Manchester City have reportedly made a £70million bid for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and winger Riyad Mahrez both left City in the summer and, although they signed centre-back Josko Gvardiol and number eight Mateo Kovacic, sources in Brazil claim the defending champions the Premier League want to strengthen their options in the axis of the field.
GloboEsporte claim Pep Guardiola’s side have submitted a £70million bid for West Ham star Paqueta, although the Hammers are expected to reject the bid for the midfielder and demand a higher fee.
Paqueta signed for the east London side a year ago for an initial fee of £36.5m which could rise to £51m with add-ons. The club record signing enjoyed a strong first season under David Moyes, with the former Lyonnais helping the Hammers win the Europa Conference League. However, with the 25-year-old’s contract expiring in 2027 and with West Ham having sold Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m ($134m), the Hammers are unlikely to let another key midfielder go – to unless they receive an astronomical sum.
The report claims that Guardiola was keen to sign Brazil international Paqueta 12 months ago as a potential replacement for Bernardo Silva, but the Portugal midfielder ultimately stayed at City.
