Transfer news and rumours today: West Ham 'reject' bid for midfielder, Villa 'interested' in Newcastle attacker

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta reportedly wants to leave the Hammers to move to Brazilian club Flamengo.

The Hammers have recorded only three wins and lost 13, as they sit 18th in the Premier League table with 14 points, seven points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.

Paqueta has been integral to West Ham's survival hopes, scoring four goals and registering one assist in 18 starts in the Premier League this season.

According to a report from The Athletic, Flamengo have had a bid in the region of £30.3m for Paqueta, who asked not to be included in West Ham's FA Cup clash against QPR.

The Hammers are reportedly reluctant to sell their star midfielder, who has a contract at the London club until 2027, and is valued at around £52m.

Paqueta has played 139 games for the club, recording 23 goals and 15 assists, and losing him would be a blow for the Hammers, who strongly backed him during his investigation into alleged betting breaches.

Aston Villa interested in Newcastle attacker?

Villa are reportedly looking to sign a striker in the January transfer window, and they have been linked with several attackers so far.

Unai Emery has made it clear that Villa will not sign Harvey Elliott permanently and they are already looking for options to bolster their forward areas.

According to a report from talkSPORT, Villa are showing interest in Newcastle United forward William Osula after failing to land Gonzalo Garcia.

The Magpies could reportedly be tempted to cash in on Osula, who is also being targeted by clubs in Germany.

The Villans have been linked with a move for AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who is on loan at Besiktas, but the Turkish club may find it hard to sign him permanently.

Wolfsburg exploring January deal for Ajer?

German club Wolfsburg are reportedly eyeing a January move for Brentford centre-back Kristoffer Ajer.

Die Wolfe have struggled in the 2025-26 campaign, and after suffering an 8-1 loss to Bayern Munich, they sit 14th in the Bundesliga table.

Wolfsburg are looking to sign a new centre-back, and Ajer has emerged as one of the options for them, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Norway international joined Brentford from Celtic in the summer of 2021, and has made over 100 appearances for the Bees in all competitions.

The 27-year-old defender has featured in 15 Premier League matches for Brentford this season, but it remains doubtful whether the club, who are expected to compete for European qualification, would be willing to let him leave.