Manchester City could reportedly return to the negotiating table for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the upcoming January transfer window.
According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth (via GIVEMESPORT), Manchester City could return with a fresh proposal for the £150k-a-week Brazilian playmaker during the January transfer window as they aim to test the Hammers’ resolve.
Sheth told GMS: “They spent big in the summer, even though we all know they got in excess of £100million for Declan Rice. They spent that money in a really good way.
“There’s always talk about Lucas Paqueta as well. He almost went in the summer to Manchester City. I just wonder whether Manchester City will look again, and try and test the resolve of West Ham United to try and bring someone like Paqueta to the Etihad Stadium.”
An £80 million transfer was agreed in principle between West Ham and Man City for Paqueta over the summer. The 26-year-old was a £51 million signing from Lyon 12 months prior, and on the back of a stellar first campaign in England, was poised to make West Ham £29 million in profit.
The move fell through once Paqueta became embroiled in a betting investigation by the FA, though. The investigation focused on three instances in which Paqueta earned yellow cards.
With the transfer put on ice, City turned their attention to alternatives and explored moves for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Matheus Nunes. Pep Guardiola’s side would go on to sign the latter when striking a £53 million agreement with Wolves.
However, according to Dharmesh Sheth, the Citizens fully intend to go back in for Paqueta and complete their unfinished business. Manager Pep Guardiola is reported to view Paqueta as a potential long-term successor for Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to be out of contract at the Etihad in 2025 and who has also been dealing with a niggling hamstring problem this season.
The 27-year-old, who has a contract which runs until June 2027, has remained a key player for David Moyes’ side and has continued his stunning form this term for the East End outfit, scoring five goals and producing five assists in his 26 outings across all competitions, and that has been enough to catch the eye of Pep Guardiola again.
