West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta reportedly remains on Manchester City’s transfer wishlist for 2024 after a summer move to the Etihad Stadium dramatically collapsed.
On the back of becoming a Europa Conference League champion with David Moyes’s team in the 2022-23 season, during which he scored five goals and set up eight more, Paqueta was tipped to make a marquee move to the Etihad Stadium.
A deal could have come to fruition if the treble winners bowed to West Ham’s £80m demands, but Paqueta’s hopes of a dream move evaporated due to an FA investigation into the midfielder over suspicious betting patterns.
However, the former Lyon man has not yet been charged with any offence and has continued to represent West Ham this season, largely playing off the left to accommodate the newly-signed James Ward-Prowse.
Paqueta has two goals and one assist to show from his opening 10 games of the 2023-24 campaign, and the Irons still have him under contract until 2027 with the option of a further year.
The Hammers can therefore continue to play hardball in any future negotiations, but FootballTransfers claims that Man City are continuing to monitor Paqueta with a view to a possible swoop in 2024.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side will watch the situation from afar until the FA’s betting investigation concludes, at which point the Premier League champions will decide on their course of action.
Paqueta is understood to deny the accusations against him, and should the 26-year-old’s claim of innocence be proven, Man City could reportedly rekindle their pursuit in the summer window.
The Citizens will likely have to pay a premium to prise the midfielder away from the English capital, though, having apparently come to an agreement in principle over an £80m deal before the betting revelations emerged.
The report was shared on Twitter by City Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters.
@UmCidadoQualqu6: “Amazing News. Kovacic and Nunes are not good as Gundo. Paqueta can be”
@MCFCzz: “Yes he’s absolutely incredible.”
@CityBIue: “Bring please. He’s the missing piece”
@RicoLewisBurner: “Yes please.. he is absolutely class.. silky baller.. would absolutely cool under Pep at City”
@prossy_poundz: “Swap with kalvin Philips”
@TheNightFox14: “Swap Philips plus money for Lucas..”
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