Nuno Espirito Santo’s daunting task of keeping West Ham United in the Premier League this season may be about to get even tougher.
In addition to having to arrest the East Londoners’ poor form, the Portuguese manager could be without the talented Lucas Paqueta when the winter window opens.
At least that is according to recent reports claiming the Brazilian wants to leave the London Stadium before the end of the campaign.
But all may not be doom and gloom, as the academy could offer West Ham the perfect replacement.
West Ham’s Paqueta Solution
If Paqueta is indeed to leave in January, Nuno will have to start looking at solutions as soon as possible, but the good news is that he may already have some in the squad.
For example, in a bold move, the manager could give young Luis Guilherme more minutes over the next month and give him a start in attacking midfield.
After all, he is considered more of a winger at the moment, but having played for Brazil and previously for the Hammers, he is not used to playing in the top 10.
And while he’s still far from finished, respected analyst Ben Mattinson described the 19-year-old prospect as a player who “thrives in transition” and is “able to outrun players with ease” thanks to his “elite ball handling.”
In addition, he is not a great shooter, but when he takes shots in dangerous areas, he often has a “high ability”.
Like Guilherme, Nuno could also move summer signing Matheus Fernandes back into an attacking midfield role, an area of the pitch where he spent most of his time during his time at Southampton.
That said, there is another most exciting young player who could be the perfect successor to Paqueta at West Ham.
West Ham’s perfect Paqueta replacement
There are certainly other options to replace Paqueta at West Ham, but perhaps the most exciting option is to face George Arcee.
Granted, it would definitely be something of a gamble to give a promising 21-year-old player far more game time than he has received so far, but he is one of the most exciting players in the club’s academy, if not the most exciting.
Moreover, his performance in the youth team was amazing before his latest injury.
For example, he played 60 games for the Under-18s, playing a total of 4804 minutes, scoring 25 goals and providing 18 assists. This means that on average he was involved in a goal every 1.39 games, or every 111.72 minutes.
He then moved up to the U21 team and played in 51 games for a total of 3,444 minutes, recording 17 goals and 13 assists.
Arcee’s junior record | ||
|---|---|---|
team | U18 | U21 |
Appearance | 60 | 51 |
minutes | 4804′ | 3444′ |
the goal | twenty five | 17 |
assist | 18 | 13 |
Number of goals involved per match | 0.71 | 0.58 |
Hours per goal involvement | 111.72′ | 114.8 feet |
All stats via Transfermarkt | ||
In other words, he is involved in a goal on average every 1.7 games, or 114.8 minutes. This is even more impressive considering the fact that he primarily plays in attacking midfield.
But it’s not just his grades that make the young prospect “valuable,” in the words of coach Steve Potts, but his overall play.
For example, according to Mattinson, he becomes a “creative left-footed number 10 with good ball handling and retention” and “works well in tight spaces”.
In addition to his efforts in the academy and the technical base that should serve him well in the Premier League, the youngster also has a good amount of senior experience.
For example, he spent last season on loan at Bristol City, where he ended up making 40 appearances in all competitions.
At the end of the day, it’s something of a gamble, but West Ham should consider playing in Arcee’s place if Paqueta were to leave, as he could be a future superstar.