Man City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Tuesday that Kevin De Bruyne will be out for several months and following that news, the Premier League champions will press ahead with a new signing.
That is according to the Daily Mail’s Jack Gaughan, who reports that City will now push towards finalising a deal for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, who the London club value at around £80m.
The Brazilian only joined West Ham last summer after being part of a deal worth around £51m with Lyon.
The 25-year-old had a positive first season in English football and often showed his talent within a struggling West Ham team. Had the Hammers provided him with a lethal goalscorer upfront, the Brazil international would have had more than the four goals and three assists he bagged across 28 Premier League matches.
This is a needed signing following the news on Tuesday that Kevin De Bruyne will be out of action for several months following the injury he sustained against Burnley on Friday.
Guardiola spoke today about the extent of De Bruyne’s injury and said via Sky Sports: “We have to decide if it’s surgery or not surgery but he will be out for a few months. It will be decided in the next few days.
“Surgery is surgery. He will be out for three or four months.”
Paqueta is an exciting signing for Man City to make but it remains to be seen if they can get it done.