Fabrizio Romano shares what he can ‘confirm’ over West Ham United exit for Lucas Paqueta
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Lucas Paqueta has an £85million release clause in his West Ham contract.
The Italian journalist reported in his Daily Briefing on Sunday (14 April) that the Hammers have no intention of negotiating and any interested parties will have to match that valuation.
He said Manchester City are still interested in striking a deal for the 26-year-old attacking midfielder, who he added would be “super keen” on a move to the Etihad Stadium.
“Lucas Paqueta will be one to watch for the summer transfer window,” said Romano. “We can confirm that his contract at West Ham, which runs until 2027 with the option of a further season, will this summer have a release clause of £85m.
“Let’s see who’s going to attack that release clause, because West Ham have no intention to negotiate, it will have to be the payment of that clause if Paqueta is to be sold.
“Manchester City still have an interest in Paqueta, he’s a player they appreciate, while the Brazilian midfielder would obviously also be super keen on the move.
“Paqueta was already keen on joining City last summer, but the crucial story is the betting allegations against him.”
Could Lucas Paqueta leave West Ham for Man City?
It’s starting to look more and more likely that Paqueta will leave West Ham for Man City this summer if they decide to cough up the cash to sign him.
The Hammers simply have to stand firm on their release clause, though, after he’s shown he is a quality operator in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons.
The attacking midfielder is an extremely important player for David Moyes and he would be difficult to replace if he were to leave the London Stadium.
But the £85million fee in question is a decent chunk of change and would allow us to bring in at least a couple of players to strengthen the squad.
That kind of money would bolster the transfer budget for the summer, where bringing in a forward is surely going to be the priority given our issues in the striker department.
In other West Ham news, Kieran Maguire has shared a £3million expense the Hammers can offset against FFP.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.