A standout player with a weekly wage of £150,000, who has been eyed by Manchester City, showcased a brilliant display in the Premier League today. Amid recent connections between City and West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta, the Brazilian caught the eye with an impressive performance for the Irons.
City experienced a disappointing draw in the Premier League, securing a 2-2 stalemate at the Etihad Stadium against Crystal Palace yesterday. Despite dominating most of the match and maintaining control in the Palace half, defensive errors led to the Eagles securing a point, adding to City’s growing concerns after only clinching one win in their last six league games.
There’s curiosity regarding Pep Guardiola’s potential moves in the January transfer market, particularly if Lucas Paqueta is among his targets.
Today, City supporters tuning in to watch West Ham versus Wolves witnessed Paqueta delivering an exceptional performance. He played a pivotal role in West Ham’s convincing 3-0 victory, setting up all three goals. Paqueta orchestrated brilliant passes, notably setting up Jarrod Bowen after twice bypassing Mohammed Kudus in the second half.
Throughout the game, Paqueta showcased exceptional ball control and footwork, contributing three crucial assists and making six key passes—leading the game in this aspect (as per Statman Dave). His defensive contribution was noteworthy as well, winning 12 out of 19 duels (according to Sofascore).
While not reaching the heights of a ‘Kevin De Bruyne masterclass versus Wolves’, Paqueta’s performance was undoubtedly outstanding, earning him an 8/10 rating from the Evening Standard. They described it as “a superb trio of assists, each executed perfectly despite their simplicity.”
Reports last month hinted at City’s intention to make another attempt to sign Paqueta in January, although it’s expected to be a challenging pursuit given his importance to West Ham. City’s interest in him during the summer was hampered by West Ham’s reluctance to part ways and rumors surrounding unusual betting.
While City longs for technical prowess in Kevin De Bruyne’s absence, Paqueta could offer a suitable solution. However, realistically, securing his transfer mid-season might prove challenging for City, especially if West Ham aims to compete for European positions and is unwilling to sell a key player.
