Dharmesh Sheth: Lyon reject opening West Ham United bid for Lucas Paqueta
By Liam Thomas
West Ham have had their initial bid of £33.8million (€40m) rejected by Lyon, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.
Writing via his personal Twitter account on Thursday morning (25 August), Sheth added that David Moyes’ side are expected to go back with a new and improved offer for the Brazil international, one they will be hoping Lyon accepts.
Should a fee be agreed, it’s expected that personal terms between Paquetá and West Ham will be plain sailing [Sheth via GiveMeSport].
Statement of intent
The Hammers are launching an all-out assault on the transfer market this week after already securing the services of Emerson Palmieri from Chelsea.
It looks more than likely that a deal for Paquetá will be agreed upon in the coming days; a statement that will send shockwaves through the Premier League.
Why? The Brazilian is one of Europe’s hottest prospects and has been linked to Arsenal and Newcastle for months on end.
The fact that West Ham are managing to convince the 24-year-old of a move to the London Stadium ahead of “bigger” Premier League clubs shows the desire Hammers have been craving.
After a successful stint in last season’s Europa League, David Moyes’ team needed to progress and the signing of Paquetá is the ultimate progression.
Moreover, they will be getting the Brazilian in peak performance; at just 24 the youngster has his best years ahead of him.
Although, David Moyes admitted last night that “pedigree” doesn’t necessarily guarantee Premier League performance, Brazilian stars seem to settle well in the English top flight.
West Ham only have to look at how easily Bruno Guimaraes settled into life on Tyneside to get a glimpse of the heights Paquetá can reach.