LOPETEGUI COULD BIN PAQUETA TO UNLEASH WEST HAM ACADEMY STAR
West Ham United are going to part ways with David Moyes after the conclusion of the 2023/24 Premier League season, ending an illustrious partnership that has seen three European campaigns, winning the Europa Conference League last year.
Moyes has achieved great things in east London and has recorded successive top-seven finishes after West Ham recorded such a finish only once since the 2008/09 campaign - under Slaven Bilic in 2015/16.
Declan Rice's rise and rise from the academy to play a central role in the success has been one of the glowing successes of the Scotsman's reign, while a strengthened squad across all areas has set incoming manager Julen Lopetegui up for success.
But what does that look like? Hammers supporters are worried that appointing the Spaniard has been a circumspect decision, edging away from past interest in exciting Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, aged 39, who plays delightful football and has won a wealth of silverware in Portugal to boot.
Amorim is understood to have a £13m release clause in his contract, perhaps dissuading Tim Steidten and co from accelerating interest. Time will tell if Lopetegui's experience will pay off for West Ham.
Moyes has tacitly resigned himself to his fate at this stage and indeed he cut a forlorn figure during his struggling side's 5-0 loss against Chelsea last weekend - it was the visage of a manager who has accepted their looming departure.
His £51m club-record signing, Lucas Paqueta, continued his dramatic decline as he awaits a probable transfer this summer. Should that happen, the incoming boss could strike gold immediately by dropping the Brazilian for an up-and-coming prospect.
Lucas Paqueta's season in numbers
Paqueta has been a sensational addition to the West Ham fold, instrumental in securing silverware last season and even playing the surgical threaded pass through to Jarrod Bowen against Fiorentina last June, who then bagged the late winning goal in the Conference League final.
His exploits last term led former midfield peer Rice to praise his "mind-boggling" ability, but he has raised his game even higher this season with displays that have colourfully highlighted Manchester City's interest.
In all competitions this season, the 26-year-old has scored eight goals and seven assists, blending attacking sharpness with defensive solidity - it is the balanced nature of his skill set that has skyrocketed him into a position as one of the Premier League's leading playmakers.
As per FBref, the Brazil international ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 2% for tackles and the top 4% for aerial duels won per 90.
| Lucas Paqueta: PL Stats Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | 22/23 | 23/24 |
| Matches played | 28 | 29 |
| Matches started | 27 | 29 |
| Goals | 4 | 4 |
| Assists | 3 | 6 |
| G/A Rate | 0.25 | 0.34 |
| Pass completion | 80% | 75% |
| Big chances created | 3 | 12 |
| Touches per game | 57.2 | 66.1 |
| Shots per game | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| Key passes per game | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Dribbles per game | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Ball recoveries per game | 6.0 | 6.4 |
| Tackles per game | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| Duels won per game | 6.1 | 7.8 |
| All stats via Sofascore |
Alternating between a wide and central attacking midfield role, Paqueta has proven himself and it's no wonder that Pep Guardiola's side view him as an "ideal" target despite his £85m release clause.
All this said, Paqueta's standards have fallen off a proverbial cliff recently, perhaps a by-product of this inevitable summer saga.
Against Chelsea, he was particularly sorry, branded with a 3/10 match rating by The Evening Standard's Malik Ouzia, who wrote that he 'looks to have phoned it in at this point'.
ââââThis final phase of Moyes' tenure - league fixtures against Luton Town and Manchester City - are effectively dead rubber now, with a miracle needed to secure a top-seven finish.
Paqueta is patently disinterested and Lopetegui could indeed ditch him, unleashing George Earthy in the South American's stead.
Why Lopetegui should unleash George Earthy
Earthy's Premier League debut ended bitterly after the teenager replacing Michail Antonio with 82 minutes on the clock against Fulham in April, colliding with Edson Alvarez late on and being stretchered off the pitch with a head injury.
The talented midfielder, aged 19, was described as a "terrific footballer and a great little technician" by Moyes following the incident and his performances at U21 level speak of the quality that led to his first-team promotion.
Across 26 performances for the youth team this season, the No. 10 has scored 13 goals and added ten assists, with his prolificness winning over Moyes and suggesting that he has a big part to play in the years to come at the London Stadium.
In the EFL Trophy, against senior lower-league opposition, Earthy excelled across his five outings, scoring three goals, providing one assist, completing 90% of his passes, creating three big chances and averaging 1.4 key passes, 3.0 ball recoveries and 1.0 dribble per game, as per Sofascore.
His technical quality is evident and his dynamism and potency in attacking sequences suggest that he might indeed be the perfect young Hammer to make a real impression at West Ham.
Since Paqueta is on the out, in all likelihood, what has Lopetegui got to lose? Moyes has already demonstrated his eagerness to involve Earthy in the senior set-up, and by ditching the Brazilian for a homegrown prospect, he might just set in motion a chain of events that could see the club unleash its biggest talent since Rice.
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