Parc des Princes, Paris, France - September 19, 2021, Olympique Lyonnais' Lucas Paqueta celebrates scoring.
West Ham United are hoping to complete a swift move for Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta amid ‘very serious’ interest from Newcastle United, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The lowdown: Hammers keen
The Hammers have been heavily linked with Paqueta this week and reports from France have suggested that the east Londoners are about €10m away from agreeing a fee.
It has been claimed by Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth that West Ham ‘want to conclude a deal’ for the 24-year-old Brazil international after submitting a bid of roughly €40m, with the player’s agents already in London
Now, another well-informed onlooker has shed some further light on the situation surrounding Paqueta…
The latest: ‘West Ham are looking…’
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – a journalist for Eurosport – has claimed that the Irons are attempting to get the deal over the line for the 33-cap star as quickly as possible.
He said: “Paqueta has been looked at very seriously by Newcastle and loosely by Arsenal, but West Ham are looking to get in fast and complete the deal before either can react. Let’s see whether their plan works out.”
The verdict: Fingers crossed
Previously watched by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, should GSB be able to make this deal happen then it would be a huge feather in the cap of the London Stadium hierarchy, particularly after what has been an underwhelming start to the 2022/23 campaign.
Albeit speculation continues to link the east London club with Conor Gallagher and Hans Vanaken, neither option has the reputation or pedigree of Paqueta.
Boasting an impressive 35 goals and 22 assists in 189 senior appearances across spells at European powerhouses such as AC Milan and Lyon as well as Brazilian outfit Flamengo, Paqueta would arrive with a proven ability to influence matches in the final third at the top level.
Sharing similar stylistic traits to Hakim Ziyech, Kingsley Coman and Thomas Muller (FBref), the cultured Brazilian – who was hailed for a run of ‘phenomenal’ displays in 2021 by European football expert Alex Barker – would be a supreme addition to David Moyes’ ranks and hopefully one that can be completed without a hitch.
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