West Ham boss David Sullivan ‘determined’ to keep Lucas Paqueta at the club after £70m Manchester City offer
West Ham owner David Sullivan is determined to keep Brazil star Lucas Paqueta in East London this summer after rejecting a huge £70million bid from Manchester City, according to Sami Mokbel.
The Daily Mail journalist shared the update on Twitter [9 August], including an article detailing the “shock” bid from the Premier League Champions, who are pushing to get the deal done, while Sullivan is proving to be an obstacle.
The report shares that, having already lost key midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal earlier in the summer, the chief does not want to let another star player leave for a Premier League rival.
West Ham need to stand firm
The Hammers should stand firm in the face of big offers if they want to hang on to their Brazilian star. They know Manchester City have essentially infinite funds, while they don’t need to sell having already received big money in this transfer window.
The sales of Rice and Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca have put West Ham in a strong bargaining position, as they do not need to let their key players go regardless of the money involved unless the bid is simply too good to turn down.
That’s what they should wait for. If a bid arrives that is too good to turn down, then you take the money and make sure you spend it on a replacement. If not, Paqueta can remain in East London.
Sullivan’s resolve and reluctance to sell may keep City at bay, although Pep Guardiola is reportedly a big fan of the Brazilian, and the club are always keen to give the boss what he wants in the pursuit of even more silverware.
In other West Ham news, the club are looking to get a new midfielder through the doors ASAP.