West Ham United to sign Rayan Cherki as Lucas Paqueta replacement mooted
Frank McAvennie has urged West Ham to sign Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki in case Lucas Paqueta were to be banned from playing next season.
According to Get French Football News [24 June], the French forward is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract and has no interest in signing an extension for the Ligue 1 side.
With the Hammers in the race to sign Cherki, not only is McAvennie excited about the potential transfer, but he has urged the club to plan in case of a worst-case scenario surrounding Paqueta’s alleged betting breaches.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, he said: “I love watching Paqueta play, but nobody knows what’s going to happen with him. They’ve got to be prepared. There’s no point starting the season and all of a sudden, he gets banned.
“So, I’d definitely bring in flair players and get West Ham playing the way that I like to watch. It’s no disrespect to David Moyes – he did wonders for us, won us a trophy and got us into Europe. I just like seeing football played a certain way.”
Could West Ham United already be targeting a replacement for Lucas Paqueta?
Cherki is currently one of the most exciting French youngsters in Ligue 1, especially now that Kylian Mbappe has secured his move to Real Madrid.
At just 20 years of age, Cherki has already amassed 141 senior appearances for Lyon, including appearances in the Champions League and Europa League, notching 17 goals and 25 assists.
Known for his flair and trickery on the ball, the Frenchman would be an exciting addition to Julen Lopetegui’s squad this summer and could soften any future blow surrounding Paqueta’s future.
His ability to play on either flank, as an attacking midfielder or even at centre-forward, would come in very handy, with Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Paqueta all playing very fluid football up front.
In other West Ham news, Thiago Motta’s stance on the sale of Matias Soule has emerged as the Hammers lead the transfer race this summer.
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