Manchester City are keen on signing West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta, but there is one problem.
That is according to UOL, which has claimed that Manchester City are determined to sign Paqueta from Premier League rivals West Ham in the January transfer window.
So, what is being reported about Manchester City, Lucas Paqueta and West Ham United?
Let’s take a look.
What’s the story?
Well, according to UOL, Manchester City have “decided” to make a bid for West Ham United and Brazil international attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the January transfer window.
City manager Pep Guardiola loves Paqueta and sees him as a long-term replacement for midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, according to the report.
However, the Citizens will bid for the playmaker only if he is cleared of all alleged betting issues.
The report has noted that City had a bid for the 26-year-old turned down in the summer transfer window.
Manchester City could struggle to sign Lucas Paqueta from West Ham United in January
In my opinion, Manchester City may have to wait until the summer of 2024 to get a deal done with West Ham United for Lucas Paqueta.
I do not think that West Ham would sell the £150,000-a-week (Spotrac) Paqueta in the middle of the season.
After all, the Hammers are a big and established club in the Premier League who are aiming for a successful domestic campaign and are also playing in the UEFA Europa League.
We know that West Ham sell their best players for a lot of money.
The Hammers sold Declan Rice to Arsenal in the summer of 2023 for £100 million.
Interestingly, City wanted to Rice, but did not want to pay the fee that Arsenal eventually did.
So, I believe that the Hammers could sell Paqueta, but only at the end of the season.
