Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has confirmed that he wanted the club to sign Lucas Paqueta from Lyon before his move to the Hammers.
The Irons confirmed the signing of the attacking midfielder earlier this week and he went on to make his debut against Spurs as a second-half substitute. 
Paqueta came in as the club record signing and Silva has explained that he was interested in signing his compatriot.
Silva is a big fan of Paqueta and has confirmed that he pressed Thomas Tuchel’s side to explore a move.
Chelsea were one of the busiest sides in the transfer window, signing no fewer than eight players for the first-team, including Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Silva accepts that there were other positions in greater need of strengthening but feels Paqueta will be a hit in the Premier League as Chelsea prepare to take on the Irons in a London derby on Saturday.
He said, per the Evening Standard: “I heard he was about to leave Lyon [so] had some conversations here with some people, but unfortunately things didn’t work out.
“We weren’t 100% sure he would leave Lyon.
“The last week arrived, this thing got a lot [clearer] and we had some other priorities because of the injuries we have in the team. So we needed a striker, another defender. A midfielder, was a little less. I think that’s why things didn’t evolve well.
“But I’m happy for Paqueta because West Ham certainly have a very good structure, it’s a great club in the Premier League scene.
“I just hope he can be sad on Saturday. After that he can stay happy and get to the World Cup the way he knows, the way he’s been doing, which is playing good football.”
