest of the Premier League season.
Nuno confirmed that the club must quickly address the issue, stressing Paqueta’s value to the team in their survival fight. "I think it is a situation that we have to solve, said Nuno. We always want our best players to be involved and Lucas is one of our best players, so let's try and solve the situation.
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Paqueta has been one of West Ham’s main threats in the Premier League, scoring four league goals and supplying one assist so far, with only Jarrod Bowen ahead in the club’s scoring chart this season on six goals.
The Hammers have moved to strengthen their attack during the current transfer window, bringing in strikers Valentin Castellanos and Pablo, as Nuno and the recruitment staff work to adjust the squad balance while trying to secure West Ham’s Premier League status.
A short trip to North London awaits pic.twitter.com/QPxK1Liml2West Ham United (@WestHam) January 15, 2026
Outgoing deals remain possible at West Ham, with Callum Wilson and James Ward-Prowse both linked with moves away, and Nuno explained that the club are still looking at several options during January to reshape the group for the Premier League run-in.
"We are working on ins and outs, Nuno added. I feel that we need to rebalance our squad and bring in more options for some positions and also find the best solutions for the players that are not having minutes, to go and proceed with their careers. We are working very hard as a club to find the right ones, in what is a very tricky transfer window to operate. We have to make good decisions and we cannot afford mistakes. "
West Ham’s current league position underlines that urgency, as Nuno’s side occupy 18th place, sitting inside the relegation zone and trailing the safety line by seven points before visiting Tottenham in the Premier League.
West Ham, Nuno Espirito Santo and Premier League record at Tottenham
Nuno’s personal record at Tottenham offers West Ham some encouragement, as Nuno has won three of five Premier League away matches at Spurs, losing the other two, including a 2-1 victory with Nottingham Forest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April last season.
The outcome of West Ham’s efforts in this window, along with the decision on Paqueta’s future, will shape Nuno’s attempt to extend the club’s Premier League stay, with squad balance, accurate recruitment and the handling of key players likely to prove decisive over the coming months.
