Newcastle United have golden £30m transfer opportunity to spark dream Bruno Guimaraes reunion
Newcastle United could bolster their squad depth with an exciting £30m signing
West Ham United are willing to listen to offers for central midfielder Lucas Paqueta, according to reports from Football Insider.
The 27-year-old had faced a potential ‘lifetime ban’ from football amid allegations of suspicious betting activity, but has now been cleared of those charges leaving him free to continue his career and push for a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad next summer. Paqueta joined West Ham in the summer of 2022 for a figure thought to be in the region of £50m. He signed a five-year contract with the club at the time, meaning he still has two years to run on his existing deal.
Why West Ham are willing to sell Lucas Paqueta
West Ham are in the process of a rebuild under new manager Graham Potter, who is desperate to get the Hammers challenging once again at the upper echelons of the Premier League table. However, the capital club were one of the biggest spenders in the Premier League last summer under Julen Lopetegui, meaning Potter has very little room to manoeuvre at this moment in time due to the constraints of PSR.
Paqueta is thought to be one of the club’s highest earners and is also one of the most valuable assets in the squad in terms of market value due to his experience of playing for Brazil 55 times.
Mick Brown, a retired football scout, explained via Football Insider: “West Ham are prepared to let Lucas Paqueta go. “It’s something they’ve been open to for a while, but the problem has been people weren’t prepared to make offers while he had the ban hanging over him.Why would they spend big money on a player who might get a lifetime ban the next week?
“Now he’s been cleared of that so I expect these clubs will now step up their interest.The plan at West Ham is to make money from his sale and spend it on improving the squad.
“The problem for West Ham is that while this has been going on in the background, it’s clearly effected him, and his form has dropped significantly.Those interested clubs now aren’t going to be paying the £60-70million West Ham would’ve wanted for him when he was at his best.Man City were close to that deal for £80million, weren’t they? But they won’t get that fee now. I think the fee I’ve heard is around £30-35million that they would consider. So it’s a shame for West Ham and a shame for the player that all of this has happened almost for no reason because he’s now been cleared.“
Newcastle United handed golden opportunity to sign Lucas Paqueta for £30m
Newcastle are preparing for Champions League football for the second time in three years after an impressive fifth place finish and a Carabao Cup triumph under manager Eddie Howe. Much of this success can be attributed to the quality of Newcastle’s midfield trio of Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Lucas Paqueta’s close friend and former teammate Bruno Guimaraes. Many journalists including The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards and Opta Sport have labelled Newcastle’s midfield as one of the best in the country due to their combination of physicality, aggression, high intensity, technical qualities as well as the understanding and cohesion of each other’s game.It was clearly displayed during Newcastle’s Carabao Cup triumph over Liverpool and various other big moments throughout the season.
However, as it stands, the Magpies have limited depth to cover for their three first choice midfielders, particularly after the departure of Sean Longstaff to league - and it’s clear that there’s a disparity between their first choice midfield and alternative options such as Joe Willock and Lewis Miley. Willock has had a nightmare with injuries in recent seasons and has struggled to find form since the 2022/23 campaign. Miley is still a teenager, and not yet ready to command the midfield on a big European night although his potential is still undeniably high. With that in mind, Newcastle, who face the prospect of a 50+ game campaign, should be looking to try and land a player of Paqueta’s ilk, particularly when he already has a good in-game partnership with Bruno Guimaraes.
Paqueta played alongside Guimaraes in France with Lyon for 18 months between the summer of 2020 and January 2022, helping the club to a fourth place finish in the only year they both played together. They’ve also played alongside each other for Brazil and have complimented each other well at international level. The 27-year-old is an attacking midfield playmaker with excellent technique, skill on the ball and an eye for a pass - and as is a common trait of Newcastle’s midfield, he also likes to get stuck in and enjoys the physical side of the game. He’s scored 18 times and contributed 14 assists in 120 appearances since joining West Ham, forming part of the team which won the Conference League in 2023 while reaching the quarter-final of the Europa League.
Paqueta was linked with Newcastle in 2022 before his move to London and was even spotted before his transfer in the North East playing football with Guimaraes in the famous Black and White kit. Ultimately, Newcastle decided the £50m asking price at the time was too high, but they may be tempted to go back in for the 27-year-old to help bolster their midfield at a reasonable price of around £30m.
In summary, Paqueta at 27 is in his prime years, is likely to be playing with greater confidence following the end of his legal battle, and would offer a significant upgrade to the club’s existing back-up options. At £30m it’s a transfer risk worth taking, particularly under a manager like Eddie Howe, who handled Sandro Tonali’s betting suspension in an excellent manner and seamlessly integrated the AC Milan man back into his team, and got him playing with confidence.