In a recent report from ChronicleLive, it was stated that West Ham United acquired this highly rated Olympique Lyonnais midfielder, Lucas Paqueta, which was seemingly off the table if not for the intermediary who made it possible for a deal to be finalised before the deadline day. The Hammers had to pay a £36.7 million transfer fee with £14.5 million in add-ons to make it a record-breaking £51.3 million deal for the East London club.
Paqueta’s Impressive Form At The Groupama Stadium
Paqueta has established himself as a key player for Lyon as he put in a run of impressive displays in the final third last season. The 24-year-old found the back of the net on 11 occasions and created seven assists over 43 appearances for the French club in the previous campaign in multiple competitions.
The Brazilian sensation caught the eye by averaging 2.5 shots, 1.2 key passes and 2.3 dribbles per game in Ligue 1. He was even careful when distributing possession in the attacking third after completing 79.6% of his attempted passes in the French top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Can He Make An Immediate Impact At West Ham United?
The Hammers have had a poor start to their Premier League campaign this season as they have only collected four points from the six matches they’ve played so far. They were only victorious against Aston Villa and could hold off Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw whilst getting defeated in the rest of the matches.
David Moyes brought in several major signings to help bolster his squad for playing at a high level and fighting for a top-four finish. However, it hasn’t been working out for the West Ham boss so far.
Paqueta does well to retain possession for his team and remains a decent dribbler of the ball. The Brazil international can create some clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates when on the front foot and has the eye to make some decisive passes down the final third. He could certainly bridge the gaps between the offence and defence to transition the ball forward. The East London club lacks productivity in the attacking third, so the Brazilian playmaker could make use of his creativity to make some decent chances in front of the goal allowing his teammates to capitalise in such scenarios.
