West Ham are reportedly working on a deal to sign Arsenal and Newcastle target Lucas Paqueta from Lyon.
Paqueta – who got nine league goals and six assists in 2021-22 – has been heavily linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 club this summer, but Newcastle and Arsenal (both of whom have made contact with his representatives) were put off at the time by Lyon’s £50m valuation.
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But interested parties have been encouraged recently by Lyon reportedly dropping their price to £33m, and now, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic, West Ham have come sniffing.
The Hammers are believed to have submitted an offer to Lyon for the 25-year-old worth £33m and talks are advancing over the fee and personal terms.
Paqueta moved to Lyon from AC Milan for £18m in the summer of 2020 having made the switch to the Serie A side from Flamengo for £35m the year before.
A move for the midfielder would take West Ham’s summer spending over £150m with seven players already through the door at the London Stadium.
The club have signed Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson Palmieri in defence, while goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s loan move was made permanent.
They have also signed Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca in a deal worth up to £35.5million, as well as Burnley’s Maxwel Cornet and midfielder Flynn Downes from Swansea.
Emerson, whose £15m move from Chelsea was announced on Tuesday, insists he can’t wait to get started in claret and blue.
“I’m very happy to be here and to arrive here,” said Emerson.
“It’s a big challenge for me, it’s a big team, so I’m very happy to be here and I’m ready.
“Personally, since the first day I arrived here in England, I always saw the big clubs and I always watched the big games and I knew the history about West Ham.
“The history is so, so big for this team and so when I knew about the interest for sure I said ‘Yes, let’s go, I want to go there’ and I’m here now! I can’t wait to get started in a West Ham shirt.”
Manager David Moyes hopes Emerson can bring his “winning mentality” with him to the club.
“We are very pleased to welcome Emerson to West Ham,” Moyes said on the club website.
“He is an experienced player with a good pedigree, who has enjoyed great success at both club and international level in recent years.
“He will give us strong competition in defensive areas and brings a…
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