Manchester City ‘agree personal terms’ with £85 million Premier League midfielder

Premier League champions Manchester City have reportedly ‘agreed personal terms’ with West Ham and Brazil international Lucas Paqueta.

Txiki Begiristain and his transfer-focussed officials at the Etihad Stadium will be hard at work constructing plans for the forthcoming transfer window, despite Pep Guardiola and his players undoubtedly remaining attentive to on-field duties.

Manchester City remain on course for an unprecedented back-to-back Treble triumph, taking on Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League to accompany their run in the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup.

However, while Guardiola’s squad may be fit for the task this campaign, concerns of the future of players in his roster means that club officials will likely be called into action this summer to ensure the Catalan’s side remains competitive.

As such, that brings the reigning Premier League champions to the negotiating table for a new central midfielder, amid concerns over the futures of Kalvin Phillips and Bernardo Silva, with a name familiar to most supporters emerging as a strong candidate for a potentially vacant role.

According to the information of Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, Manchester City have now reached an agreement on personal terms – including contract duration and salary – with West Ham and Brazil midfield star Lucas Paquetá.

While it is stated that there are no negotiations or talks taking place between West Ham and Manchester City, it is claimed that the player’s agents expect the two clubs to negotiate a transfer this summer.

Those within the London Stadium club are understood to value their star midfielder at in excess of £80 million, while there is a feeling in some quarters that Manchester City pitched in with a proposal north of that sum during the previous summer market.

Interest from the north-west club emerged following Kevin De Bruyne’s long-term hamstring problem, as well as Ilkay Gundogan’s departure for FC Barcelona, and a concern within the club that Pep Guardiola would not have the necessary depth at his disposal to compete.

Despite that deal collapsing due to an ongoing Football Association investigation into gambling allegations, Manchester City appear to remain interested in the player’s services, and negotiations could resume in the coming weeks.