West Ham United ‘concern’ at Lucas Paqueta if Manchester City move blocked, upset by Declan Rice situation – Jacob Steinberg
There is “concern” at West Ham over how Lucas Paqueta will react if he is denied a move to Manchester City, according to Jacob Steinberg.
The Guardian journalist reported on the newspaper’s website Wednesday (9 August) that the Brazilian plans to push to get to the Etihad as they line up a £70million bid, having “grown unsettled” at the London Stadium and is “considering his future”.
The 25-year-old midfielder is said to be “unimpressed” by the Irons’ struggle to replace Declan Rice and has “concerns” about the club’s ambition after a relegation battle last season. West Ham don’t want to let Paqueta go but according to Steinberg they “fear” being unable to convince him to ignore the chance to play for Pep Guardiola.
Alex Crook of talkSPORT had claimed on 1 August that Paqueta wasn’t entirely happy at the club, but the player himself has denied it as “fake news” on Twitter later that day.
There have been rumblings of interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle previously, but now that the action from Guardiola’s City has emerged Steinberg has echoed those claims despite the denial.
Ominous
All of the issues that Paqueta reportedly has with the club in the past few months will be the exact same things that have been infuriating West Ham supporters during the same period.
But that won’t make it any less of a blow to them if he does depart in the next few weeks, which will only exacerbate the same issues.
The Brazilian ended up being one of the brighter spots last season after a slow start, and his assist for the winning goal Jarrod Bowen scored in the Europa Conference League final capped it off.
That trophy, followed by the club successfully getting their £100m-plus fee they wanted to let Rice leave, looked like the perfect point to rebound from what had been a miserable relegation-threatened Premier League season.
For it to instead take until the final week before the new campaign kicks off for the Hammers to even land their first signing, it is perhaps no surprise that Paqueta and others are apparently trying to get out.
At long, long last additions are being made to the squad with deals agreed for Harry Maguire and James Ward-Prowse, while Edson Alvarez is set to be announced [Independent, 9 August].
But the possible loss of Paqueta right in the middle of it threatens to derail the belated progress that is finally being made, and suggests that even if he stays it won’t necessarily be a happy ending.
In other West Ham news, the Irons can swoop to pick up a bargain goalscorer amid contract news on a striker they want to sign.