West Ham United given welcome Lucas Paqueta boost after what happened v Man City
West Ham have been handed a boost ahead of the summer transfer window after Lucas Paqueta failed to perform against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
According to The Athletic [12 April], the newly crowned Premier League champions are interested in signing the Brazilian as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne or Bernardo Silva this summer.
It is also understood that Paqueta is open to the idea of departing London Stadium during the summer transfer window, as per Fabrizio Romano.
If this is the case, Paqueta had the perfect opportunity to impress Pep Guardiola and the Man City hierarchy as the Hammers travelled to the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the Premier League season.
However, West Ham and incoming boss Julen Lopetegui will be slightly happier after the creative midfielder failed to live up to expectations during a 3-1 defeat to Man City on Sunday 19 May.
Lucas Paqueta fails to impress in West Ham United v Manchester City
The 26-year-old’s performances have dipped in form recently, having notched just two goal contributions since the international break in March.
Of course, the Hammers have found it difficult to hit the back of the net on occasions, though Paqueta chose the wrong match to flop in if a move away from London this summer is his aim.
He only made 33 touches, with only two passes into the final third, while being accurate with zero per cent of his long balls. He also won zero per cent of his ground duels [FotMob].
Mohammed Kudus, on the other hand, had a moment of inspiration against the champions, scoring an overhead bicycle kick for West Ham’s only goal of the match, while Tomas Soucek had an effort ruled out.
Paqueta was David Moyes’ biggest source of creativity throughout the 2023/24 campaign that saw the Hammers reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League and push into the top half of the Premier League table.
It was also evident when the player was sidelined through an injury, with the team going on an eight-game losing streak before he returned for a 4-2 victory against Brentford in February.
As Lopetegui arrives at London Stadium this summer, he will be aware of the number of changes that need to be made if they are to become a serious threat next season.
However, Paqueta’s exit could be hugely detrimental for the Spaniard, having been the source of so much good for West Ham since arriving from Lyon in the summer of 2022.
In other West Ham news, Nigel Reo-Coker believes Graham Potter would take West Ham United to the next level.
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