While there were some early jitters against the likes of Brentford and Leeds United, Nuno Espírito Santo has been able to somewhat steady the ship at West Ham United.
Now, things are far from perfect, but the Hammers have gone from losing every week to losing just one of their last six games and sit just two points off Nottingham Forest in 17th and the Peacocks in 16th.
However, there are still some potential problems on the horizon, like the uncertain future of Lucas Paqueta.
Fortunately, West Ham already have the perfect replacement for the Brazilian if he does end up leaving.
Why Paqueta will need to be replaced
Now, the first thing to say is that at his best, Paqueta is an incredible footballer and someone who could play for some of the very best teams in the world.
However, there are two major problems for West Ham: his contract and his recent output.
Starting with the first one, as things stand, the Brazilian’s current deal will have just a year left at the end of the season, meaning he either needs to be sold or handed an extension to protect his value.
However, given reports that he is open to leaving next month and his admission that he almost pushed for a return to Flamengo in the summer, it certainly seems he would turn down another deal.
In other words, the East Londoners should not only be open to selling the 28-year-old, but also be pushing for it.
This would also perhaps be more palatable at this point compared to a couple of years ago, as, on top of being sent off against Liverpool, his output has been underwhelming for some time now.
For example, he has scored only four goals this season, three of which have come in the Premier League, and last season he ended the campaign with a paltry tally of five goals in 36 games.
In all, while Paqueta is an undeniably talented footballer, the combination of his contract and form might mean it’s time for West Ham to start thinking about selling him, especially as Nuno already has the perfect replacement.
West Ham’s perfect Paqueta replacement
West Ham made several exciting signings in the summer, from El Hadji Malick Diouf to Soungoutou Magassa, but the one who could have the highest ceiling is Mateus Fernandes.
The East Londoners spent around £40m to get him out of Southampton, and while he looked a little rusty to start with, he’s now looking every bit worth that fee and then some.
Moreover, he’s the player who could end up being Nuno’s ideal Paqueta replacement, and the first reason why is his attacking ability.
Like the Brazilian, the 21-year-old is more than capable of being the most attacking midfielder, and is blessed with incredible vision and an excellent range of passing.
In fact, respected analyst Ben Mattinson was bold enough to describe the midfielder as someone who is capable of playing “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.
However, he can do more than that, though, as on top of also having the ability to get past opposition defenders, the Olhão-born maestro isn’t afraid to chip in with the dirty work.
This ability to seemingly do it all, and to a high standard, was on show in the draw against Brighton.
|
Fernandes v Brighton |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
82′ |
|
Key Passes |
1 |
|
Tackles (Won) |
8 (5) |
|
Touches |
61 |
|
Dribbles (Successful) |
3 (3) |
|
Interceptions |
4 |
|
Clearances |
3 |
|
Blocked Shots |
2 |
|
Recoveries |
6 |
|
Ground Duels (Won) |
17 (16) |
|
Fouls Won |
5 |
For example, in 82 minutes of action, he played one key pass, took 61 touches, won five fouls, completed 100% of his dribbles, won 16 of 17 ground duels, made four interceptions, three clearances and five of eight tackles.
Ultimately, it might take him a little longer to fully get up to speed, but as things stand, Fernandes is looking like an excellent signing for West Ham and could just be the perfect Paqueta replacement.
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