Lucas Paqueta exit will not bring tears at West Ham United with Newcastle twist on cards
West Ham United will be shedding "few tears" if Lucas Paqueta moves to Manchester City despite new interest in Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, according to Martin Hardy.
The Times journalist reported that the West Ham midfielder's rumoured switch to the Premier League champions could be put on hold, as City switch their attention towards Guimaraes.
Hardy added that West Ham will be better prepared than Newcastle to lose their Brazilian midfield general, with the two likely in a battle to secure that big-money move to the Etihad.
He said: "There will be disappointment if Lucas Paqueta’s two years at the London Stadium come to an end, but few tears.
"West Ham are used to losing top players — Declan Rice last summer to Arsenal, for one — but Newcastle are not, primarily because they have only just started recruiting them again."
West Ham United to sell Lucas Paqueta?
The Hammers are preparing for a huge overhaul of their squad and coaching staff this summer, with manager David Moyes likely to depart and the club looking at several big-name options to replace him.
On the pitch, players like Michail Antonio are out of contract at the end of the season, and the club are actively seeking new faces to replace the Jamaican international in attack.
Paqueta's position at the club is less clear, with rumours circulating in recent weeks and months that he is Manchester City's number-one transfer target this summer.
City are certainly not short of players in Paqueta's position, but the emergence of Guimaraes as an equally likely target for the defending Premier League champions puts their pursuit of the playmaker into question.
As Hardy states in his report, the Irons would be more than able to recover from the loss of Paqueta, but if City choose to sign his international team-mate Guimaraes instead, the Irons would have no qualms about keeping their number 10 firmly at the front of their plans.
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