Manchester City have been busier than most Premier League clubs this summer.
Pep Guardiola’s side experienced an underwhelming season last time around, and to avoid this happening again, the signing of James Trafford means six new faces have arrived at the Manchester club this summer, while there have also been changes to the coaching staff.
It was reported this week that Man City are done buying players this summer, and are currently focused on outgoings, but it remains to be seen whether that is the case, as City have changed their stance on things in the past.
The situation of a player Guardiola is a big fan of has changed this week, and it is now being reported that Man City are ready to move for the Premier League star.
Man City ready to move for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta
Man City were very keen on signing Lucas Paqueta from West Ham during the summer of 2023, with the Manchester club seeing their opening offer of £70m rejected by the Hammers.
The London club were expecting a second offer to arrive for the Brazilian star; however, that never came as the FA launched an investigation into spot-fixing accusations regarding the midfielder.
This week, Paqueta was cleared of all his spot-fixing charges, and as a result, Man City have revived their interest in the West Ham star.
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, the Manchester club are ready to make a fresh move for the 27-year-old as the Hammer star is now back on Guardiola’s radar.
Having missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, it is not a surprise that Man City are once again interested in the Brazil international, as Guardiola is a big fan of Paqueta and last year labelled the West Ham man as “top-class”.
Former Hammers coach Kevin Nolan was certain Paqueta was joining Man City in 2023, and only time will tell if the Manchester club make an official move for the midfielder.
How Lucas Paqueta compares to Rayan Cherki
If Paqueta were to join Man City before the summer transfer window shuts, the Brazilian would compete with new signing Rayan Cherki for minutes, as the French star was signed to play in the number 10 role in Guardiola’s team.
The two players are similar in many ways; both are attacking midfielders who moved to the Premier League from Lyon, and have playing styles that revolve around their creativity, dribbling, and versatility.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Lucas Paqueta | 36 | 5 | 0 | 2536 |
| Rayan Cherki | 48 | 13 | 21 | 3219 |
Cherki is technically better than Paqueta, but the Brazilian is a more physical presence than the 21-year-old, with both having their uses.
It is hard to see Man City moving for Paqueta this summer, having signed the Frenchman, but when Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan move on in a year, it would not be a surprise to see Guardiola move for the 27-year-old, who will enter the final year of his West Ham contract.
