West Ham left unhappy with £20m player after 'secret' transfer meeting

West Ham could offload one of their more dangerous players this summer, and they have reportedly been left unhappy. The Hammers were not too busy during the January window, but they did manage to cover for the injury suffered by Niclas Fullkrug by landing Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton.

Graham Potter has struggled to turn things around early in his reign, but he has had time over the last few days to implement his ideas due to the weekend off created by West Ham’s early FA Cup elimination.

Potter will be focused on this season’s efforts, but at the back of his mind, he may already be looking forward to the summer when he will be able to put his own stamp on this squad. Incoming and outgoings will be a part of that process, and one outgoing could involve Lucas Paquetá, who has been heavily linked with a departure over recent windows.

The Brazilian has made 25 appearances across all competitions, scoring five times. In the background, Paquetá is facing allegations of playing a role in spot-fixing by the FA, although he maintains his innocence and has expressed frustration with the FA. He said back in October: "I am frustrated and upset to have read recent misleading and inaccurate press articles, published in both England and Brazil, claiming to disclose information about my case.

"Some of that information is entirely false and appears designed to undermine my position. I am also concerned that, although they are false and misleading, these articles are clearly sourced from an individual close to the case."

With the case ongoing, Brazilian side Flamengo are said to be interested in putting together a deal in the summer, although they want to see the outcome of the case first. O Dia via SportWitness have claimed that Flamengo chief José Boto has had a secret meeting with Paquetá agent over a possible deal, and West Ham have reportedly been left unhappy with that. The Irons are said to be happy to sell Paquetá for £20million, but they are said to be less than pleased that Paquetá’s agent has been shopping around his client behind the scenes.