Manchester City stance on re-entering talks for West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta revealed
Manchester City want a resolution to the betting probe against West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta before they think about negotiating a deal for the Brazil midfielder, according to TEAMtalk.
It is understood that Man City were interested in making an £80million move for the 26-year-old in the summer transfer window, with Pep Guardiola an admirer of the player.
The player had reportedly agreed personal terms with the club, while the two clubs had established a transfer fee. However, the plug was pulled due to an FA investigation into Paqueta’s alleged betting breaches, as per Sky Sports.
Now, as the January transfer window looms, the current Premier League champions could be prepared to pull out of the transfer altogether as Paqueta’s betting situation remains unsolved.
With Man City also targeting alternative options, such as Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry, the Hammers may have missed out on their opportunity to cash in on their star man.
Growing frustrations
Man City are becoming more frustrated as the Paqueta betting situation continues to drag on in the background, while the player extends his good form on the pitch, grabbing five goals and one assist in 17 appearances in all competitions.
Paqueta is worth far more to West Ham than to Man City. It is possible that he could end up frustrated himself with City as Guardiola is known for his ‘Pep-roulette’.
At the London Stadium, Paqueta is one of the first names on David Moyes’ teamsheet. Whereas, at City, he could be battling for a position against Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku, to name just a few.
While £80million is an incredible amount of money for a club like West Ham, opening up opportunities for young talents and investing in other areas on the pitch, it is highly unlikely that the Hammers would be able to fill the void left by the Brazilian.
It is arguable that they have managed to fill the Declan Rice-shaped hole left in the squad. But to lose Paqueta as well could be fatal as the club pushes for higher league finishes and more European success.
In other West Ham news, an insider has shared the reason Kudus hasn’t travelled.