Opinion: West Ham have already signed Lucas Paqueta replacement, now we’ll get glimpse of life without him

Add as preferred source on Google

West Ham United manager David Moyes has already signed a replacement for Lucas Paqueta, and tonight will offer the club’s fans a glimpse of life without the Brazilian.

David Moyes brought Lucas Paqueta to West Ham in the summer of 2022 for a club record £51 million fee (The Times).

READ ALSO: Talented teenage duo with 13 senior minutes combined travel with West Ham squad to Lincoln

However, the Hammers star has an £85 million release clause inserted into his contract (Telegraph).

And Manchester City have been heavily linked with a move to sign the 26-year-old Brazilian since the summer.

Listen, Paqueta is an unbelievably talented player. He has made a superb start to the 2023/24 season, and his performance against Liverpool on Sunday would have undoubtedly have raised some eyebrows at the Etihad.

If the former Lyon man is eventually sold by West Ham, Moyes will need to sign a top-class replacement…or will he? I reckon the Scot has already done just that…

West Ham have already signed Lucas Paqueta replacement

Moyes brought Mohammed Kudus to the London Stadium from Ajax for around £38 million in the summer.

Now, it seems nigh on impossible for the Scot to get the Ghana international, Paqueta, James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek and Said Benrahma into the team all at the same time.

I reckon Moyes signed Kudus in the summer to give him a full season of bedding into the team before picking up the mantle from Paqueta, if and when he is sold.

We have to be realistic here. The Brazilian is a world-class player and it will be a natural progression for him to move on to a club like Man City next summer.

And if he does leave, we have a ready-made replacement already at the club in the form of Kudus.

Lucas Paqueta hasn’t travelled with the West Ham squad for tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with Lincoln City.

Kudus is expected to start at the LNER Stadium, so we should get a glimpse of life without the South American tonight.

I have a strong feeling that the Ghanaian has was it takes to fill in for Paqueta, and I’m hoping that he covers himself in glory against the League One outfit.

READ ALSO:

28-year-old is surely finished at West Ham after soul destroying snub against Liverpool

David Moyes needs to drop one West Ham player as a matter of urgency after Anfield stinker

Sky Sports pundit tips West Ham to sign £50 million Premier League striker