West Ham in talks to sign Manchester City star as Lucas Paqueta replacement | OneFootball

West Ham United are reportedly working on a surprise potential transfer deal for Manchester City central midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

The Croatia international is out of favour at Man City at the moment, making just two appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side in all competitions this season.

West Ham have been linked with Kovacic in the past, and now a report from Jornal O Dia claims that they’re back in for him as a possible replacement for Lucas Paqueta.

The Brazilian has been linked with Chelsea but a return to his former club Flamengo currently looks the most likely for him after a difficult season at the London Stadium.

One in, one out in West Ham’s midfield?

West Ham fans will likely have mixed feelings about the prospect of Paqueta leaving, as he’s often been a top performer for them in the past.

The 28-year-old was at one point linked with Man City after impressing in east London, but it’s fair to say his form has gone quite a long way downhill in more recent times.

Mateo Kovacic in action for Manchester City last season (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

This could mean West Ham now shift Paqueta and look for a replacement this January, with Kovacic perhaps a better option to help Nuno Espirito Santo’s side improve and escape the relegation zone in the second half of the season.

Even if Kovacic is no longer looking good enough to play regularly at City, he could surely still do a job for most other Premier League clubs.

The 31-year-old has had a great career at the highest level, representing the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid, winning the Champions League four times and other major honours like the Premier League title.

That kind of experience could be invaluable for WHUFC at the moment, with Kovacic looking like someone who could add real leadership and winning mentality to a team who’ve been in short supply of those qualities for a while now.

West Ham fans will hope for an update on these stories soon, while the situation of their manager will also surely be something to watch if results don’t improve soon.

Nuno did a great job at former club Nottingham Forest, but he’s struggled to lift this Hammers side out of their slump since replacing Graham Potter back in September.