Manchester City expected to make another approach for Paqueta in 2024

With 42 caps for Brazil and his role in the recent World Cup, Paqueta's departure would no doubt be a great loss for West Ham

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2023-10-23 13:53:20

Image Credits: © (West Ham)

In a bid to acquire West Ham United’s star player, Lucas Paqueta, Manchester City pursued an ambitious £80 million transfer deal over the summer. This arrangement was significant for West Ham, given that they had acquired the 26-year-old from Lyon just twelve months earlier for £51 million. His stellar debut season in English football had set the stage for West Ham to make an impressive £29 million profit from his potential transfer.

The excitement surrounding this transfer, however, came to a screeching halt when Lucas Paqueta found himself entangled in a betting investigation initiated by the Football Association (FA). This investigation stemmed from three specific incidents where Paqueta received yellow cards during matches. Intriguingly, there was an unusually high volume of bets placed in Brazil related to one of these incidents.

As the FA’s inquiry unfolded, Manchester City shifted their focus towards alternative options, including players such as Eberechi Eze and Matheus Nunes. Eventually, they secured a £53 million deal for Matheus Nunes from Wolves.

City still determined to sign Paqueta

Yet, reports from Football Transfers suggest that Manchester City remains unwavering in their determination to revisit the Paqueta deal and resolve their unfinished business. The report indicates that City intends to make another attempt at signing Paqueta once the FA’s investigation reaches its conclusion. While the investigation is ongoing, City remains hopeful that it will be wrapped up in time to facilitate a transfer in 2024.

In terms of the transfer terms, City could potentially pursue the same £80 million agreement that was initially in place. Alternatively, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Paqueta’s contract includes a slightly higher release clause of £85 million, which becomes active from June 2024.

Lucas Paquetá release clause, not valid this summer. The clause is worth £85m and understood to be valid only from June 2024. ✨🇧🇷 #WHUFC

Paquetá would love to join Man City but West Ham have no intention to accept £70m fee discussed this week. pic.twitter.com/MGZf2CKCef

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2023

However, it’s worth noting that West Ham is actively seeking to adjust or even eliminate the release clause by negotiating a new contract with Paqueta. This could entail a substantial weekly wage increase for the Brazilian, potentially reaching £200,000. Still, such a move might reduce his chances of securing a transfer to Manchester City, an option he was highly enthusiastic about during the previous offseason.

The possibility of losing Paqueta is likely to be met with mixed feelings by West Ham’s manager, David Moyes, despite the substantial transfer fee they would collect. Since Declan Rice’s departure to Arsenal, Paqueta has emerged as one of West Ham’s standout players.