Manchester City are set to table a second offer for Lucas Paqueta after seeing their opening bid worth £70m rejected by West Ham.
The Sky Blues are ready to intensify their efforts of signing the Brazil international after learning that Kevin De Bruyne will be out for at least four months due to a hamstring problem. De Bruyne has suffered a relapse of a hamstring injury that could now need surgery, leaving Pep Guardiola with Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Kalvin Phillips as the only fit senior midfielders in his squad.
As a result, Manchester City are reportedly planning to go back to West Ham with an improved offer worth around £ 80 million for Lucas Paqueta, with the Treble winners encouraged by the signs they are getting from the player’s camp.
Personal terms have already been agreed between Man City and Paqueta, 25, who since joining West Ham from Lyon last summer has registered five goals and seven assists in 41 appearances, playing a crucial role in his side’s Europa Conference League triumph.
Lucas Paqueta could be a terrific signing for Man City
After losing key players Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez from the Treble-winning squad, Pep Guardiola has been eager to bring in new faces to the Etihad Stadium. City have made two signings during this summer’s transfer window, bringing in Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, but with Kevin de Bruyne being ruled out for several months with a serious hamstring injury, Guardiola is pushing to sign West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta this week.
Paqueta is primarily a No.10 but his versatility allows him to operate in a number of roles across midfield and attack. The Brazilian can operate as a No.8, false 9 and in a deeper midfield role. Given his playmaking abilities, reading of the game and Premier League experience, the 25-year-old will be a smart candidate to fill in De Bruyne’s void at City.
De Bruyne has been among Premier League’s best players in recent years, playing a crucial role behind City’s treble success last term. The Belgian midfield maestro contributed to a staggering 42 goals in the 2022/23 campaign—scoring 10 times and supplying 32 assists. So, losing him for several months is a gigantic blow for Guardiola’s City.
Paqueta doesn’t have anything like the productivity of De Bruyne, but in the last couple of years, he has developed into a fantastic midfielder and has the attributes to come in and take De Bruyne’s place in this City side. Under Guardiola, Paqueta could easily slot into a dynamic midfield trio alongside Rodri and Kovacic, providing creativity and flair for the Sky Blues.
At 25, the Brazil international best years are still to come and a manager like Guardiola could transform him into a world-class player if a move to City materialise.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
