West Ham United: Lucas Paqueta expected to leave for ‘exceptional’ Manchester City transfer
Frank McAvennie expects Lucas Paqueta to make the move away from West Ham this summer, with Manchester City his likely destination.
The former Hammers man insisted that he couldn’t see the Brazilian moving anywhere else but Manchester, although he does think he will leave this summer amid heavy transfer interest.
A similar verdict was shared about Mohammed Kudus after the pair turned in excellent performances at the London Stadium this season, attracting interest from elsewhere.
McAvennie – speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone – insisted that he would not want Paqueta to leave, but admitted he would be guaranteed to win trophies under Pep Guardiola.
“Of course, they will [look to sign Paqueta], but that’s part and parcel of the game. He was going to go to Man City, that was all done,” McAvennie shared.
“I don’t get it. Man City are an exceptional team, you’re going to win trophies there, you’re guaranteed trophies. I don’t know if he can go anywhere else.
“He looks as though he’s loving it [at West Ham] and why wouldn’t you want to live in London? No disrespect to Manchester. I think football-wise he’d be going to Manchester, but I don’t know if he’d go anywhere else.
“I have no doubt he will move on at some point. I hope he doesn’t but Kudus is the same. There’s no way he will not be drawing attention from huge clubs, they’re playing that well.“
Will Lucas Paqueta leave West Ham to join Manchester City?
This has come just days after the Brazilian reassured fans that he remains focused on the rest of the season at the London Stadium as he would continue to work hard out of respect for all the club has done for him.
A move to City looked more likely last summer with Guardiola reportedly keen to bring him in, but an investigation surrounding alleged betting inconsistencies saw any potential deal called off by the reigning Premier League champions.
This season has seen a marked improvement in his game, with a combined eight goal contributions – three goals and five assists – in the Premier League already matching the seven he recorded across the entirety of last season.
His eye-catching performances for Brazil over the international break, including one in the 1-0 victory against England at Wembley would have done the Hammers no favours in terms of interest ramping up in his signature.
In other West Ham news, another update has emerged on David Moyes’ future.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.