West Ham United appear to be considering life after Lucas Paqueta with their reported interest in Manchester City star James McAtee.
As reported in The Sun [16 November], McAtee – who has been on the fringes since returning from a productive loan at Sheffield United – is a target for the Hammers, which could spell an end to Paqueta’s stint in East London.
The Brazilian international has looked out of sorts this season so far with several below-par displays, potentially affected by his ongoing legal case as he continues to vehemently deny FA charges into alleged spot-fixing.
Paqueta, 27, was earlier this year linked with a lucrative move to the Etihad Stadium himself [Santi Aouna, 19 May], but more recently his exit opportunities have extended merely to the likes of his former club Flamengo [Globo, 17 July].
West Ham United could replace Lucas Paqueta with James McAtee
It is unclear for what sort of fee Paqueta would leave West Ham should he exit anytime soon, with the proposed City deal potentially rising to as heavy as £85million.
With his legal battle in process, it is unlikely the Hammers would scoop anywhere near those sort of numbers should they dispense with the Brazil star this season.Paqueta’s contract runs until June 2027 with a club option of a further year, which keeps the board in East London in a relatively powerful position regarding his next move.As for McAtee, 22, he has played six times in the City first team so far in 2024-25, but just one minor cameo has been in the Premier League; he did however net his first goal for the club in the Champions League against Slovan Bratislava on 1 October.A potential £20million transfer could well be on the cards, which would likely hammer the nail in for Paqueta whose long-term future is looking increasingly likely to end up elsewhere.
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