‘He’s off’ - Shock Lucas Paqueta claims emerge that West Ham fans will hate

Darren Bent believes Lucas Paqueta will leave West Ham United this summer if Manchester City renew their interest.

David Moyes revealed last year that the treble winners had tabled a bid for the Brazilian. However, the approach was swiftly rejected, with West Ham reportedly holding out for £100million.

That is almost double the fee paid to sign the Brazilian from Lyon in 2022. The Hammers staved off competition from several European heavyweights to lure Paqueta to the London Stadium.

After a slow start, the 26-year-old soon became a fans’ favourite for his South American flair. Paqueta was key in winning the Conference League last season and is starring again as West Ham bid for the Europa League.

Selling him last summer was never a plausible option given Declan Rice’s big-money move to Arsenal. Ultimately, an FA betting probe killed Man City’s interest as Pep Guardiola switched his focus elsewhere.

The Hammers’ talisman remains under investigation and broke his silence last week to publicly thank Moyes. He made a winning return to Brazil duty against England during their 1-0 win at Wembley.

There are now suggestions Man City could be tempted to make another approach for Paqueta providing he is cleared by the FA. A potential exit may also depend on what UEFA competition West Ham are playing in next season.

“He won’t be there,” former Tottenham Hotspur striker Bent told talkSPORT. “They’d like to keep him, but he’ll be at a Champions League team next season. West Ham could be in the Champions League next season. But Man City will be in the Champions League and, if they offer £80million, he’s off.”