No sooner have West Ham lost one midfielder in Declan Rice than it seems another, Lucas Paqueta, wants to move on to pastures new.
David Moyes has endured the worst transfer window of all 20 Premier League clubs, and until this point hadn’t signed anyone at all.
Fortunately for the Scot, Ajax’s Edson Alvarez was confirmed as the club’s first signing early on Thursday morning, and he’s expected to be followed by Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Man United’s Harry Maguire.
Bringing in players right on top of the first fixture of the new season is hardly ideal, but it’s no use the Hammers and their supporters moaning about what’s gone before.
The issue moving forward is that there are still a few weeks left of the current window, and that means that players could be on the move well after the first match of the campaign.
Paqueta was a major influence on West Ham’s 2022/23 season in the end, and it was his sublime pass that sent Jarrod Bowen racing through to win the Europa Conference League in the last minute against Fiorentina.
It appears that the east Londoners are resigned to losing him, however, as Football Insider sources note that they’ve put a price on his head rather than a ‘not for sale’ sign.
Man City have already had a £70m bid turned down for the Brazilian, but a bid of £80m plus add-ons will see Pep Guardiola’s side land their man.