Man City ‘lodge £70m offer’ to West Ham as David Moyes presented with new issue

Manchester City have submitted a formal bid for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta but David Moyes is extremely reluctant to sell the 25-year-old unless an improved offer is tabled, according to reports from Brazil. Paqueta scored four goals for the Hammers in his debut campaign and formed a key part of the squad that won the Europa Conference League after joining the club from Lyon last summer. The Brazilian playmaker is said to be attracting interest from City as a result of his impressive showings, with the European champions thought to be keen on signing another midfielder following Ilkay Gundogan’s departure last month. They have already tested the waters with an opening bid in the region of £70million, according to Globo Esporte , but West Ham are not expected to sell unless a higher offer is submitted.It is said that the Hammers will ask for City to increase their bid to stand any chance of landing Paqueta, who remains tied down at the London Stadium until the summer of 2027. His exit would certainly leave West Ham thin on the ground in midfield after selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for a nine-figure fee earlier in the window. Their lack of summer business is also said to be a cause for concern, with Moyes’ position as manager reportedly under threat ahead of their Premier League opener against Bournemouth this weekend. It means that Paqueta will not be sold unless City decide to increase their bid as West Ham look to make a significant profit on the £53m they paid to sign him just 12 months ago. Manchester City have reportedly submitted an opening bid for West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta (Image: GETTY) Paqueta initially endured a rocky start to life in the Premier League but quickly got up to speed and managed to establish himself as a key man for the Hammers in the engine room. However, it remains to be seen if the club would be prepared to accept an improved offer from City if last season’s treble winners follow up by submitting a new proposal that would be difficult to turn down. Such a development could give West Ham a welcome financial boost in their efforts to sign Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, who is said to have been identified as one of several targets to replace Rice. They are still believed to be keen on landing the 28-year-old despite seeing a £30m bid rejected by the Saints earlier this summer, while the player himself is also said to be open to the idea of a move. The Brazilian midfielder remains tied down at the London Stadium until the summer of 2027 (Image: GETTY) However, former Arsenal hero Paul Merson recently warned Ward-Prowse that he would be better off staying at Southampton instead of ‘working on scraps’ at West Ham next season. He told Sky Sports : “If I’m Ward-Prowse, you’re not gonna play for England. You’re not playing for England anymore in my opinion, he didn’t play last year, I don’t think he gets in the team again. “So does he go you know what, if everybody’s staying, I’ll stay? You’re gonna go to West Ham, you’re talking about West Ham. You’re not going to one of the top six. You go to West Ham, you’re working on scraps. I mean [if] you stay there [at Southampton], it’s a lovely season, you’re winning every week. Everybody likes a winning team.” Want the latest Premier League news as we publish it on  Express Sport ? Join our Facebook group by clicking  here .