As West Ham defeated Freiburg 5-0 on Thursday, March 14, to advance in the Europa League, Alan Pardew gushed over the “special” Lucas Paqueta live on air.
Since joining the Hammers in August 2022, the Brazilian star has been an amazing player. He was unstoppable as the team overcame a one-goal deficit against the Bundesliga team to proceed to the competition’s quarterfinals.
David Moyes benched James Ward-Prowse, thus Paqueta got off to a far more central start than normal and scored the game’s first goal.
Pardew said, “In any team, you need the brains, especially at the top of the pitch, to pick and choose the right moments to pass, like James Maddison at Tottenham,” during a live interview on talkSPORT on Thursday, March 14, at 6:06 p.m.
“Paqueta is excellent at his job; he performs the same duties at West Ham.” Scholars speak of him in a unique way, and it is evident that he is a unique genius. They have a great chance of holding onto him come summertime.
Will West Ham United retain Lucas Paqueta during the summer transfer window?
It is thought that rival clubs are keeping an eye on the midfield player given his great individual performances and overall impact on the West Ham squad.
Despite having attempted to sign the Brazilian before the current campaign began, Manchester City is reportedly still interested in him ahead of the summer window.
The loss of the talisman would genuinely shatter Moyes’ team’s heart and leave a gaping hole that would be extremely difficult to fill.
James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus, and Jarrod Bowen are all really talented players, but as Paqueta’s injury earlier in the season demonstrated, his colleagues will probably be left behind at the London Stadium.
After Paqueta sustained an injury at the end of 2023, the Hammers lost eight straight games, lost to Arsenal by six goals, and were eliminated from the FA Cup by Championship team Bristol City.
On Monday, February 26, when he was put back into the starting lineup, West Ham defeated Brentford 4-2 to record their first win of 2024. The following week, they defeated Everton 3-1.
Just a coincidence? Perhaps. Significant to West Ham under Moyes? Of course.
In other West Ham news, Kalvin Phillips has received a call from Gareth Southgate.