Manchester City will need to meet a hefty £85 million release clause to secure the services of West Ham’s playmaker Lucas Paqueta.
Manchester City are keen on signing Paqueta as they prepare for the upcoming season and are expected to revamp their midfield.
Despite Lucas Paqueta’s impressive performances for West Ham, the club may release him if City are willing to honour the deal.
With reports suggesting that personal terms have already been agreed upon, City will have to navigate the challenge of triggering the release clause in Paqueta’s contract, set to expire in 2027.
Additionally, Manchester City may need to seek a new midfielder this summer, with the potential departure of Kalvin Phillips after an underwhelming loan spell at West Ham.
However, extricating him from the London Stadium may prove difficult, as transfer agent Fabrizio Romano has revealed that he has an £85m release clause in his contract that will end in 2027.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have a history of spending big on players, such as the £100m deal for Jack Grealish and the £78m signing of Josko Gvardiol.
The Brazilian may end up playing for the Sky Blue as Guardiola is reportedly looking for reinforcements in midfield, with Paqueta catching his eye despite potential concerns.
It remains to be seen if they will be willing to pay such a figure for Paqueta, but the club have been tracking the Brazilian since last summer.
However, his possible ban due to betting allegations shifted City’s focus to Nunes then.
Why Manchester City could go for Paqueta?
Nunes has been decent but hasn’t been a standout player for City, and the decrease in Phillips’ form leaves another void in midfield.
The fact that De Bruyne is aging and dealing with injuries further emphasizes the need for City to purchase an attacking midfielder.
Considering Paqueta’s progress since City’s previous interest, it would make sense for them to reconsider him in the transfer market.
Guardiola demonstrated interest in Paqueta by calling him over to the City bench at the start of the season, where he shook hands with the coaching staff before the game began at the London Stadium.
Paqueta’s stats at West Ham United
West Ham paid a club-record £51m to sign Paqueta from Lyon in 2022 and he has gone on to make 78 appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals and registering 14 assists. He also won the Europa Conference League with the Hammers last season.
What’s next?
Lucas Paqueta is set to face Fulham in the Premier League this weekend, but he will miss the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Bayer Leverkusen next week due to suspension from picking up a yellow card in the first leg.
