What might have been as West Ham are hit by new £67m Man City sickener. It is a case of what might have been for West Ham in more ways than one as speculation intensifies over a big Manchester City deal.
One of football’s worst kept secrets is that Man City were set to sign West Ham star Lucas Paqueta for £85m last summer. Accusations of illegal betting levelled against West Ham’s Brazilian magnifico put paid to that move.
But Manchester City were reportedly doubly determined to sign Paqueta this summer as rumours circulated the Hammers ace was set to be cleared of any wrongdoing. Paqueta had his heart set on the ‘dream’ move according to reports.
And some West Ham fans accused him of coasting towards the end of last season as a result. Any move to the Etihad once again hit the skids for Man City boss Pep Guardiola when the FA officially charged West Ham’s Paqueta back in May.
The Hammers were said to be happy to sell Paqueta to help fund the club’s major rebuild this summer. As good a player as Paqueta is on his day, losing out on an £85m pay day was a sickening blow for West Ham.
Hammers missed out on £85m Paqueta pay day
Especially considering what Steidten and Julen Lopetegui might be able to do with that money.
Now the Hammers have to watch on filled with regret with another big money move on the cards. It’s a case of what might have been as West Ham are hit by new £67m Man City sickener.
Back in 2022 West Ham were being heavily linked with a move for exciting striker Julian Alvarez – as reported at the time by El Intrasigente. Hammers News declared that then River Plate striker Alvarez would be the ideal signing for West Ham.
David Moyes did not agree, though, and Alvarez signed for Man City instead for just £14m. He remained on loan with River Plate before arriving at the Etihad the following summer.
Moyes made a jaw-dropping admission that he snubbed the chance to sign Alvarez for a bargain £14m ‘because he had Michail Antonio’. West Ham are hit by new £67m Man City sickener
Moyes cannot be faulted for his honesty regarding Alvarez.
But the revelation left him open to criticism from bemused Hammers fans given the Scot’s complaints since that there is a dearth of striker talent worldwide.
Alvarez has scored 36 goals in 103 games for Man City in the two seasons since, helping them to win every available major trophy. In that time he also helped Argentina win the World Cup and Copa America.
Not only did Moyes’ snub mean West Ham missed out on Alvarez’s talent and goals. It also means the Hammers are missing out on a £67m pay day too.
Because according to the likes of BBC Sport, Manchester City have agreed to sell the man Moyes snubbed for a staggering £81.5m to Atletico Madrid. That’s a profit of more than £67m. Alvarez has become frustrated by his bit-part role behind Erling Haaland at Man City.
Atletico Madrid have now agreed the whopping deal which will be made up of an initial £64.4m with a further £17.1m in potential add-ons. It will be a record sale for Man City, surpassing the £50m Chelsea paid for Raheem Sterling in 2022.
That would not have been West Ham’s record sale of course having taken £105m from Arsenal for Declan Rice.
It would also have been interesting to see whether this situation would have arisen if Alvarez had joined the Hammers because he would have been starting every week. Such is his talent, elite clubs would clearly have come knocking, though.
So it is realistic that West Ham could be the ones having another £81.5m boosting club coffers had Moyes not turned down the chance to sign the Argentine forward. A penny for the thoughts of David Sullivan and West Ham’s board right now.
