The West Ham versus Lucas Paquetá debacle appears to be descending into complete farce this evening.

It follows revelations that the Brazilian has refused to train this week after being asked by manager Nuno Espírito Santo to rejoin the group. Despite this situation, it has been reported by Jacob Steinberg that West Ham continue to insist on Paquetá being loaned back to the club as a condition of any sale to Flamengo.

Earlier today, the Brazilian side saw a £35 million package rejected by West Ham United within an hour of the offer being made.

A Standoff That Helps Nobody

Quite why the club would attempt to insist that the player remains at the London Stadium when he has so clearly checked out is anyone’s guess. Whether the rumours of Paquetá refusing to train are accurate or not, the situation now feels untenable.

At this stage, common sense suggests it is time to cut losses, take the money on the table and move on, rather than allowing an already messy situation to spiral even further out of control.