Manchester City are reportedly set to submit a new bid for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
The Treble winners had a £70million-plus offer for the Brazil international rejected by the Hammers last week. This comes after personal terms have already been agreed with the creative midfielder, who started in West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League last weekend.
According to Football Insider, Manchester City are preparing a new offer worth £80 million to sign Lucas Paqueta as they look to strike a deal with West Ham.
Paqueta, 25, has caught the eye in his single season at West Ham after arriving from Lyon in a club-record £51million deal last summer. The Brazilian midfielder registered 12 goal involvements across all competitions for the Hammers, playing a key role in their Europa Conference League-winning campaign last time out.
This has piqued interest from Pep Guardiola and Man City, and with Kevin de Bruyne suffering a serious knee injury against Burnley on the opening day of the new season, the club are set to push strongly for Paqueta’s signature.
Lucas Paqueta to Man City—How will he fit into Pep Guardiola’s side?
After losing key men Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez from the Treble-winning squad, Pep Guardiola has been keen to bring in new faces to the Etihad Stadium. He has only managed to sign Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol so far, but with Kevin de Bruyne being ruled out for the next four months with a serious hamstring injury, Guardiola is pushing to sign West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta this week.
Paqueta is primarily an attacking midfielder but his versatility and strength make him an alluring prospect. He can operate as a No.8, false 9 and in a deeper midfield role. If need be he can also move to the right flank. At City, the Brazilian could easily slot into a dynamic midfield trio alongside Rodri and Kovacic. That would certainly be a tantalising prospect for the Sky Blues, especially if they can have Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish/Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva lining up in front of them and functioning smoothly.
De Bruyne has been among Premier League’s best players in the last four to five seasons. He played a pivotal role behind City’s treble success last term, contributing to a staggering 42 goals—scoring 10 times and supplying 32 assists. So, losing the Belgian for large chunks of this season is a massive blow to City.
Paqueta doesn’t have anything like the productivity of De Bruyne but in the last two years, he has grown into an incredible midfielder and has the qualities to come in and take the Belgium international’s place in Guardiola’s City side. He is extremely agile and can turn on a dime, wriggling out of crowded areas of the pitch. The Brazilian’s ability to thread passes through the eye of a needle and his work rate make him a potential asset to the Cityzens. Furthermore, the 25-year-old would add to the valuable depth of the City squad that will be vying to retain the Premier League and Champions League titles.
At 25, Paqueta is yet to hit his peak. If City can nab him for around £80 million, it could prove to be a long-term investment. After the exit of Gundogan and De Bruyne’s injury, a midfield signing of this ilk could be crucial for Guardiola and Co.
