Newcastle United ‘line up £52m January swoop for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta’ as Eddie Howe seeks more midfield quality… after the Brazilian’s Man City move collapsed amid FA betting probe
- Paqueta, 26, saw an £85m summer move to Manchester City collapse
- But the Brazilian could be a target for Newcastle in the January transfer window
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off!
Newcastle United are reportedly considering a £52million swoop for West Ham’s Brazilian star Lucas Paqueta in January.
The 26-year-old midfielder was linked with Manchester City over the summer but the move collapsed after the Football Association opened an investigation into alleged betting breaches.
Mail Sport revealed the probe – related to bets on in-game incidents such as bookings as opposed to the outcomes of West Ham’s matches – back in August. Paqueta denies placing any bets himself.
But according to Fichajes, that hasn’t deterred long-time admirers Newcastle, who could line up a bid in the next window.
Eddie Howe is keen to add more quality as his team prepare to compete in the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
Lucas Paqueta has been linked with a January move from West Ham to Newcastle United
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is reportedly a big admirer of the Brazilian midfielder
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They have been handed a tough draw against Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund but acquiring Paqueta would offer a boost for the second-half of the campaign regardless of whether they get through the group.
Paqueta scored five goals and contributed seven assists during his debut season for West Ham after a £51m move from Lyon in August 2022.
He set up Jarrod Bowen to score West Ham’s winner in the UEFA Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in Prague.
Although West Ham are in the Europa League this season as a result, Newcastle’s offer of Champions League football and a top four challenge could prove alluring to the Brazilian.
They are likely to demand a higher transfer fee, however, with the summer asking price for City believed to be around £85m.
Howe already has the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali at his disposal in midfield with the Italian only joining from AC Milan for £52m.
The FA investigation into Paqueta is still in its infancy with the player yet to be formally interviewed about the betting allegations.
West Ham lost 3-1 at home to City on Saturday, while Newcastle defeated Brentford 1-0.
Paqueta gets a huge from Pep Guardiola during Saturday’s game – his £85m move to Manchester City collapsed last month amid an FA investigation into alleged betting breaches
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