A Chelsea mainstay could now return to action after the international break following an injury blow he sustained, according to reports.
Pochettino picks up form
Since late September, the west Londoners have started to pick up real momentum following a pretty dismal start to the Premier League season and Mauricio Pochettino's reign as manager.
Indeed, Chelsea have lost just once in all competitions since beating Brighton 1-0 in the EFL Cup third round; sealing precious victories against the likes of Burnley, Fulham and Tottenham while also giving league champions Man City a real run for their money.
In what can only be described as the game of the season so far, Pochettino's men sealed a dramatic 4-4 draw against City at Stamford Bridge prior to internationals – a match which winger Raheem Sterling won't be forgetting in a hurry.
"We've played against one of the best, if not the best, teams from the past seven or eight years and we've had a right go at them," said Sterling.
"We played with such belief and intensity but, in the end, it's certainly a good point for us. It's been a good week [beating Spurs and drawing with City]. We've said for a while now, it's been stepping stones all season for us.
"Little things we've been working on we're starting to build on now and you can see the belief in the squad, as we've just gone toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the world.
"It was important we stood up to City, because they're a team if you sit off them and show them too much respect, they can easily punish you. We stood up to them, were aggressive in our pressing and all the boys showed a real intensity. We showed real character and were rewarded in the end."
One player who missed the epic encounter was defender Levi Colwill, who was forced to sit out with a shoulder injury.
Colwill could now return vs Newcastle
The Englishman, who had started all 11 of Chelsea's league games prior to City, was also withdrawn from the Three Lions squad. Now, an update has come to light on his shoulder problem, with The Evening Standard claiming Colwill could return against Newcastle and play the clash with Eddie Howe's side.
Levi Colwill
The 20-year-old was thought to be a doubt for the game, but Colwill's reintroduction is now entirely possible as the Blues gear up for what will be a tough contest. During his loan at Brighton last year, the versatile ace earned many admirers with Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi heaping praise on Colwill and his "fantastic" ability.
Aerial duels
Passing
Concentration
“I think the best example of courage was Colwill in this game," said De Zerbi.
“We defended man-to-man and Colwill’s man was Odegaard. Colwill went 90 minutes to defend with Odegaard 80 metres from Jason Steele. This is courage.
“I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years because it’s difficult to find another left centre-back with his qualities.
“He’s a good guy, he’s improving a lot. This year his improvement has been fantastic and I hope he can stay with us.”
West Ham United boss David Moyes should drop one of his regular starters at the London Stadium as he does not fit a possession-based style of play, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.
West Ham United's up and down season
In the Premier League, West Ham sit 12th in the table having taken 14 points from their first 11 fixtures; nevertheless, Scottish boss Moyes has had to battle with a recent slump in form at the London Stadium. Questions surrounding Moyes' future have never been far away in East London, with a report from Football Insider last month claiming that a decision on his tenure could be set to unfold later this campaign.
The former Everton manager remains in his post for now and secured a much-needed victory on Thursday against Olympiacos in the Europa League, as a strike in the 73rd minute from Lucas Paqueta helped to alleviate some of the pressure on his shoulders.
Winning just his second match in seven games, Moyes complimented his side for navigating their way through a challenging tie against the Greek outfit, stating: "We were a bit gritty, we could have done some things better, but overall winning the games in Europe is really important. Tonight was a tough opponent, it really was, and it proved that way at Olympiacos and it was again tonight."
Domestic momentum has been something that has evaded the Hammers in recent times, though they could potentially move into the top half of the Premier League standings if they defeat Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium on Sunday Already undertaking his pre-match press conference duties before the Nottingham Forest clash, Moyes has indicated that it is too soon to know whether club captain Kurt Zouma will return from knee issues to play a part against the Tricky Trees.
Frank McAvennie not happy with Tomas Soucek
Speaking to Football Insider, pundit McAvennie has claimed West Ham boss Moyes should drop midfielder Tomas Soucek, or he will have a "problem".
Tomas Soucek statistics for West Ham in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)
Appearances
16
Goals
4
Assists
1
McAvennie also indicated that he would like to see Moyes alter the Hammers' style of play, as he stated: "We’re a really good team with really good players and we don’t need to counter-attack. He doesn’t have to, we have players that can keep the ball for fun.
West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek.
"Moyes is playing Soucek but I don’t think he’s been hitting the heights that he has been. He’s a good player, but David is going to have a problem. Mohammed Kudus can’t get out of the team now, Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, James Ward-Prowse – you’ve got all these midfield players. They’re better than just counter-attacking.
“He’s going to have a headache. For me, they should all be playing before Soucek. He’s shown little flashes but for me, he’s not been influential the way he was.”
Of course, the Czech international has been linked with the likes of Serie A giants Inter Milan in recent times; nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see what the near future holds for Soucek.
رغم نجاح نادي الزمالك في إنهاء قضية اللاعب المغربي خالد بوطيب، وذلك بعد توصل مجلس الإدارة إلى اتفاق مع محاميه بشأن سداد المستحقات المالية المتأخرة، إلا أن “سيستم” الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” كشف عن استمرار إيقاف القيد للقلعة البيضاء بسبب قضايا أخرى.
وكان الزمالك يعاني خلال الأيام الماضية من أزمة مستحقات بو طيب الصادر بها حكم من الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” والتي هددت مشاركة الأبيض في البطولة القارية.
وأرسل الاتحاد الدولي “فيفا” خطابًا للزمالك يبلغه بانتهاء قضية خالد بوطيب بعد تسديد مبلغ مليون يورو للاعب، وجدولة باقي المبلغ الذي يُقدر بـ مليون و400 ألف يورو.
وتتبقى على الزمالك ثلاث قضايا أخرى تتعلق بمستحقات مالية لمساعدي المدرب السابق جوسفالدو فيريرا، وهي قضايا روي أجواش، وأندريه أوليفيرا ودانيال جونزاليس.
طالع أيضًا | الزمالك يكشف عن باقي مستحقات مساعدي فيريرا وكواليس حل أزمة بوطيب
ويسعى مجلس إدارة الزمالك حاليًا إلى حل هذه القضايا في أقرب وقت ممكن، لإنهاء إيقاف القيد تمامًا، علمًا بأن المبالغ المستحقة في القضايا الثلاث المذكورة لن تشكل عائقًا أمام إمكانية سدادها.
وتأتي هذه الخطوة لتُبشر جماهير الزمالك بقرب عودة النادي إلى سوق الانتقالات الصيفية، وتعزيز صفوف الفريق بلاعبين جدد لمساعدة الفريق على تحقيق طموحاته في الموسم الجديد.
Tottenham will reportedly allow one player of theirs to move away in the January transfer window, and a big name club are at "work" to sign him.
Postecoglou shorter of options at Spurs
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is having to contend with a growing list of absentees at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Both Micky van de Ven and James Maddison pulled up with injuries during Spurs' 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday, while Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are currently suspended and ineligible for selection after their sending-offs against Mauricio Pochettino's side.
Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon, Alfie Whiteman and Ben Davies are also out through injury at the moment, while both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr will depart at the start of next year for their Africa Cup of Nations campaigns. Richarlison will also be out through surgery on a pubic bone issue.
After what's been a truly electric start to Postecoglou's tenure at Spurs, having won eight out of their opening eleven Premier League games, things could take a downward turn given Tottenham's glaring lack of squad depth. However, perhaps surprisingly, there are still reports this week that midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could depart north London in the winter window.
Spurs green-light Hojbjerg exit
The Dane has been linked with a move away regularly since Postecoglou's arrival. For the longest time, he barely caught a glimpse of first-team action with Juventus eyeing a move for Hojbjerg to bolster their midfield.
There has been an update on this from Italian news outlet TUTTOmercatoWEB, who claim that Spurs are willing to green-light a Hojbjerg exit despite their current issues. Tottenham "can let him leave" in January, according to TMW, but would prefer a permanent deal rather than a loan.
Regardless of Tottenham's stance over a temporary deal, it is believed that Juve continue to "work" on a loan with their club directors Cristiano Giuntoli and Giovanni Manna recently travelling to London. Indeed, they were in apparently the English capital to schedule transfer summits over the likes of Hojbjerg and fellow transfer target Kalvin Phillips.
Hojbjerg "very important" to Ange
The former Southampton star has been described as a "very important" player by Postecoglou, who was speaking last month about Hojbjerg to English media.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
“It is obvious someone that has played regularly would have wanted to play more but ultimately our performances have been strong and he has had to bide his time," said Postecoglou on Hojbjerg.
“He has also been very important in a lot of the games that we’ve won late or had to shore up late. He has been one of the people who has helped us and it is not like he hasn’t contributed at all. He’s been a really important part for us. We wouldn’t be in this position if we were just reliant on our starting XI.
“It is something we impress on all of the guys that as disappointed as you are at not starting, it doesn’t mean you are not playing. You are still playing at some point and what you do with those minutes will help us be successful and push your own cause.
“With Pierre, he is a professional and very determined."
تحدث إيلكاي جوندوجان لاعب وسط برشلونة وقائد منتخب ألمانيا عن مواجهة كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024” أمام إسبانيا.
ويلتقي المنتخب الإسباني مع نظيره الألماني غدًا الجمعة في ربع نهائي كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024”.
وقال جوندوجان في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “أحاول دائمًا تقديم أفضل ما لدي في كل ما أقوم به، لقد كان موسمًا صعبًا للغاية، لكنني لا أشتكي”.
وأضاف: “في كرة القدم، مع الخبرة، تتعلم كيفية الاعتناء بنفسك، ومعرفة حدودك، وقبل كل شيء، أن تتمتع بعقلية قوية في الأوقات الجيدة والسيئة”.
وواصل: “بالنسبة لي، لعب كرة القدم هو امتياز أستمتع به كل يوم، وهذه الحالة الذهنية تساعدني في الحفاظ على أفضل مستوى ممكن”.
وأردف: “في نهاية الموسم مع برشلونة شعرت بالتعب قليلاً، في مبارياتنا التجريبية قبل اليورو، لم ألعب أكثر من 90 دقيقة وقاموا باستبدالي قبل ذلك بقليل، لذلك لم تعد القوة خلال هذه الأسابيع عالية، وفي الوقت المناسب لمباراتنا الأولى ضد اسكتلندا، شعرت أنني بحالة جيدة مرة أخرى”.
اقرأ أيضًا | سكالوني يعلن دعمه لـ إسبانيا في يورو 2024 قبل مواجهة ألمانيا: اللقب لهم
وانتقل جوندوجان للحديث عن مواجهة إسبانيا وأفاد: “إنهم بلا شك أحد أفضل الفرق في هذه البطولة، ربما إلى جانب ألمانيا، وأعتقد أن هناك شعورًا كبيرًا بالاحترام المتبادل لصفات الفريقين”.
وواصل: “أعتقد أن الطريقة التي ندير بها الوتيرة بدون الكرة يمكن أن تكون مفتاح المباراة، من يتأقلم بشكل أفضل بدون الاستحواذ، أيضًا على المستوى العقلي”.
وعن لامين يامال زميله في برشلونة ولاعب إسبانيا، أوضح جوندوجان: “إنه لاعب رائع وهو يبلغ من العمر 16 عامًا، ويمكن أن يكون عمره 20 أو 21 عامًا وسيظل كما هو”.
وتابع: “ربما يكون أحد أكثر اللاعبين الشباب موهبة اليوم، لقد استمتعت كثيرًا معه هذا الموسم، وأمامه مستقبل عظيم، سيكون من المهم حمايته من الضغوط التي تتراكم حوله”.
وحول نيكو ويليامز، أكد: “إنه أيضًا موهوب جدًا ويمتلك أسلوبًا جريئًا في اللعبة وهو ما أراه أيضًا في لامين يامال، إنهم لاعبون شباب يلعبون على ما يبدو دون ضغوط، وهذا أمر يستحق الإعجاب بالنسبة لي، أتمنى لو كان لدي هذا النوع من المواقف في مثل عمره”.
Nazmul Hassan has accused the players of taking advantage of a ‘free environment in the dressing room’ in the absence of a head coach
Mohammad Isam06-Jun-2018
Raton Gomes
Nazmul Hassan, the BCB president, has once again criticised Bangladesh’s players in the middle of a series. In the wake of their T20I series defeat to Afghanistan, with one match still to play, Hassan has accused them of taking advantage of a “free environment in the dressing room” in the absence of a head coach.”This is very frustrating,” Hassan said. “I think the team is in the same state as it was during the home series against Sri Lanka (in which Bangladesh lost all their matches). It might be that they are missing the decision-maker in the dressing room. They are missing the strictness and the condition they were in the past few years. They are now under a free environment and that might be making the difference.”I was with them in Sri Lanka in the Nidahas Trophy and they played well there. No one accused them after losing matches there. But in Dehradun the team is looking very different. I spoke to them and I think they are blaming the bowling department and I told them you cannot win scoring low.”This is not the first time Hassan has gone after the players or the dressing-room environment in recent months. In February, after Bangladesh’s home-series defeat to Sri Lanka, he said the team was “lacking in planning, strategy, mental strength and teamwork”. Then, during the Nidahas Trophy, he criticised interim head coach Courtney Walsh for his inability to draw up batting plans while giving himself credit for the team’s turnaround after their opening-game loss.Now, Hassan has also questioned Shakib Al Hasan’s captaincy and the batting approach of senior players Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Tamim Iqbal.”There will always be questions over the captaincy,” Hassan said. “Even I questioned him [Shakib] after the first game. I did not speak to anyone after losing the second game. Yes there might have been a change in the dressing room without a coach but then what have they learnt in the past years?”I cannot understand how they can give away wickets despite being set like Mushfiqur, [Mahmudullah] Riyad or even Tamim. There is nothing to make them understand or realise. It is tough for me to understand what they were thinking or had in plan.”
Arsenal possess a rich and lengthy history boasting some of the Premier League’s finest talent, but when so many stars enter the illustrious Emirates, there are bound to be a few that slip through the net.
After all, who could forget that Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time leading scorer and the man who just earned his former employers a cool £100m, was initially a product of the Hale End academy.
“He was a bit chubby and not very athletic,” former Gunners scout Liam Brady would once recall.
Given he has since scored 213 goals in the English top flight, whilst also breaking Wayne Rooney’s record for most England goals, it is fair to say that he got this one wrong.
The 30-year-old marks an outstanding example of how easy it is to write off players as youngsters, perhaps opting for proven senior starters with far less of a ceiling.
Whilst obviously on a far smaller scale, perhaps the same could be said for Chuba Akpom, who too struggled for opportunities in north London, but has since built an impressive career since departing.
How long did Akpom spend at Arsenal?
Having joined up with the academy in 2002, the 6-foot forward was seldom afforded any first-team opportunities under Arsene Wenger despite his stunning numbers within the youth squads.
After all, 33 goals in 50 games for the U21s marked a fine return, but in the end would only merit a meagre 12 senior appearances.
Middlesbrough forward Chuba Akpom.
Such a lack of opportunity likely came due to the numerous loan moves the 27-year-old would endure, with his services touted out seemingly every season, never to return to the Emirates for a chance under the legendary Frenchman.
Frustration was understandable, with temporary spells at Brentford, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Belgian outfit Sint-Truiden all building towards a permanent exit were he not to command a starting spot.
Admittedly, he would score a total of just 13 goals across all of those loans, and had done little to earn Wenger’s approval to start in the most challenging division in the world.
Where is Chuba Akpom now?
Greece would mark the next stop on his journey, enjoying a brief spell at PAOK in 2018 before a blistering return to England kickstarted a career that had promised much but was yet to deliver.
A fine tally of 34 goals in 82 appearances, including 28 in last year’s Championship campaign, helped push Middlesbrough towards the most unlikely of promotion charges, coming so close under Michael Carrick.
Akpom would speak about the former Manchester United midfielder in glowing terms, labelling him as the man who finally unlocked his potential: “He’s the manager I’ve been dreaming of my whole career. Honestly, he’s a pleasure to work with, I go out there and give 110% and I want to fight for the manager because he’s showed so much trust in me.”
akpom chart
Then, with one strike back in March, Sky Sports commentator Gary Weaver boldly dubbed him “the new goalscoring King of Teeside”.
Off the back of such form, European giants Ajax would come calling, where the marksman now plies his trade.
A true fairytale story that has seen a down-and-out dud realign his ambitions, such a rise could provoke a pang of regret from Arsenal, who allowed the clinical ace to leave without testing him at the elite level.
How much was Chuba Akpom worth at Arsenal?
Given the lack of opportunity afforded to Akpom, it was always unlikely that the rest of the footballing world would be aware of the potential lying within the pacey frontman.
As such, Transfermarkt would only value the Englishman at a tiny €1m (£869k), making his potential acquisition for another club a shrewd one.
With PAOK being the unlikely profiteers of this lack of interest, a return to England always felt likely given the numerous chances he had across all those aforementioned clubs.
How much did Ajax sign Chuba Akpom for?
When Akpom did depart north London, few would have predicted a career that led to him returning to the apex of European football elsewhere.
He seemed lost, and the Greek top flight hardly seemed the place to recapture what made him so special at academy level.
Middlesbrough forward Chuba Akpom.
However, now a big-money acquisition of the Dutch side, they brought him in during the summer just gone for a sizable fee of £12.2m. The expectation seems to be that as he enters those prime years, the powerful striker can continue the growth that has led to such a rapid rise back to the top.
What is Chuba Akpom’s market value now?
To truly outline the growth enjoyed throughout that period since departing the Emirates, it is worth noting how Transfermarkt now values the Ajax ace.
After all, despite that aforementioned price tag, their latest valuation only sits at €12m (£10.4m), which is a figure certainly set to rise should such form continue in the Netherlands capital.
Akpom's worth down the years
Transfermarkt valuation
Percentage Change
2023
€12m (£10.4m)
333% increase
2022
€2.8m (£2.4m)
11% decrease
2021
€3.2m (£2.7m)
35% increase
2020
€2.4m (£2m)
53% increase
2019
€1.5m (£1.3m)
N/A
However, when comparing that initial £868k with the fee Ajax paid to sign Akpom, since leaving Arsenal his value has actually soared by 1305%, as if the pain of seeing him score for fun at the Riverside was not tough enough.
Why is Chuba Akpom worth that much?
Whilst the wonderful story that led to Akpom’s recent move is enough to merit the price tag Middlesbrough set, the glowing testimony of his managers and former teammates helps to emphasise that notion.
After all, Carrick has been a vocal leader in earmarking the £27k-per-week star for praise, claiming in March: “It's not easy to score that many goals. He's scored all different type of goals for us since I've been here. I thought his performance was fantastic.
"He gets credit for his goals but his performance all round was terrific. And because we have threats in different areas, he ends up getting a bit more space. To score that many goals, hopefully he can carry on and set a new target for himself.”
Given how Boro have started the new term, with just one win in their opening eight league fixtures, it is clear the impact that the striker had, and just how big a vacancy his exit left.
Akpom will hope to find that scoring touch once again for an Ajax side in turmoil at the moment, with his lethal nature potentially the catalyst to bring the club together once more and reclaim their monopoly over Dutch football.
Campeão da Copinha em 2018, o lateral-direito Caio Felipe retornou ao São Paulo após passagem pelo CSA. O jogador tinha contrato com o clube alagoano até o fim desta temporada, mas como não vinha sendo utilizado por lá, voltou ao CT da Barra Funda. O defensor não faz parte dos planos do técnico Fernando Diniz para a equipe principal do clube do Morumbi.
TABELA >Confira a classificação atualizada do Campeonato Brasileiro
Emprestado em janeiro deste ano para o CSA, Caio Felipe não conseguiu conquistar seu espaço na equipe alagoana e fez apenas cinco partidas por lá. Seu último jogo aconteceu no dia 13 de setembro, quando participou da derrota, por 2 a 1, para o Oeste em duelo válido pela Série B do Brasileirão.
De volta ao São Paulo, seu clube formador, o lateral-direito seguirá trabalhando em horários alternativos no CT da Barra Funda até que seu futuro seja decidido. O atleta, titular na campanha do título da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior em 2018, tem contrato com o Tricolor até o meio de 2022.
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New Zealand’s left-arm spinner claimed Fakhar Zaman with his version of the carrom ball, but now he knows everyone is talking about it
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2018Inspired by watching R Ashwin. Honed in English county cricket. Unfurled against Pakistan in Hamilton. Mitchell Santner’s new delivery, his version of the carrom ball, has been the talk of New Zealand over the last few days.During the fourth one-day international at Seddon Park, Santner defeated Fakhar Zaman, who was well set on 54, when the opener advanced down the pitch and was bowled. Closer inspection revealed Santner had flicked the ball out of his fingers, rather than spinning it in the traditional way for a left-armer, and the delivery gripped to turn the opposite way, from the left-handers leg to off stump.”I’ve been working on a few things and the grip is very similar to Ashwin’s. He used it against us in the Test series over there and I thought ‘yeah, that’s not a bad ball’ so thought I’d give it a crack,” Santner said after New Zealand wrapped up a 5-0 whitewash in Wellington.”I actually used it in county cricket and some of the T20 stuff over there, but on a pitch that suits, it works better because it’s hard to put a lot on it. I am just flicking it out. If there is a little bit of spin, ideally I’d use it a little bit more.”The challenge now for Santner is that everyone is looking for the delivery, which has been termed the “Santner Claw” in New Zealand.”You guys have been analysing it quite a bit now so I might have to put it away,” he joked. “I might have to disguise it a bit more because every time I look up it’s on the big screen. It adds another element to my game. I tend to just work with changes of pace so if one can go the other way it puts a bit of doubt in the batsman’s mind. If you can stay one step ahead, predict what the batsman can do, then it’s ideal.”Santner chipped in with quietly effective performances with the ball during the five one-day internationals: 1 for 34 in Nelson, 1 for 43 in Hamilton (when the carrom ball came out) and then 3 for 40 in Wellington when Pakistan got closest to nipping a victory.He was aided by New Zealand’s quicks having invariably made inroads to leave Pakistan in recovery mode, although at the Basin Reserve responded to his captain’s call to quell a late charge which put New Zealand under a rare spot of pressure. Santner responded with the wickets of Haris Sohail and Shadab Khan, the two half-century makers, before adding Faheem Ashraf”On a holding wicket like that there was more chance for me to get a few wickets and that’s what happened,” he said.New Zealand are unbeaten during their season – 12 victories alongside an abandoned T20 against West Indies – as their attention now turns to the three T20s against Pakistan followed by the marquee part of their summer with the T20 tri-series involving Australia and England before the latter stay for one-day and Test series.”Looking forward to both those series, they are quite big for us,” Santner said. “But first things first it’s the T20s against Pakistan and hopefully we can take the momentum into the tri-series.”
West Ham United look set to lose £150,000-a-week ace as his move away from the London Stadium is more "a matter of when rather than if", per transfers expert Graeme Bailey.
West Ham United news – What's the latest?
There's no escaping from the fact that it just hasn't been a good summer for the Hammers this year.
Things kicked off with the sale of their talismanic club captain Declan Rice, who joined cross-city rivals Arsenal in a deal worth £105m, and whilst that is an undeniably large sum of money, their inability to spend much of it has been a real issue.
The club finally made their first signing of the window last week when they spent £35m on Mexican international Edson Alvarez, a transfer they quickly followed up by signing Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse for a fee of around £30m.
Read the latest West Ham United transfer news HERE…
However, this positivity has been relatively short-lived as the deal to sign former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has now fallen through, and worse yet, the East Londoners look set to lose probably the best midfielder at the club, Lucas Paqueta as Manchester City continue to circle above.
The Irons have made it clear to the treble-winners that they will not accept any offers lower than the player's £85m release clause that will be in place from next summer, having already rejected a £70m offer earlier this week, per the Daily Mail.
That said, there is an air of confidence from Pep Guardiola's side regarding this deal, and according to transfers expert Graeme Bailey it is more a matter of "when rather than if" a deal is agreed – especially with as David Moyes would be "happy to see him go."
West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
He explained the situation on the Talking Transfers podcast, saying:
"The player is desperate to go. He's wanted to go all summer; once he knew Moyes was staying as manager, he wanted out. I think that relationship is, it's not all done and dusted, but for as much as Paqueta might want to leave, I think David Moyes is happy to see him go, so I think it suits both parties.
"It will get done, I think it's going to be about £85m it will get done as. He'll slot in straight away, he's got that Premier League experience as well; it's the perfect signing for City, it really is, Kovacic and Paqueta. We know that Gundogan is virtually irreplaceable, but I tell you what, it's not two bad signings to come in help; it really isn't.
"And City once again proving that they're one of the best performers in the transfer market with this deal. They made the move pretty quietly until, obviously, it emerged ten days ago.
"A matter of when rather than if, Lucas Paqueta will be a Manchester City player before the transfer window closes"
How good is Lucas Paqueta?
To put it bluntly, the £150,000-a-week ace is an excellent player, and whilst he didn't quite hit the heady heights that many thought he might last season, he was still one of West Ham's best performers and showed enough moments of sheer magic to convince the City Group that he could be a superstar under Guardiola.
According to Sofascore, the former Lyon man averaged a pretty impressive match rating of 6.95 across his 28 Premier League games last year, scoring four goals from an expected goal number of 4.4, providing three assists from an expected assist number of just 2.63 and maintaining a passing accuracy of 80%.
His underlying numbers are just as impressive and help to show a slightly busier and more physical side to him than people might expect.
West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Brazilian sits in the top 1% for tackles, the top 2% for blocks, the top 5% for clearances, the top 6% for aerial duals won, the top 7% for progressive passes, and the top 16% for passes attempted, all per 90.
Hailed as a "joy to watch" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 25-year-old truly is a special player to observe, something former teammate Gianluca Scamacca clearly agreed with as he described the dynamic midfielder as "brilliant."
Ultimately, while the Hammers would undoubtedly be better off keeping their man for a little while longer, if City do end up paying them more than £80m, they can at least walk away with a significant profit after watching Paqueta play for a year in East London.