Aston Villa is approaching very close to signing a contract with West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta under a initial loan agreement with a mandatory buying clause next summer.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Villa is about to reach an agreement worth £ 47 million for Paqueta, including loan fees and surcharges. The 28 -year -old has accepted the offer to move to Villa Park and are currently waiting for the green light to complete the deal.
The loss of Paqueta will be a strong blow at West Ham. Their coach, Graham Potter, is under pressure after the London Club lost the first 3 matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, Villa – the team participating in the Europa League this season – is really wanting to strengthen the squad before the transfer window closed at 19:00 (local time) on September 1 for Premier League clubs. Unai Emery's team has been restricted on the summer transfer market due to UEFA's squad cost rules (SCR).
Earlier, Paqueta was eliminated by an independent committee allegations in July, nearly two years after the FA launched an investigation to England in August 2023. He scored 2 goals in all competitions this season after returning to the pitch.
Paqueta said in a statement made by West Ham: “From the first day of the investigation, I still asserted myself innocent at these extremely serious allegations. I couldn't say anything more at this time, but I wanted to express my gratitude and want to return to playing football with smiles on my lips.”