Aston Villa have made “initial contact” with West Ham about signing Lucas Paqueta, according to Foot Mercato reporter Santi Aouna.

The French journalist claims the midfielder could be “one to watch” ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday evening.

It has already been confirmed that Paqueta is considering his options, with Fabrizio Romano stating a couple of weeks ago that the Brazilian is keen on a “fresh challenge”.

Aouna is not always reliable when it comes to transfer information but he has been credited with accurate exclusives this summer. He claims that Villa’s interest is linked to Morgan Rogers’ future.

Are Villa looking to sell Rogers?

It was thought that the Villans’ decision to sanction the sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle would reduce the pressure on the Midlands club to offload other players due to PSR.

Up until now, no team has seriously explored a move for Rogers as they believed there was no chance that a deal could be done. However, Villa’s resolve could be tested by Chelsea.

The Blues are known to be big fans of the England international, and after losing out on Xavi Simons to Tottenham, they may be tempted to make a bid for Rogers. Were that transfer to go ahead, it could trigger a domino effect, with Paqueta seemingly being lined up by Villa as a replacement.

Would West Ham consider offloading Paqueta?

Aouna believes the Hammers would be open to selling the 28-year-old for around £60m, but it seems unlikely that the club would seriously contemplate his departure this late in the window.

Unless they have a replacement lined up who can be brought in on short notice, they would be shooting themselves in the foot by sanctioning his exit now.

Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here