Manchester City Cleared to Finalize £60m Transfer from Premier League Opponent

Manchester City seems to be on the brink of finally securing a transfer for a Premier League star they’ve had their eye on for a while. This summer, the club made some exciting signings like Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait-Nouri as they prepared for the Club World Cup in the United States. However, since their exit from that tournament last month, they’ve only added young midfielder Sverre Nypan and goalkeeper James Trafford to their roster.

This summer has seen a significant overhaul at City, with several players looking likely to leave. Vitor Reis and Claudio Echeverri are nearing loan exits, and veterans like Ederson and Ilkay Gundogan are being linked to moves away from the club. Even with all the money spent, questions still linger about the defensive setup and how they’ll fill the gap left by Kevin De Bruyne while also bringing Rodri back into the fold after his lengthy recovery from an ACL injury last season.

Recent reports suggest that West Ham United has noticeably reduced its asking price for Lucas Paqueta—down from a hefty £100 million due to last year’s failed transfer amidst investigations into betting breaches. Now, it seems they’re open to offers ranging from £50 million to £60 million for the Brazilian playmaker, who played a key role in their Conference League victory.

However, despite the chance to bring in a player who’s highly regarded by Guardiola, sources from FourFourTwo indicate that City has shifted its focus and is currently less interested in pursuing Paqueta. The club is going through some changes in how it recruits players, especially with Hugo Viana taking over for Txiki Begiristain, who recently stepped down as Director of Football. It looks like with talented midfielders like Reijnders, Cherki, Phil Foden, and Omar Marmoush already in the mix, Guardiola might not be looking to add any more playmakers to the squad, unless there’s a major player transfer that shakes things up.