West Ham United have made a “special” £20 million player a top target to replace Lucas Paqueta should he leave, according to a recent report.
The Hammers have made a disappointing start to life under Julen Lopetegui, with three wins from 11 Premier League games already putting the Spaniard under pressure from the fanbase.
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West Ham news
Lopetegui will know that he needs to start turning results around fairly quickly or he will not last much longer in the job. The Spaniard will be hoping he can get to January and, with the board’s help, add some players to his squad who could improve their chances of climbing the table.
However, Lopetegui looks to be a manager who is very close to the sack, as it was reported at the end of October that West Ham were sounding out potential replacements already. Former FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao is one candidate who could replace him, as the Hammers have made contact with the current free agent.
But as of yet, Lopetegui remains the West Ham manager, and whether he does or not, the east London side look to be in a good position to add a defender to their ranks in January. West Ham are “well-placed” to sign Tariq Lamptey in January as Brighton look to move him on before the end of the season, as he will otherwise leave for nothing.
Lamptey is not the only player the Hammers have their eye on ahead of January, as they are also after someone who could replace Lucas Paqueta.
West Ham target “special” £20m player to replace Paqueta
According to The Sun, West Ham have made James McAtee a top target to replace Paqueta should he leave. Coming through the ranks at Manchester City, 22-year-old McAtee has had two loan spells at Sheffield United, where he impressed both times, while he is now part of the squad at the Etihad.
McAtee, who has been dubbed “special” by Pep Guardiola in the past, has played six times for City in all competitions so far this season, scoring one goal, which came in the Champions League against Slovan Bratislava earlier this season. The England Under-21 international has started just three games, coming in the Community Shield and the Carabao Cup.
This report states that West Ham fear they could lose Paqueta in January due to interest from Brazilian side Botafogo, and he could be sold for the right price. Therefore, the Hammers are looking for potential replacements – and they see McAtee as his successor.
He has struggled for regular minutes this season with City, so a move may not be impossible in the new year. The Premier League champions could look to get around £20 million for McAtee, which is said to not be a problem for West Ham.
