How Man City will line up with Lucas Paqueta

Updated: 17 Aug 2023 13:23 BST
4 min read

Manchester City are bearing down on Lucas Paqueta again after West Ham knocked back their initial offers for the Brazilian.

The player is thought to be the No.1 target of Pep Guardiola as he contends with the injury to Kevin De Bruyne, who could be out for months. FootballTransfers has revealed that the club is readying another bid for Paqueta – around the region of £80m. West Ham are holding out for a little more – around £85m – but there is an anticipation that this is a deal that could get done.

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In any case, we have laid out what’s likely to be the starting XI for Man City as they begin their new season in the Premier League. If Paqueta signs, he features – as does their recent signing, Josko Gvardiol.

Attack

Erling Haaland will no doubt keep his place, given his record-breaking, earth-shattering season the campaign before. He leads the line as the main goal threat. Phil Foden and Jack Grealish are poised on either side of the towering Norwegian.

It’s a changeable selection across the front, but arguably the club’s strongest names on paper are here. The range of passing and dribbling will open up acres of space for Haaland, just as it did last term.

Midfield

Paqueta and Bernardo Silva will nestle beside the immutable Rodri in the centre. Paqueta was more of an attacking threat in his Lyon days - at West Ham, David Moyes has been placing him further back. This leaves Silva to press on and link up with the front three, particularly Foden and Grealish on the wing.

© ProShots - Rodri is the centre-piece for Man City

Rodri will act as the protection to the backline and dictate the tempo across the middle; he is also able to push up and create opportunities when needed, making for a well-rounded, dangerous midfield.

Defence

Guardiola is on the move again: as everyone is playing catch-up with playing from the back and utilising the fullbacks as midfielders, he’s refined the role of the defender once again.

He plays with an entirety of centre-backs. John Stones, who also plays as a fill-in midfielder, Ruben Dias, and new addition Gvardiol. Kyle Walker is a traditional full-back, but he operates as a high-pressing centre-back, someone whose recovery pace remains the best in the world, even at 33 years old.