Over the course of the summer, West Ham United were keen to add a midfielder to their squad, and went after a few.
After some failed attempts to sign the likes of Piotr Zielinski, they settled on spending a fair chunk of money to acquire Lucas Páqueta from Lyon.
The Brazilian had got his career back on track at the Ligue 1 side, and was, alongside Bruno Guimarães, the heart of that team, with both having now moved on to the Premier League.
West Ham had just come off another good season, and there was hope that David Moyes’ side could once again challenge in the upper half of the table.
That hasn’t been the case, though, despite some big spending this summer on the Brazilian and new striker Gianluca Scamacca, with the Hammers currently 16th in the table after 16 games, one point off the relegation zone.
Their latest 3-1 defeat to Arsenal hasn’t helped much, and some questions are being asked of Páqueta, as he hasn’t influenced the team as much as expected.
Speaking to L’Equipe, someone close to the player said: “He hasn’t joined a weak team, because over the past couple of seasons, West Ham have finished 6th and 7th in the league, as well as playing a final in Europe. It’s true that they are in difficulty this season, but the manager advocates a defensive football, with a lot of long balls and little possession. Páqueta plays as a second forward, which keeps him a bit out of the game.”
Still, this doesn’t mean the player is about to give up, and a friend of his even believes he’ll come out stronger on the other side.
He said: “He’s only been there for three months really, and there was the World Cup in the middle. He isn’t dragged down by the level of the team, but more upwards by the level of the. Premier League. The struggles will make him an even better player.”
