Michael Carrick Seeks Star Player | OneFootball

Though the exact whereabouts of Lucas Paquetá are unknown, the West Ham United midfielder is reportedly in Brazil. He was not rostered for the midweek FA Cup clash against Queens Park Rangers, reputedly at his own request. Numerous sources have claimed that Paquetá is “disillusioned” with England and actively seeking to leave beleaguered West Ham.

Enter a New Suitor

West Ham still see the midfielder, who blends attacking creativity with defensive grit, as a critical part of their relegation survival plans and are reportedly loath to trade him mid-season. An initial offer of $40M from Flamengo was apparently rejected, even though Paquetá had agreed to personal terms and even a pay cut. Paquetá started his career with the Rio club before moving to AC Milan in 2019. 

We recently discovered that there’s a new player expressing interest in the Brazilian: Manchester United. Caretaker manager Michael Carrick, not content bringing in new coaches, is looking to expand his player pool. He’s reportedly asking his football operations team if Lucas could fit in with long term plans, with a potential offer in the $40-$47M range. Jason Wilcox would of course have the final say for incoming transfers, and could set up an interesting dynamic in the United camp.

The Troubles of Paquetá

It’s been a turbulent four years for Paquetá. He arrived at West Ham United in August 2022 from Lyon for a then club-record $66M. His arrival brought immediate flair and creativity to the Hammers’ midfield. He swiftly made his mark in the Premier League, featuring in 28 league matches with 4g/3a in his inaugural season. He also played a pivotal role in West Ham’s UEFA Europa Conference League triumph, West Ham’s first major trophy lift in 43 years.

Outside of the pitch, however, Paquetá was dogged by controversy. The FA launched an investigation in August 2023 into suspicious betting patterns on Paquetá receiving yellow cards in four matches over an eight month period. In May 2024 he was formally charged with spot-fixing and faced a lifetime ban. The investigation revealed that 253 bets, most linked to punters from his hometown in Brazil, had been made. Paquetá robustly denied involvement and he was cleared in July 2025 by an independent commission who determined that the charges could not be proven given insufficient evidence.

That investigation was costly, as it derailed a $100m+ transfer to Manchester City, and took a significant toll on Paquetá personally. While his on field performance remained solid in the 2023-24 season (he contributed 4g/6a in 31 games), he did suffer a dip in form the following season. After only scoring four goals in 2024-25, his 2025-26 season to date matched that total, but also saw him growing increasingly frustrated as West Ham became mired in a relegation battle. After drawing a red card for dissent in the match against Liverpool, the club offered him counseling (though this was disputed by the player in social media).

Still Valuable

At 28 year old, Lucas Paquetá is still in his prime and is a proven commodity within the Premier League ecosystem, hence Carrick’s interest.