David Moyes raves about West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta
David Moyes has showered heaps of praise on West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta and has compared him with club icon Dmitri Payet.
Paqueta impressed during his cameo appearance against Anderlecht as the Hammers won 1-0 on Thursday night’s Europa Conference League.
The Brazilian only played for 20 minutes off the bench but Moyes absolutely loved his performance.
“We are seeing someone who is talented and a different sort of player we have had at the club for a long time,” said Moyes, as quoted by Football London.
“I don’t want to put any pressure on him, but maybe Dimitri Payet was the last one.
“Every West Ham supporter I speak to always talks of Payet, what he brought to the club. Paqueta has an individual talent like that, which is different to what we have got. We have tried to add value to the team by what sort of players and add something.
“I am hoping Lucas can do that, but I also want him to score goals, make goals, and help my play be better. I saw his bit of skill, and it was excellent.”
High hopes
Paqueta joined in the summer transfer window from Olympique Lyonnais for a big-money transfer fee.
The Hammers needed to add depth and quality in their midfield areas and signed the 35-cap Brazil international for a fee of around £36.7m which could rise to £52.6m in the future if add-ons are added.
The cameo performance was impressive and he managed an assist for Gianluca Scamacca as well.
However, during his short stay on the pitch, he produced an outrageous skill that caught the attention.
He received a long diagonal ball with ease and the control he showed was remarkable. Truly, he is a special player, and Moyes has rightly hailed him as “excellent”.
Paqueta could be the most talented creative player the club has had in a long time since Payet left. The Frenchman was a genius, who scored 15 goals and provided 23 assists during his 60 appearances for the club.
The Hammers have made a poor start to the season, but they are showing signs of recovery after the international break.