West Ham ‘eye £30m-rated Botafogo striker’ in shock deal that could see ‘Lucas Paqueta return to Brazil’ amid betting probe
- Igor Jesus has scored five goals in the Brazilian Serie A since returning from the UAE
- The Botafogo owner is a fan of Paqueta and would approve a move for the West Ham star
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West Ham are reportedly looking to sign Botafogo’s £30million-rated striker Igor Jesus, in a move that could see Lucas Paqueta return to Brazil.
Jesus scored five goals in Brazil’s Serie A this year after returning from a four-year spell in the United Arab Emirates.
The 23-year-old was called up to the national team for the first time last month, playing against Chile and Peru.
Botafogo, despite signing the striker earlier this year, will sell if the right offer comes in, with West Ham keen to strengthen their striker according to The sun.
Club owner John Textor is said to be a fan of Hammers striker Paqueta, whose move to Manchester City fell through last year due to a gambling investigation.
West Ham want to sign Botafogo’s £30million-rated striker Igor Jesus, according to reports
The Botafogo owner is a fan of Lucas Paqueta and would approve a move for the West Ham star
The 27-year-old was charged with spot fixing in May and is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card in four matches between 2022 and 2023.
Paqueta has been overshadowed by the allegations since they were first made before the start of last season.
He had emerged as one of West Ham’s key stars on the way to Conference League glory in 2023, and was widely linked with a move to Manchester City, which Pep Guardiola seemed keen on.
However, when the story of Paqueta’s gambling investigation came to light in August 2023, exclusively broken by Mail Sport, his £85m prospective move collapsed.
If Paqueta is found guilty, he faces a lifetime ban. The Brazilian, who denies all allegations, will be heard in March.
However, Botafogo would still take Paqueta and try to reach an arrangement with West Ham.
A swap deal that would see Jesus move to West Ham could suit West Ham well given their struggles in front of goal this season.
The east London club signed Niclas Fullkrug in the summer but the move has yet to materialise, with the German failing to score in any of his three league matches.
Niclas Fullkrug has been sidelined since September after joining from Borussia Dortmund
The former Borussia Dortmund star has been sidelined since September due to an Achilles tendon problem and his return date is still unknown.
The Hammers continued their poor start to the season with a 3-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.