West Ham United may face a battle to keep Lucas Paqueta at London Stadium this summer amid emerging interest from Paris Saint-Germain, 90min understands.
The 25-year-old was named in UEFA's Europa Conference League team of the tournament after helping to end West Ham's 43-year wait for a major trophy in early June. The Brazilian set up Jarrod Bowen's stoppage-time winner against Fiorentina, sparking wild celebrations in Prague as the Hammers won the game 2-1.
Paqueta became West Ham's record signing last summer, moving to the club from Lyon in a deal worth £50m with additional add-ons, and has established himself as a firm fans' favourite after growing in stature during the 2022/23 season.
The Brazilian needed some time to adjust to pace of the Premier League but turned in a number of impressive performance during the second half of the campaign, playing a pivotal role as West Ham not only warded off the threat of relegation but also steamrolled to unexpected European success.
West Ham will play in next season's Europa League as a result, though their preparations for the new season have been rocked by Arsenal and Manchester City's very public pursuit of Declan Rice. The 24-year-old is expected to leave London Stadium this summer to further his career ambitions, but the club's £100m asking price is yet to be met despite a number of bids being made.
And West Ham may have another problem on their hands if Ligue 1 giants PSG decide to follow up on their interest in Paqueta. Sources have confirmed to 90min that the former Champions League finalists are keeping tabs on his situation, knowing the player has recently changed representatives.
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90min has learned that Paqueta wasn't overly enthused by West Ham's performances in the Premier League last season, which saw the club lose 20 of the 38 games they played to finish 14th.
There are also concerns within Paqueta's camp over whether David Moyes' style suits his game and plays to his strengths - the Scot often asks his defensive line to sit deep and absorb pressure before looking to hit opposition teams on the counter.
Paqueta's change of agent doesn't necessarily point to a desire to leave the club, but certainly raises eyebrows over whether he's considering his long-term future in east London. He remains a regular starter in the Brazil national team and was previously a target for Arsenal and Newcastle prior to joining West Ham.
West Ham are unlikely to entertain any bids that come in for Paqueta, with their focus firmly on replacing Rice in the centre of midfield. Fulham's Joao Palhinha and Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips are two players firmly on the club's radar, while there's also interest in former Chelsea loanee Denis Zakaria and a long-term admiration for Everton's Amadou Onana. A number of other midfield options both at home and abroad are also being considered.
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This article was originally published on 90min as West Ham could face battle to keep Lucas Paqueta.
