Following the disclosure of the £50 million clause, all the odds seem to be in favor of a Lucas Paqueta trade between West Ham and Manchester City.
Lucas Paqueta, a star for West Ham, came very close to joining Manchester City in the summer, which is one of the worst kept secrets in football.
That was prior to the West Ham talisman being accused of betting, something he fiercely disputes.
Paqueta’s probe is still looming. However, there are still rumors circulating that Manchester City would revive the Paqueta agreement with West Ham during the summer transfer season.
Man City is still keen to capture West Ham’s Paqueta.
Particularly after it became apparent that Paqueta’s supporters are pressuring the FA to reach a decision so he can land his “dream” move.
Manchester City is reportedly more motivated than ever to sign the Hammers player in the summer, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.
Fans of the Hammers are undoubtedly opposed to their Brazilian magnifico leaving.
However, much like with Declan Rice before him, Paqueta’s arrival at City seems to be a matter of when rather than if.
Following the discovery of a £50 million clause, a West Ham–Man City agreement for Paqueta is now certain.
Deal now inevitable following disclosure of the £50 million clause
The defending champions will only be able to recruit Paqueta if Bernardo Silva is moved this summer, according to a February report from The Telegraph.
It’s not mentioned clearly, but it seems like a clear indication that Man City is being more cautious with deals as a result of the 115 FFP accusations looming large over them.
At first, it seemed that the news would help West Ham’s chances of retaining Paqueta. Given that Silva has two years remaining on a contract extension that was signed only this summer, selling him seems like a much easier said than done task.
In the upcoming window, he reaches 30, and transfer spending has become more restrictive throughout all of Europe.
However, it has now come to light that Silva’s new contract contained a £50 million release clause that became effective this summer.
The Silva lining of the Paqueta cloud
Furthermore, Barcelona is strongly associated with the elite playmaker at that extremely low cost.
That indicates that Man City is now menacingly lurking in the background for a transaction West Ham were willing to approve last August, assuming Paqueta is found not guilty of the betting charges.
West Ham would be confident that the Paqueta money will be used wisely because Tim Steidten has demonstrated what he can achieve with such cash.
Man City would undoubtedly acquire a fantastic player who appears to be practically ideal for their squad.
If their great players are forced to be sold, Man City is one of the few teams that West Ham supporters do not mind their players joining.
Additionally, as the video below shows, the two groups of fans have good relations dating back to 1987.
