Manchester City’s ambitions of signing Lucas Paqueta from West Ham United have hit an unexpected roadblock.
Sky Sports claim that the once imminent deal is now on the edge of collapsing due to an unforeseen halt in negotiations.
West Ham reportedly do not want to part ways with Paqueta, even if the deal promises to be financially enticing.
The Hammers’ reluctance stems from a pragmatic concern. They fear relinquishing Paqueta would leave them no time to secure a replacement, especially with the Premier League already kicking off.
With four years left on his current contract, West Ham are in no hurry to sell after securing his services for £51 million last summer.
However, the prospect of working under the guidance of Pep Guardiola is tempting for Paqueta.
He has an £85 million buyout clause in his contract, but this cannot be triggered until next summer.
City will keep trying to sign the former AC Milan star and hope to convince West Ham to let him go.
West Ham are currently trying to wrap up deals after a slow start to the summer transfer window.
They have signed Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, but remain in the market for several other players.
Centre-back and striker are their priority requirements, while another midfielder would not go amiss with Flynn Downes set to join Southampton on loan.
They will be desperate to avoid undertaking additional work to find a replacement for Paqueta if he jumps ship to Man City over the next few days.
