West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta is being heavily touted as a replacement for Manchester City ace Kevin De Bruyne.
Of course, much will depend on the outcome of Lucas Paqueta‘s trial.
It has been claimed that West Ham star Lucas Paqueta faces a lifetime ban if found guilty of the charges levelled against him.
That outcome would obviously be disastrous for the Brazilian, and it would be for West Ham as well.
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Ideally, Paqueta will be proven innocent and we can then sell him for a lucrative fee in the summer.
Graham Potter is said to be planning a huge rebuild at the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.
In order to be able to do just that though, he needs to raise funds this summer, with Paqueta being an ideal candidate for the chop.
West Ham man Lucas Paqueta won’t be replacing Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne is one of the greatest players to have ever played in the Premier League.
106 goals and 176 assists in 414 games for Manchester City tells its own story really doesn’t it (Transfermarkt).
The 33-year-old will leave Man City in the summer after 10 years at The Etihad.
And rumours have been circulating that Paqueta could replace De Bruyne, if the Hammers man is found not-guilty in relation to the charges he faces for alleged betting breaches.
The Brazilian is an incredibly talented player on his day, but let’s get real here.
Paqueta is quite simply not in De Bruyne’s league, and his lack of defensive responsibility actually makes him a terrible fit for Pep Guardiola’s system.
The South American’s lack of discipline is another big red flag to note here as well.
Paqueta’s numbers are laughable in comparison to De Bruyne’s
In 333 career appearances for Flamengo, AC Milan, Lyon and West Ham , Paqueta has bagged 58 goals and 38 assists (Transfermarkt).
He doesn’t have a single assist to his name for the Hammers this season, and that’s just nowhere near good enough for a supposed midfield play-maker.
As far as I’m concerned, Paqueta is hugely overrated. Yes, he’s capable of moments of brilliance, but he has never produced the goods on a consistent basis.
Kevin De Bruyne stands head and shoulders above Lucas Paqueta.
And I would be hugely surprised if the Brazilian replaces the Belgian at Manchester City this summer.
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