West Ham confirmed last week that they had completed a ‘club-record deal’ for Brazil midfielder Paqueta.

The Hammers paid an initial £36.5m for the Lyon star, in a deal that could rise to more than £50m with add-ons.

Thiago Silva has revealed that Chelsea at the time were looking to sign a striker and defenders. By the time the club opted for a midfielder, it was already late.

“I heard he was about to leave Lyon [so] had some conversations here with some people, but unfortunately things didn’t work out,” Silva told ESPN Brazil.

“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.”