West Ham will not be offering Lucas Paqueta a new deal on wages of £200,000 a week for one very good reason – they know that nothing keeps players out of the arms of Manchester City.
Paqueta
Pep Guardiola offered the Hammers around £70 million for the player before news of the probe into possible betting irregularities against him saw the FA start a probe into the accusations .
City’s bid was around £14 million below buy out figure in his Hammers contract but the club have been honest with Claret and Hugh saying that it would be impossible to stop him making the move regardless if his heart was set on it.
Paqueta on good terms with Guardiola
They will be hoping he does a Jarrod Bowen although it became clear during the Hammers home game against Manchester City that the midfielder and Citeh boss were on very good terms when sharing an embrace in the opposition dug out.
Our sources have reminded us several times in the past when the subject of his possible departure has arisen that with the option they hold he has five years left to go – that is easily confirmed anyway at Lucas Paquetá – Player profile 23/24 | Transfermarkt although their €65 million fee valuation may be wide of the mark.
Our source at the club – in repeating that – added: “There are certain clubs such as Man City and Real Madrid where it is next door impossible to stop a player moving but we will be doing everything in our power to keep Lucas.”
Surely the point isn’t that you could prevent the move, but that it’s worth giving him a rise now to offset the release clause issue so you get fair market value when he does leave and can then replace effectively.
He’ll be worth much more than 85m the way the market and his performances are going, and we’ll get stung in an Erling Haaland to City style way as things stand wit this clause.
An increase and new contract is much less about keeping him at the club, and much more about being in control of the fee he commands when leaving,
The stuff that comes out of the ‘board sources’ mouth at times is somewhat mindboggling.