Manchester City has purportedly finalized personal arrangements with West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta in advance of the upcoming summer transfer period.
Last summer, Paqueta was extensively associated with a lucrative transfer to the Etihad Stadium as they braced for the absence of star creator Kevin De Bruyne due to injury.
Nevertheless, Paqueta’s potential move to the Citizens did not come to fruition as the Brazilian became embroiled in a FIFA and Football Association inquiry into suspicious gambling patterns.
Recently, Paqueta has spoken out about the inquiry, which began seven months ago, expressing gratitude for the backing received from West Ham and stating that he is “eager to contribute in any way possible.”
Throughout this interval, the 26-year-old has been a standout performer for David Moyes’s squad, tallying eight goals and seven assists in 36 matches across all competitions.
Manchester City now seems to have rekindled their pursuit of Paqueta, with Football Mercato reporting via the Daily Mail that the treble champions have reached a consensus with the midfielder on personal terms.
The article indicates that City was previously on track to agree on a £70 million fee with West Ham, but this valuation is likely to be reevaluated given Paqueta’s impressive showings in both domestic and European contests this season.
Paqueta’s future remains uncertain as both Manchester City and West Ham await the Football Association’s verdict on the player’s gambling investigation.
West Ham is eager to retain Paqueta and is not under financial duress to offload the Brazilian, who still has more than three years left on his contract with an option for a 12-month extension.
Manchester City’s pursuit of Paqueta coincides with diminishing prospects of Kalvin Phillips returning to the Etihad and being reintegrated into Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup.
Phillips is presently on loan at West Ham but has failed to meet expectations, leading to speculation that the Hammers will decline to make the move permanent this summer.
Should Paqueta depart from the London Stadium, the Englishman would not be a direct replacement, prompting Moyes and company to explore the transfer market for more attack-minded alternatives.
West Ham has recently been connected with a possible transfer for Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, as reports suggest that Arsenal is contemplating selling the 23-year-old in the upcoming transfer window.
Additionally, the Hammers have been tipped to pursue Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, while Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus has supposedly been offered to the Premier League outfit.
