West Ham United will reportedly demand £45 million to part ways with 27-year-old Brazilian international Lucas Paqueta this summer amid his links with Manchester City.

According to a report by Football Insider, Lucas Paqueta is the subject of interest from Manchester City. The Citizens have resurrected their chase of the West Ham United playmaker’s signature, having come close to sealing a deal worth £80 million before he fell into a spot-fixing scandal two years ago.

However, with Paqueta out of the woods and given some much-needed relief, Manchester City will revive the move to sign him from West Ham in the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, the Hammers are ready to cash in on the South American playmaker in the summer transfer window to balance their books and fund upcoming moves, slapping a price of £45 million on him.

Lucas Paqueta and his topsy-turvy London adventure

Lucas Paqueta has endured a frustrating journey since joining West Ham United from Lyon in a deal worth around £51 million in August 2022. The 27-year-old playmaker did not take long to justify the tag of being the East London club’s record signing, as he hit the ground running. Furthermore, he has been an asset for them for most of his stint at the London Stadium.

However, a spot-fixing scandal rocked his career in the Premier League two years ago, and he has blown hot and cold since then. Paqueta has turned out 120 times thus far for West Ham United while chipping in with 18 goals and 14 assists. Meanwhile, the controversy has ended, with the update capturing the attention of several well-known clubs, including Manchester City.

What next?

Lucas Paqueta has been on Manchester City’s radar for a long time and came close to moving to the Etihad nearly two years ago. The continued interest is understandable, even though the Citizens have reinforced their midfield and offensive unit with creative players in the summer transfer window.

While the Premier League bigwigs have signed Rayan Cherki from Lyon, Pep Guardiola wants more firepower in the final third. So, Paqueta has emerged as a viable target for Manchester City, with the Citizens preparing a bid to sign him from West Ham United in the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, the East London outfit will not stand in Paqueta’s way, slapping a price tag of £45 million on him.

With West Ham ready to sanction Paqueta’s summer exit, it will be interesting to see if a belated move to Manchester City will see the light of day. However, it is unclear if Manchester City will fork out £45 million to sign the 27-year-old Brazilian international.