Man City Are Poised To Seal A Move For Lucas Paqueta In The Summer.

West Ham United are at risk of losing Lucas Paqueta this summer as an £85million release clause becomes active in June.

The Hammers are aware of the likelihood of their £150,000-a-week playmaker leaving, with the report also pointing towards a possible release clause in his contract that activates after the season ends.

Manchester City have been impressed by Paqueta since his Lyon days, and are now poised to seal a move for the 26-year-old in the summer. 

They wanted a new midfielder to replace the quality of Ilkay Gundogan who joined Barcelona last summer, and to no one’s surprise, Pep Guardiola wanted Declan Rice, but Arsenal wanted him more and ended up paying a club-record fee to sign him from West Ham, forcing the Citizens to turn their attention towards his teammate Paqueta.

The treble winners was heading towards a £80m transfer last summer before they then pulled the plug on the deal amid betting allegations on Paqueta. FA investigation was launched into allegations of betting rule breaches by the Brazilian.

But City have him in their sights again, and have maintained contact with his camp in recent months, with a recent report stating that they may have agreed personal terms with the Brazilian’s agents.

It is not often that players get two chances to join City, but Paqueta could well be a special case.

Paqueta’s firm desire is to join City, as it was last summer, but a move will only happen if the results of that investigation is released and cleared as he continues to deny any wrongdoing. 

Other players could also depart the Etihad Stadium, as Kevin De Bruyne who rejected advances from the Saudi Pro League last summer, but City are aware that things could change this time around and are making contingency plans. 

City are also ready for another summer of uncertainty for Bernardo Silva, who inserted a buy-out clause into his contract before the current season started. 

The Portuguese has been keen on a move to Spain since 2021 and has family living in Barcelona.