West Ham United have sanctioned the departure of Lucas Paqueta, and they need to replace him properly.

They need someone who can create opportunities in the final third and slot into multiple attacking roles. According to a report from London World, Harvey Elliott could have been an option for the Hammers.

The 22-year-old is on loan at Aston Villa, but he has struggled for regular opportunities with them. He is not a key player for Unai Emery, and a move in January would have been ideal for him. However, the move to West Ham will not go ahead due to Premier League rules.

Premier League and UEFA rules mean that a player can only play for two clubs in the same campaign. Therefore, the Liverpool midfielder would have to leave Europe in order to play again this season.

Aston Villa had an obligation to sign the player for £35 million at the end of the season if he played a certain number of games. In order to avoid that, the West Midlands club have completely sidelined him. It remains to be seen whether the young midfielder can sort out his future quickly and return to regular play.

He...