West Ham are reportedly preparing for the potential departure of Lucas Paquetá by making Manchester City midfielder James McAtee our primary January transfer target.
Concerns are growing at the club as Paquetá faces ongoing scrutiny from a betting investigation while also attracting loan interest from Brazilian side Botafogo who are top of the league. Sources within West Ham have previously revelled to C&H that Flamengo had made a loan move for Paq-man which was considered before being rejected.
If Paquetá were to leave or be suspended, McAtee is viewed as the ideal replacement, with reports suggesting a price tag exceeding £20 million. There is certainly an opinion within the Hammers hierarchy that a massive opportunity was missed by not signing City’s Cole Palmer when we had the chance.
Manchester City won’t go near Paquetá whilst his gambling probe is ongoing, making a straightforward deal for McAtee more likely.
Despite his potential, McAtee—nicknamed ‘Salford Silva’—has struggled for consistent opportunities under Pep Guardiola, with a handful of City fans calling for the talented 22-year-old to play a bigger role.
Whilst Paqueta had one of his better games for West Ham against Everton, he has failed to match his previous from as the ongoing betting investigation continues to take it’s toll. The Hammers loaned Carlos Soler from PSG this summer to help improve the team creatively but he has failed to impress.
