David Moyes has already warned Aston Villa about Lucas Paqueta despite ‘incredible’ verdict
Aston Villa are attempting a late raid for Lucas Paqueta this summer.
Paqueta is considering his options at West Ham after being cleared of betting allegations by the FA during pre-season.
Villa are interested in bringing Paqueta to the Midlands, as they’ve registered their interest in the midfielder, who has struggled in his three seasons in East London.
David Moyes managed the Brazilian for two seasons at the London Stadium before leaving in 2024, and he has sent a warning about the midfielder’s antics.
David Moyes warns Villa of Lucas Paqueta’s ‘maverick’ antics
Paqueta was signed for West Ham by Moyes in 2022 for £50million, as the Scot looked to build on consecutive European finishes.
Although he was able to bring home European silverware in the form of the Europa Conference League in 2023, Moyes couldn’t get the best out of Brazilian, as the Hammers begun slipping back down the table.
The Scotsman has previously stated that Paqueta has incredible talent, but he can drive him mad with unconventional skills.
Moyes said: “Lucas was terrific. He drives me mad sometimes but everybody who watched him would have said: ‘This player has got incredible talent’.
“There is a word that goes around, a maverick. He is that for us. It is really important we get him in and adapt to him and accept some of his things.
“He may not do things which are what I would say conventional but we are really enjoying him at the moment and he is terrific at taking the ball under pressure. But also there are moments when I say: ‘What are you doing?'”
Lucas Paqueta is a luxury player that Villa do not need
Paqueta is undoubtedly a talented player, as evidenced by his performances for Lyon in France before his move to the Hammers, and would be a good addition to a Villa team that has struggled in the Premier League this season.
However, he’s a player that teams cannot rely on when they need a goal to get them out of jail, as last season he disappeared a lot as Jarrod Bowen took the mantle as West Ham’s best player.
| Lucas Paqueta vs Chelsea | Stats |
| Goals | 1 |
| Passing Accuracy | 91% (49/54) |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Passes into the final third | 11 |
Unai Emery needs his players to be willing to get stuck in and work hard for the team, something the Brazilian doesn’t provide, and his signing is a confusing one considering they just let Jacob Ramsey go to Newcastle for £39m.
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