talkSPORT pundit insists West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta good enough for Man United move
talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent has hailed Lucas Paqueta for knuckling down at West Ham this season and insists the Brazilian is good enough to play for Manchester United.
Paqueta was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City in the summer transfer window, only for a reported £80million move to break down amid an ongoing FA betting investigation into the midfielder [Sky Sports].
The 26-year-old has not let that collapsed transfer faze him, though, having hit the ground running for the Hammers in the early stages of this season.
In a debate regarding whether Paqueta is too good for West Ham, Bent told the talkSPORT Drive show on Friday (6 October): “I wouldn’t say he’s too good for West Ham but what I will say, and it’s fair play to him, we’ve seen this happen before on both ends of the scale.
“He can score goals, he can create, he works incredibly hard, he’s good technically, he’s good to watch. He looks like he really enjoys playing for that football club.
“Do I think he can play at a higher level? Absolutely, he plays for Brazil, I think he can definitely play for a team that’s in the Champions League but I think right now, what he’s doing at West Ham I think is fantastic.
“But I think for where West Ham are right now… like you wouldn’t go, ‘Right straightaway someone like Paqueta should be playing for City.’ Not yet, he doesn’t get in their starting XI.”
Asked by co-host Andy Goldstein whether he would get into Man United’s line-up, Bent said: “Yeah. It would have to be him, Bruno [Fernandes] and Casemiro.”
Maverick
Not that West Ham fans will want to see Paqueta linked with a move away again in 2024, but it is nice to see the Brazil international getting praised by current and former pros.
Not many would have begrudged him a move to City in the summer had things panned out differently, although on the back of losing Declan Rice, his loss would have been heavily felt.
Even if it means only keeping hold of him for a further season and then offloading for a hefty sum next summer, fans can still enjoy his talents up close for now.
As David Moyes put it in midweek, Paqueta is very much a “maverick” who adds plenty of stardust to this West Ham side.
Bent’s take that Paqueta is good enough to be a starter for Man United is hardly a controversial one, though, as West Ham – right now at least – are a better side than the Red Devils.
If he is to move on in the next 12-18 months, it should not be to a club like Man United.
In other West Ham news, a Hammers favourite has emerged as a reported target for a Premier League rival.