“I do believe…”: Journalist shares latest on Man United pursuit of £60m-plus rated star

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been linked with a move away from the club in recent months.

Manchester United have been linked with the player recently, but Dean Jones believes that the talk of a move to Manchester United is just a rumour.

Jones believes that there were legitimate links with Tottenham and Aston Villa in the past, and those moves could be much more feasible.

He told TEAMtalk: “The rumours about United and Paqueta don’t really make sense and I’m skeptical about why they would spend upwards of £60million on him any time soon.

“I do believe we are coming into a time when the player himself is starting to get itchy feet and wants a new club and a bigger contract, but he does not fit what I understand United to be looking for and – so far – I have not heard of this being a deal they are looking to aim for in January.

“He’s not really of the midfield profile they want at the moment, apart from already being in the Premier League.

“The links to Spurs and Villa were legitimate ones and at the right price, maybe those sort of deals become feasible again, but West Ham are not going to let him leave on the cheap even at a time when they are pretty limited on what they can spend on the transfer market themselves.”

It remains to be seen how the situation develops. West Ham could demand in excess of £60 million for the player.

It is no secret that Manchester United need a quality midfielder, and the Brazilian has the quality to improve them. However, the deal seems unlikely so far.

Manchester United will need to improve in the middle of the park if they want to fight for major trophies. Paqueta will add workrate, creativity and drive to the side. He is well-settled in English football, and he could make an instant impact at Old Trafford.

Paqueta will want to compete at the highest level, and he will hope that a top club comes in for him. An exit in January seems unlikely. West Ham are in a precarious position after a poor start to the season. They are fighting for survival, and selling one of their best players could be a huge setback.

Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.