West Ham United have now opened talks over a deal to sign a playmaker, who has the same agent as summer signing Kyle Walker-Peters.
West Ham looking to bolster attack with Paqueta's future uncertain
Karren Brady has previously made it clear that West Ham have no plans to sanction Lucas Paqueta’s departure this summer, saying: “I think he wants to stay and we definitely want him to stay. So the thing is, he’ll be staying.”
However, there have since been widespread suggestions that the Brazilian could be on the move, with the Hammers reportedly willing to consider offers of £60m, amid interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
Cashing-in on Paqueta would be a gamble, given that there is no natural replacement for the 27-year-old in the squad, and Graham Potter is already light on options, having lost Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham earlier this summer.
As such, amid the uncertainty surrounding the Brazil international’s future, West Ham have now stepped up their pursuit of a new attacking midfielder, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
Taking to X, Plettenberg stated that West Ham are now in ongoing “talks” over a deal to sign Werder Bremen midfielder Romano Schmid, who is also being targeted by Lille and a number of other unnamed clubs.
The Hammers are “exploring a deal” for Schmid before deadline day, and reports from elsewhere indicate that a move would not break the bank, with Werder Bremen thought to be holding out for around £13m.
Interestingly, the 25-year-old is represented by the same agents as Walker-Peters, CAA Base, which suggests a deal could be possible, given that they helped orchestrate the right-back’s move to the London Stadium earlier this summer.
"Super" Schmid could relieve burden on Bowen
West Ham are clearly in need of new attackers, regardless of whether Paqueta leaves, given that they are clearly overreliant on Jarrod Bowen, with the 28-year-old either scoring or assisting half of their 46 Premier League goals last season.
Schmid, who has been described as “talented” by Frank Baumann, could relieve the burden on Bowen, having performed well for Werden Bremen last season, chipping in with 11 goal contributions across all competitions.
Competition
Appearances
Goal contributions
Bundesliga
32
10
DFB-Pokal
3
1
The Austrian has also established himself at international level, scoring his first goal for his country in his side’s 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at Euro 2024, before going on to impress in the UEFA Nations League.
That said, while Schmid could be an exciting addition to Potter’s squad, it is vital to keep hold of Paqueta, given that the West Ham star has already proven himself at Premier League level, and it would be a real blow to lose another key player to Spurs.