Lucas Paqueta has been asked about the supposed interest in him from Manchester City while on international duty with Brazil.
The West Ham United star is currently gearing up for games against England and Spain, where he will have the opportunity to earn his 43rd and 44th caps.
Paqueta has enjoyed a great season with West Ham so far, making 33 appearances and scoring seven goals and making six assists.
It is possible that City have been watching his progress carefully, considering the club were heavily linked last summer. In fact, Fabrizio Romano claimed last night that a deal was ‘really, really advanced’. Apparently, as per Sky Sports, a deal was in the pipeline worth around £80 million.
Ahead of Brazil’s match with Spain, Paqueta was actually asked about Manchester City’s interest…
Lucas Paqueta refuses to be drawn on reported Manchester City interest
When Paqueta sat down to speak to the media, it was perhaps inevitable that there would be a transfer-related question.
He has played brilliantly this term, and he perhaps would not even have been at West Ham had it not been for that betting investigation. Apparently, this was one key reason why City walked away last summer.
Today, Paqueta was put in a tricky spot as he was asked directly about the interest from City. But the South American would not be drawn on the links, saying: “I have a lot of respect for my club, which is West Ham. I’ve been having a very good season and that has helped me a lot in my evolution in the Premier League.
“So I think that out of respect for them, I have to stay focused on my duty at West Ham and keep working.”
A good, professional response
This is exactly the kind of response Paqueta should have given.
There was an opportunity to perhaps signal his intent, but it’s not really what players do in public and it is important to be respectful to the club you represent, even if you know you may be leaving them in the near future.
His comments indicate professionalism, and suggest he is very much focused on the jobs at hand right now.
There have been quite a few stories linking Paqueta with City over the past few months, with Pep Guardiola said to be a really big fan of the player. Hopefully, that investigation into suspicious betting will soon be officially over, and City can make their move in the summer.