SHOCKING TRANSFER MISS: Moyes & West Ham Nearly Nabbed PAQUETA 2.0 – Now He’s a $200M BOMB Exploding Past Isak’s Value! You Won’t Believe Who Got Away!
The biggest headline of the transfer window was undoubtedly Alexander Isak’s record-breaking switch to Liverpool, but West Ham United quietly had a major story of their own unfolding.
For a brief period, it seemed as though Lucas Paquetá might be on his way out of the London Stadium, with Aston Villa strongly linked with a move for the Brazilian playmaker.
However, those fears were quickly put to bed when Paquetá celebrated passionately after scoring against Nottingham Forest, making it clear to supporters that his commitment to West Ham remained intact.
Since arriving from Lyon in the summer of 2022 for around £51m, Paquetá’s journey in East London has been a fascinating one.
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing—off-field distractions and tactical changes under different managers have occasionally disrupted his rhythm.
But despite those hurdles, his quality has consistently shone through. Across 124 appearances, the 28-year-old has contributed 21 goals and 14 assists, averaging a direct goal involvement every 3.54 games.
Crucially, he played a pivotal role in the club’s historic UEFA Conference League triumph, providing five decisive goal contributions during that campaign.
When you strip away the setbacks, it’s undeniable that Paquetá has justified the hefty investment and remains one of West Ham’s most gifted players.
Heading into what could prove a challenging season, he continues to be the kind of footballer capable of tilting matches in the Hammers’ favour.
Yet, the course of West Ham’s recent history could have been drastically different. Not long ago, the club came agonisingly close to signing a player who many now view as superior to Paquetá—Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
Every club has stories of near-misses in the transfer market, but some sting more than others. For West Ham, Palmer is certainly one of those.
David Moyes has since revealed that the Hammers were “very close” to securing the Manchester City academy product before his switch to Stamford Bridge.
The proposed deal ultimately collapsed, largely because Paquetá’s own potential move to City fell through, halting the domino effect that would have enabled Palmer to join.
Landing Palmer would have been a sensational coup for West Ham. While Paquetá is an excellent footballer, the England international has elevated his game to world-class levels since moving to Chelsea.
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin even went as far as to label him “world-class,” and the numbers back that up. In 98 appearances for the Blues, Palmer has notched 43 goals and 29 assists in 7,950 minutes of football.
That equates to a goal involvement every 1.36 games—or astonishingly, one every 110 minutes.
Such output has inevitably sent his market value soaring. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Palmer is now worth up to £142m, making him £18m more expensive than the fee Liverpool recently splashed on Isak.
In hindsight, West Ham fans can only wonder how different things might look had Palmer arrived two years ago.
While it serves no purpose to dwell too much on missed opportunities, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the Hammers would be in a far stronger position today had they managed to secure the signature of one of England’s brightest attacking talents.
