A West Ham board confidant’s claim about Lucas Paqueta will infuriate fans after a bid from Man City was rejected.
Earlier today on Hammers News we feared there was no smoke without fire after rumours that Manchester City want to sign West Ham star Lucas Paqueta.
West Ham fans were concerned when shock rumours of a £70m bid from Newcastle for their Brazilian magnifico emerged at the start of the summer transfer window.
There was then talk of interest in West Ham’s new star player from mega rich PSG too.
Now Man City are lurking with serious intent it seems.
The speculation has come against the backdrop of Paqueta changing agents, leaving the representatives who brokered his move to West Ham.
Fears over the Brazil star’s future in east London were allayed when he changed his shirt number from 11 to the iconic number 10 shirt.
West Ham board confidant’s claim about Lucas Paqueta will infuriate fans after rejected Man City bid
Paqueta then appeared as the main man in the club’s announcement videos for the new away kit.
At the start of the month Paqueta labelled a claim from talkSPORT’s Alex Crook that he is unhappy at West Ham as ‘fake news’.
But Tuttomercatoweb reported last night that Manchester City were ready to offer £70 million for West Ham star Paqueta. It comes as the Premier League champions look to replace Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan.
Today Sky Sports and other outlets have confirmed West Ham have dismissed a £70m offer from Man City for Paqueta.
The reports state West Ham would only entertain selling the midfielder for a minimum £85m. But, ominously, Paqueta is said to have ‘had his head turned’ by the interest of champions Manchester City.
West Ham fans should not be fooled, though. Because it seems the player and his new agents have been looking for an exit for the last two months.
A West Ham board confidant’s claim about Paqueta will infuriate fans after the rejected Man City bid.
‘His agents claim he wants out of West Ham’
According to Sean Whetstone, whose sources include West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady and majority owner David Sullivan, Paqueta’s intermediaries have been hawking him around to other Premier League clubs this summer.
“I haven’t had any confirmation this is true yet but it always makes me nervous when a player suddenly changes agents and I am aware intermediaries were talking to other PL clubs about Paqueta over the summer,” Whetstone said.
“I am told there was an initial enquiry from City for Paqueta back in June. As confirmed by (Guardian journalist) Jacob Steinberg and Fabrizio Romano, there is interest again from City but it is not at a stage where there has been a formal bid as reported by Brazilian outlet.
“His agents claim he wants out of West Ham, maybe Alex Crook was right after all. Time will tell.”
Sky Sports have since claimed West Ham have confirmed a bid from Manchester City for Paqueta has been rejected.
The report states: “West Ham have dismissed an initial approach from Manchester City for midfielder Lucas Paqueta as it was “in no way deemed acceptable”, Sky Sports News has been told.”