West Ham must rue offloading star who’s the perfect Paqueta replacement

And we have lift-off. West Ham United claimed the statement victory of the Julen Lopetegui era on Sunday, defeating Manchester United and sending Erik ten Hag packing.

It’s been an uninspired start to post-David Moyes life, but West Ham carry some of the finest talents in the Premier League and can now rise through the gears to place themselves inside contention for a European spot.

The grass has not been green though, with much criticism being had about Lopetegui’s side’s failure to produce exciting football or indeed maximise the qualities of the highest-class players – having spent over £120m on new players this summer too.

Mohammed Kudus has been below his best, and so has Lucas Paqueta. The latter, in particular, has really struggled to get going, and it’s no coincidence that the Hammers’ struggles have coincided with the Brazilian playmaker’s indifferent performances.

Lucas Paqueta’s performances this season

The prospect of a lifetime ban from football still looms over West Ham’s club-record acquisition, with alleged betting breaches leading to him being charged by the FA. That said, the protracted proceedings will not be wrapped up any time soon.

But if Paqueta’s days in the Premier League are numbered, he’s hardly going about his business with a sense of urgency, having toiled throughout the first few months of the 2024/25 campaign.

Perhaps the foiled bid from Manchester City, stemming from last term, has played its sticky part in the Brazil international’s regression, but a star of his calibre must surely be capable of producing finer fruits than this.

He’s started eight of West Ham’s nine matches in the top flight this year but was hooked at half-time against Manchester United, having been torn to shreds (alongside his peers, in fairness) by a beleaguered Red Devils unit that can’t seem to score.

West Ham went on to win the game, with the Brazil star’s importance seemingly diminished. Luckily, Lopetegui has plenty of alternative options; he can, and must, shuffle the pack.

It’s just a shame that James Ward-Prowse was handed to Nottingham Forest on loan this summer, for the 29-year-old has properties that might have made him a good replacement for the underperforming superstar.

Ward-Prowse could have been perfect for Lopetegui

In August 2023, West Ham completed the signing of Ward-Prowse from relegated Southampton for a £30m fee, bulking up their unit with a host of additions after Declan Rice moved to Arsenal for a club-record price.

A long-time Premier League star, Ward-Prowse has been hailed for his “magic” ability with the ball by journalist Benjy Nurick, but after just one year in east London, was allowed to join Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan move.

He averaged 5.67 crosses per game in the Premier League last year, putting him in the top 5% of positional peers, as per FBref. Given that West Ham spent £27m on target man Niclas Fullkrug and employ a more direct strategy than many in the division, it’s somewhat perplexing that he was shipped out.

Neither player has started the current campaign with aplomb, but let’s compare their numbers last season, with both on the Hammers books, and see how technical director Tim Stiedten might have made a bit of a mistake with this one.

Last season, Ward-Prowse managed to match Paqueta’s accuracy in the duel, though recorded 2.8 duels won per game compared to the South American’s absurd rate of 7.6 per outing.

It’s important to note that Paqueta was oft-found on the left flank, operating in a robust hybrid-like role that bore dividends for the Hammers. Still, his erstwhile teammate proved that he could maintain slick and crisp passing passages while simultaneously creating with regularity – albeit from principally dead-ball situations.

Look, Paqueta is obviously a more naturally talented player than Ward-Prowse, whose technical quality is something noteworthy in its own right, but he’s clearly suffering from the setbacks of recent times, and it’s somewhat perplexing that the former Southampton man was offloaded after just one campaign.

For sure, Ward-Prowse’s impressive numbers were borne from his set-piece speciality, and there was something to be said for the England international’s open-play ability, but there was enough roundedness there last season to point toward a place in Lopetegui’s system.

Carlos Soler may well be an upgrade, but the Spaniard has so far struggled to find his feet in east London and, though it’s a new system, ‘JWP’ has completed 385 appearances in the Premier League.

Moreover, though set-pieces are clearly the finest element of his skillset, oh how brilliant they are. Sure, he last scored from a direct free-kick with Saints, but Ward-Prowse is only behind the Premier League’s highest-scoring free-kick taker, David Beckham, by a whisker.

With a player like Paqueta, who brings purpose across myriad facets of the midfield role, defining his brilliance is difficult; it isn’t quantifiable.

But in Ward-Prowse, West Ham had something efficient, and though he hasn’t quite hit his stride at Nottingham Forest, the £115k-per-week talent has entered an exciting project that could see him bloom as the months go by.

Given West Ham hope to become a more expressive and control-focused team under Lopetegui than they were performing for the Spanish tactician’s predecessor, a cultured passing option in Ward-Prowse might have been the perfect fit, if not expected to start every single match.

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