A missed appointment. Last summer, Manchester City launched a seduction operation with Lucas Paqueta (26 years old). After a great first year in England, the Brazilian, author of 5 goals and 7 assists in 41 matches in all competitions including 36 as a starter, caught the eye of Pep Guardiola. The Spanish technician wanted to recruit a midfielder and he fell for the former Olympique Lyonnais player. The two men spoke and quickly expressed the desire and desire to work together.
Linked to West Ham until June 2027, Paqueta, who said yes to the Skyblues, had to obtain the consent of Londoners. The latter were waiting for at least 90 million euros to start discussing. After a first oral proposal of 80 million euros, the residents of the Etihad Stadium offered 101 million euros. But the Hammers were a bit more greedy and ultimately set his price at 110 million euros. Despite this, the file was on very good track. But everything changed on August 18.
Man City does not let go of Lucas Paqueta
Indeed, the English Federation has opened an investigation into the Auriverde international, some of whose relatives are said to have bet on matches in which he participated. They would have notably relied on the yellow cards received by Paqueta against Aston Villa. For this reason, his transfer to Man City was suspended. Also excluded from the Brazilian selection, the midfielder collaborated with investigators. He also provided his phone so they could determine whether or not he broke the betting rules.
In the middle of a storm, Lucas Paqueta focused on the field. This season, he is no stranger to the Hammers’ fine sixth place finish. An essential part of his team, he started 34 of the 45 games he played this season. Valuable, he scored 8 goals and delivered 7 assists in all competitions. His performances have not gone unnoticed by Manchester, who bought Matheus Nunes for 62 million euros after the Paqueta failure. According to our information, the Citizens still have their eye on the former AC Milan player. A salary agreement still exists according to our information. An unexpected blowback for Paqueta and West Ham, who will be able to line their pockets.
