‘West Ham to receive perfect offer for Lucas Paqueta – it suits all parties’
West Ham are likely to receive an offer for Lucas Paqueta that suits all parties once the Brazilian’s spot-fixing scandal has been cleared up.
The 27-year-old was accused of picking up bookings for the purpose of financial gain four separate times between November 2022 and August 2023.
Paqueta was facing a lifetime ban from the FA, but has now reportedly been cleared of the charges, with an official announcement expected in the coming days.
West Ham are prepared to cash in on the midfielder this summer, and there could be big bids coming in from the Saudi Pro League for his services.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes it is a transfer that would benefit both the club and the player.
‘Man City no longer in for Paqueta’
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that Saudi Arabia would be a great move for Paqueta, as he looks to move on from the betting scandal that has plagued his life for so long.
Back in 2023, the Brazilian looked set to join Manchester City for a fee of around £80million, before the spot-fixing story broke.
Wyness added that it is unlikely that City would go back in for Paqueta at this stage.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “This Saudi move would really suit all parties, but we’ve got to see, as there’s a lot of facts here that we don’t know.
I just feel bad that the case has dragged on for so long and has not been resolved. There’s somebody’s life at stake here. It’s rather important.
There was talk of him going to Man City, but I understand that may no longer be the case. Saudi would be a great move for him. He’s a talent, and I hope that his future gets resolved sooner rather than later.”
Liverpool and West Ham in crowded race for striker
Meanwhile, Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Liverpool and West Ham are among clubs to have made enquiries for Metz sensation Idrissa Gueye.
Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Southampton, and Ipswich have also enquired about the young striker.
The 18-year-old Senegalese forward is one of the hottest properties in Europe and is attracting interest from clubs across all the top leagues.
German duo Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt have shown an interest in the young striker who made 17 Ligue 2 appearances for Metz last season, scoring six times.
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